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 Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 8:38 am
"Just on the counter," Aislinn hadn't bothered putting the boxes in the cabinet-- she didn't live with anyone, so she didn't have to keep things neat and put away. And she used tea so often, it was just more convenient to have it sitting out.
"The kettle's still on the stove, though you'll want to put some more water in it and start the fire."
She looked about for her cane, wondering if she could at least get around temporarily using that...but really, she didn't feel like getting up just now anyhow.
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Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 8:44 am
Shenzi followed her directions, making her way into the kitchen. Picking up the teakettle, she filled it with water, and set it to boil on, and got a couple packets of tea out, bringing them back into the room. "Which d'you want?" She asked, dropping them onto the floor in front of Aislinn, before sitting down herself.
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Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 8:58 am
Aislinn smiled,
"Actually, there's a small bag on the counter with blueberry tea, if you don't mind."
That sounded appropriate, anyhow. Using the controller, she exited out of Dynasty Warriors-- she didn't feel much like playing anymore. In fact, after a bit of tea, she was probably going to want a nap more than anything else.
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Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 9:05 am
Shenzi nodded, going back to the teapot as it started hissing loudly. Pouring some of the water into a glass that was already on the counter, and put the blueberry tea bag in. Coming back, she put it into Aislinn's hands, wrapping her fingers around the glass. "Well, I think I'm gonna go now. You should probably get some sleep." Giving her another encouraging hug, she stood up, slipping out the door with a small wave and a smile.
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Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 9:07 am
The woman nodded, waving at Shenzi as she left,
"Thanks. I think I probably will do just that."
Hopefully she'd manage to fit herself properly on the couch. She had a feeling she'd be spending a lot of time there for the next few days.
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Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2006 8:32 pm
Brian wandered through the village, restless, anxious, craving social interaction. He asked himself it was an effect of the serum or if it was simply his lack of friends and his inability to approach strangers for converation that had caused this longing, but he found no answer. The man walked about aimlessly for a long time, glancing at strange, deformed, animalistic people as they walked by him, knew he was one of them, kept walking. Finally he steeled himself and went to the duplex of the one person in this hell-hole he considered his friend- Aislinn. He remembered, vaguely, where she resided, and took the quickest route in order to find himself at her door. He knocked.
The woman had been sulking. The day before had been her second transformation, and she'd spent the night in tears and tossing and turning with nightmares for the little time she did manage to keep herself asleep. At this point, however, she had acquired the walker that would help her get about, but had taken to lounging on the couch anyhow. Her hair was slightly disheveled, but given its texture, not particularly tangled. Her eyes, however, were wrinkled with distress and a little on the bloodshot side. She heard the knock and pulled a blanket over herself. She wasn't ready for anyone else to see her like this, just yet. Particularly not with the tiny hooves...those were simply disturbing to look at. "Come in," she managed to say.
The redhead opened the door and stuck his head inside, looking around for Aislinn. Half of him hadn't expected her to be in her room. "It's just Brian. I- I hope I haven't come at a bad time," she had sounded somewhat upset... maybe she was feeling bad about being trapped? But she hadn't seemed that morose of a person when he'd met her. "Just, ah... dropping by. Are you alright?" He set eyes on her and, resting a hand against the doorframe and leaning his weight in that direction, didn't bother to hide the concern that crept into his face.
He was awfully sweet. And she couldn't help but smile just a little at seeing the familiar face. She wanted to run her hands through his hair again. It was such a brilliant natural orange-y red. "I'm...okay." It was obvious even with the blanket covering the majority of her body that she'd changed again. Her hair was longer, and significantly more of it was gray. And her ears were more equine in appearance, though they didn't quite have the swivel capacity yet.
Her small smile made something squeeze tightly inside of Brian's chest. His friend was in pain, it seemed to tell him, and he had to do something to fix it. But that might annoy her. Maybe she was one of those people who hated when others intervened and tried to cheer them up. What should he say? 'You've changed'? That would be fairly obvious- redundant, even. Words escaped him for what felt like the longest time. He stood, feeling stupid, in her doorway and chewed his lower lip. Finally, he mumbled, "As long as you're okay... I can leave, if you'd rather be alone. It's... never pleasant when..." he trailed off. She probably wouldn't want to hear it.
She shook her head, motioning towards the chair next to the couch, as she seemed to be taking up the entirety of the couch itself, "Oh, no, of course not. I couldn't pass up an opportunity..." she let it trail off. An opportunity for what? What the hell was she talking about, and why was her mind suddenly feeling a little fuzzy. A slight blush came to her cheeks, and for a second she forgot about her change. She remembered quickly enough, though, "Yes...it's...horrible, so I'm going to stay like this, but I do want to see you."
"Alright," he said gently, also wondering what she'd meant by 'opportunity'. Brian stepped inside and out of his shoes, carefully closing the door behind himself before making his way to the indicated chair. "...how are you feeling?" He asked, noticing her slightly bloodshot eyes.
She shrugged, "To be honest, pretty awful. I can't sleep for the nightmares, half the time." She motioned to the coffee table in front of her, which had a tea set and pot of tea on it, "It's a little cool now, but if you want some, you can help yourself." she'd have gotten it for him if it weren't such a hassle to get off the couch and if it wouldn't mean him seeing her..changed.
Brian's brows knitted together, worry more than evident in his expression. "I... I wish there was something I could do. How about the... the physical-? Does it hurt? I can go get some aspirin, painkillers or something...?" He could tell that it was more than just grey hair- something big had happened to this poor girl, and it was clear she didn't want to talk about that. But if it was hurting her, the least he could do was try to solve that problem.
She shook her head. He was such a doll, "I already took something. It's sort of a lingering pain, but it's getting better." It was more psychological than physical at this point, she just hated being as hideous as she was, and having to depend on not a cane anymore, but a -walker-, like some old lady. She glanced at it momentarily, by the side of the couch, then back at the pot of tea, "Not a tea-drinker, then?" she managed a more brilliant smile than the weak one she'd had before.
"Oh, I like it now and then," he said, smiling back at her, "and I happen to have a weakness for apple tea. Just wanted to be certain I couldn't do anything for you. Wait, that came out wrong. I mean, rather, that you're alright- I wouldn't have wanted to pour myself a cup and then disappear." His smile became sheepish. Brian served himself some and settled it on his knee, two hands wrapped carefully around the cup to make sure it didn't fall. He tried to think of something to say. He couldn't, and instead tried not to look at the walker, knowing what it probably meant.
Aislinn laughed, "Oh, I could think of a few things...." she teased, pushing the locks of gray behind one ear thoughtfully, then pulling the blankets closer around her. What would he -think- if he saw what she looked like now? Perhaps he wouldn't dare come back here again. She was such a -freak-. She missed being attractive. Then she'd have been able to get any g...why was she even thinking about that? This nice man comes to say hello and is all sweet to her, and all she can think about is...well, anyhow. She picked up the cup she'd been sipping from, "There is some apple in the kitchen. I'm afraid this is just apricot." She had a fondness for the flavoured teas as of late. And the mention of the word apple had her desperately craving one. Maybe tomorrow, if she was feeling braver.
"Well, I'll help you polish this off and if we're still in the mood for tea, I'll make a pot of apple. I can't promise you it'll be very good though- it was usually the other guys who made the tea, since I managed to be teamed up the two people on the planet who wake up earlier than I do. It wasn't always tea, though," he said, taking a sip and pausing as he swallowed, "We'd get sick of it pretty fast, so we switched week-by-week from tea to coffee. Anything that didn't taste like dirt and helped to keep our eyes open did the trick." Brian realised, with a measure of discomfort, that he was being chatty again. He only hoped his mindless anecdotes were cheer Aislinn up a little, if at all. Maybe he'd just hope they didn't annoy her? Too much? He peered into his cup self-conciously.
She smiled, reaching over to run her hands through his hair again, just like before. There was a visible relaxation of her entire body from this action, and she closed her eyes briefly, smiling warmly this time, "Well, if you need help just bring it over here. I know how to use the infuser and all that jazz, so I can make sure it's beautiful before you take it over to the stove if we need it." Gods, but apple did sound good right now. She sipped at the apricot tea thoughtfully. Perhaps she'd get up after Brian left and go to the cafeteria for one or something. "My school was more about echinacea and stuff. Everybody in Davis is an environmentalist, it seems."
"That so?" His eyes and tone spoke of genuine interest, and he shifted in the chair slightly to allow her to reach more easily. If it helped her feel better, he'd be more than happy to help in any way he could. "Mm, speaking of environmentalists- I've had some interesting concoctions made of bark and leaves and hot water forced upon me that went by the name of tea and were... not what I was expecting. Interesting, I suppose, but not something I could drink every day." He grinned a little.
She laughed, "Yeah, some require a little more getting used to than others," she set the teacup back down on the table and continued playing with his hair, "Well, we're all health freaks if not environmentalists, but there are a lot of environmental activists there too." She stretched out her legs unconsciously, one hoof peeking out from under the blanket, and yawned as though waking up, "Maybe we'll make apple martinis instead of apple tea," she grinned.
"That can be just as fun- if not more so," he mumbled behind a smile, noticing the hoof out of the corner of his eye. How dramatic her second change had to have been, he thought, for her to seem so... ashamed. At least her face hadn't changed, other than her ears and hair; Brian allowed himself a brief moment to gaze at her eyes under the internal pretense of checking if they'd changed in any way.
The eyes were the same almond-shaped deep brown they'd always been, other than the bloodshot look in them from a lack of sleep the past couple of days. "Of course. And sometimes it's needed," her smile wavered just a bit, but then she started running her fingers through his hair again and it returned. She noticed his gaze and looked back, noting that his were a cool blue. He looked about as Irish as her mother, come to think of it. "I don't suppose you do have Irish blood in you, do you? You definitely sound American, though."
"Canadian," he corrected gently, smiling a smile that clearly said he'd had to make the distinction many times before. "I might, a few generations back. I think I'm more Scottish than Irish, but it's been a while since I had a good look at my geneology." Here he looked away, eyes going to the floor, then to his tea, and he took another drink. "What makes you ask?"
She smiled, "Ah. Not much of the french accent most Canadians have, then." she shook her head, pulling her hair back and then realizing she didn't have a hairband to keep it out of her eyes with anyhow and letting it fall again, "My mum and da are both Irish. Second generation from the motherland itself," she smiled, "And you look Irish. Red hair, blue eyes, light skin..." she brushed his cheek gently. "Even if you are outside a lot, you can't tan. Liam, my brother, he's the same way, though he was adopted straight from Ireland itself."
He told himself that he was tolerating her need to be touchy and physical to help her to feel better after the change. He told himself he was just being altruistic and casting aside his discomfort. But he did, secretly, enjoy the way her fingers ghosted across his face, weaved through his hair. Brian placed an elbow on the arm of the chair closest Aislinn and rested his chin in his palm, still holding his cup of tea in the other hand. "Most Canadians don't have an accent. Well, I've heard some Americans claim we do. Something about the way we pronounce vowels. But Quebec is the only entirely-French province. Some of the eastern maritime provinces are bilingual, but even then, the majority don't take French beyond the grade nine level that's required to graduate highschool."
Aislinn grinned, "I guess the ones I showed against were from Quebec or something, though, because I definitely remember a couple of them with some heavy french accents," she let her hand go back to his hair, gently weaving her fingers through it. She couldn't help it. He was just so...touchable. Cuddly, really. She wished she could curl up with him again like before, but she was really too big to do anything of the sort anymore. She leaned in closer, whispering, "Though, to be honest, they might've just been French. I didn't always get a good idea of where the competition was from."
"C'est possible," he teased gently, grinning. His eyes wandered of their own accord, much of it simply habit after years of needing to note subtle changes, straining the eyes to see a blotchy pattern under a thick canopy, to see something white on a background of snow or tan in an ocean of yellowed grass. It looked to him as though her spine had, without warning, completely changed direction. Clearly her legs had bulked up some... he was curious as to just what had happened to his poor friend underneath that blanket, but he knew it would be painfully insensitive to inquire. Brian's eyes returned to her face, and he strove yet again to think of something to say. His inability to find the words made his gaze drop again, almost nervously.
She followed his gaze, looking at the blanket and then back at him, sighing softly. She tilted her head to the side, nearly resting it on his shoulder, "I could...well, I could show you the changes, but...I'm scared to." she admitted. She hated admitting fear, but it was the only way to explain it to him, "I just...look awful..and...I hate it."
Brian set his cup of tea on the table and looked back up at her again. "I'm sure you don't look awful. You can't control what's happening, and it's not as though you ever asked for this. Besides..." he trailed off, unsure of whether or not he ought to say what he was thinking, and decided to go for it, hating to see her so unsure of herself, "...your face is still... just as lovely as it was before." There, he'd said it. No taking it back now.
She blushed a little bit, "Even with the gray?" she asked, her voice attempting to be teasing, but more seeking consolation. Her hands lingered over the blanket, and she sighed, "I know...I can't control it...but...I've always worked so hard to be...attractive. And now, I'm not and there's nothing I can do about it."
"Even with the gray," he asserted, sitting up straight again. "And aren't lighter colours easier to dye?" Brian was no hairdresser, but he knew this much from simple logic. "And you are! A-attractive, that is. Like I said, your face hasn't changed, and, well- I think, ah, well, this is just me personally, but I think someone's face is far more important than their body." He struggled to keep his gaze from being drawn to the floor, the legs of the coffee table, his feet, the corners of the room. At his conclusion, he managed to scrounge the courage it took to look up at her and face her reaction to this. It would be much too easy for this to become awkward.
She blinked away tears that were trying to come. She didn't want to cry in front of him-- it'd just upset him. And she really didn't want that. He might leave, then, and she wanted him to stay. She really wanted him to stay. Softly, she leaned over to kiss his cheek, "You're really about the sweetest person I've ever met." She sighed, slowly pulling the blanket up so that he could see the damage, "Shenzi...she thinks I might be turning into a centaur, since only the bottom half's changed really."
Brian smiled timidly at the compliment, but puzzled over her response. Centaur? His attention went to where the blanket was pulled aside, and he noted with mild astonishment how quickly they'd become equine. It must have hurt a lot, he surmised, and then flushed when it struck him that she was unable to wear any pants, or...! Brian averted his eyes politely, careful not to make it look like he was disgusted or any such thing. "That's... probably a fair guess. This'll certainly make life difficult for you for the next little while, won't it? I... I'm sorry."
She pulled the blanket back over herself, not daring to look at him afterwards, "I..well, yeah. I have to use the walker for one thing, as my back's at a weird angle now." She pulled the covers close to her chin, feeling very self-conscious suddenly.
Her reaction made him feel suddenly guilty, and he got up from the chair and crouched in front of the couch at eye level with her. Without really thinking, he took ahold of the hand of hers that drew those blankets so closely around herself. He tried to imagine what she must have been like, before the island, before her accident, spunky, full of energy, full of confidence. Brian hoped that part of her could come back some day; it was still there, but that second she just seemed so... vulnerable. "It's alright," he said, not sure he believed it but knowing he wanted to. "You can get through this, no problem. You've already lived through so much... and you're not alone, here... everyone is in the same boat, and if you ever need someone to talk to, someone who can just listen, I'm here."
She sniffled a little bit, fighting back tears again. How could he be so nice to her when she was so...awful to look at? She was half horse, and had little -legs- sticking out her -stomach-. She was hideous and...yet somehow he was still here for her. She clasped his hand with hers gently, "Thank...thank you," she said softly. She wasn't used to being like this. She -had- always been confident until the accident, and then this...and it was like life just liked taking her down a peg.
Brian smiled a little, out of comforting words, and instead squeezed her hand gently, in a way that he hoped was reassuring. "It's not so bad," he mumbled, referring to her changes, glancing at the blanket, "The scientists could have been cruel and injected you with something that made you half scorpion. Or all scorpion. Just as bad." He made a face.
The woman shivered, "That would definitely be awful." She looked up, and around the room, "Hey...would you...be willing to help me put up my Christmas tree, maybe?" she blushed lightly, "It's..my favourite holiday, and I don't think I can do it on my own. Maybe you can come by tomorrow or so?"
"Sure," Brian replied, smiling, "I'd be happy to. Give me something to do, really. Speaking of which- did you ever talk to the staff about that idea we had? The clinic sort of thing?" He balanced on the balls of his feet and leaned an elbow on the arm of the couch Aislinn was on, careful to respect her personal space but hesitant to return to 'his' chair.
She really wanted him to just sit on the couch with her...but there wasn't a whole lot of space for that. She'd need to get a bigger couch at some point. Perhaps something lower to the ground too. A futon, maybe, would do, tacky as that sounded. But really, there wasn't much space for one in the Duplex. What she really needed was a bigger place. "Seems like everybody's busy with the holidays," she shook her head, "I keep getting lab assistants who tell me no-one can talk to me right now. I'll keep trying, though...but a lot of people like the idea. I've asked a couple of my friends about it." Friends. Well, yeah. Aislinn had always made friends easily, but these seemed much deeper in some fashions than the type of friends she'd had before...other than Lise. She wondered for a moment if she would be allowed to consider Brian part of that, and decided she had to, whether he liked it or not.
He made a face as she described the inaccesibility of the staff, as if to say 'That sucks.' When she'd finished, Brian said, "So it wouldn't just be in vain, then? There's always the chance that the word wouldn't get around, or people would be uninterested, and we'd end up sitting at our desks all by our lonesome, day after day." But did that really sound so bad?
She smiled, "Well, at least I'd be assured of seeing you every day," her voice was only about halfway flirtatious. Not that she didn't want to flirt with him, but she didn't want to scare him either, and shy sweethearts often scared easily at that sort of thing, "But yeah, it'd be worth it, I think. People would be willing to take part."
"Good," he said, his voice warm and his smile promising. "It's definately something I'd like to try... something more to do than walk around, eat, and think myself into circles." Brian was completely oblivious to any double meaning his words might hold, and her mild flirtation seemed to have bounced right off of him.
She let her hand fall on his elbow, not sure whether to try flirting again or just give up. He probably wasn't interested in a freak like her anyhow, and why bother at this rate? Still, "Well, Zee was interested, and Oz seemed to think it'd be good. I just hope the labs do. I know they've got their own people at the clinic and stuff, but I think some of the islanders might prefer, y'know, one of their own. And the clinic can't help them the way that you can, by telling them about the creatures they're turning into."
The touch definately caught his attention, especially with the increased sensitivity provided by the fur creeping up that particular area of his arm. "I still need to do a lot of research on some of the more obscure animals, but I can probably tell any of the people with canine serums more than they ever wanted to know. I'm sure it's stressful to be changing on the inside as well as the outside... there are probably people with a few questions they're asking themselves, but probably would never put to the doctors working in the labs." He wanted to respond to her somehow, to confirm their friendship, strengthen their connection... something. Uncertainty lurked behind his expression.
She nodded, "And in the meantime, you can do research on other animals. What's big and gray, I wonder, besides elephants and rhinos?" she had been distracted by mentioning Oz mostly because she was still feeling a little perplexed at the man for getting so short with her suddenly. Her attention snapped back to Brian in a heartbeat, though, "Oh, you're such a love. I never even though of what you might be going through. I'm terribly selfish. What -is- it like turning into a dog?"
"Big and gray?" He pondered, but let the question settle into the back of his mind and brought her second one to the forefront. "Interesting. It's sometimes difficult to pick through what are my thoughts and urges, and which belong to a wild dog. Some of them aren't that different. The most noticable is the need to socialize, which is one of the prominent traits in wild dogs. And I've become more sensitive to physical cues that indicate social heirchy. It's more difficult for me to maintain eye contact. It's really quite fascinating. It proves many nature versus nurture theories, if nothing else."
She tilted her head thoughtfully, "Well, some of it. I still think there are some things that do have to be taught. How to hunt properly, for instance, has to be learned, I'd think." she leaned back against the head of the couch, tilting her head back thoughtfully, "Though, I'll agree that nature gives you certain instincts that aid a lot in all that."
"Oh, yes. That's definately a good point. Especially because hunting, for wild dogs, is mainly a group skill. A community event, if you will. So they need both the instinct and the learned ability to excel and survive. Thankfully I won't need to do any hunting. It's fascinating to watch but I would never do it myself; I'm too squeamish." He smirked, leaning forward a little bit.
She smiled, "Well, that's good. I wouldn't want you to decide hunting Clydesdales is a good idea, for instance," She tilted her head back down, beaming widely and snatching him as he leaned forward to pull him in for a hug.
He laughed, returning the hug with relaxed familiarity. "Hardly. Three dogs have almost no chance of taking down a zebra- what makes you think one would stand a chance against a monster of a horse like a Clydesdale?" A grin spread across his face and he basked, momentarily, in the feeling of her hair against his cheek.
Shandriz: She nuzzled him gently, sighing. He was so warm and snuggly..."Would you sit here, with me?" She adjusted a bit so that he could probably fit, though he couldn't lie down with her, but that was okay, "Just...for a moment?" His whole presence was comforting somehow.
"Of course," he replied, the words slipping from him like a contented sigh. He eased up onto the couch, releasing her from the hug and sitting beside her, angled so that his chest and shoulders could act as pillow or chair-back, whichever need arose first. Feeling that it was something she needed to hear, to be reminded of, he whispered, "They're not as bad as you seem to think... the changes. Dramatic, yes, but... not ugly in any way."
She closed her eyes, resting her head on his shoulder for a moment, "You don't think so?" she whispered softly. It really was what she needed to hear, and she knew it, but she was reluctant to accept the idea, worried he was just saying it to make her happy and not because it was true. She let her arm fall across his back, snuggling close. She needed this more than anything else right now. Just...time..relaxation, and reassurance.
"I don't think so," he asserted gently, and it was true. He wasn't certain he could make her believe him, but he would try. Brian placed a comforting hand on her arm, and smiled a bit at himself. "It feels strange, doesn't it- the palm of my hand? It still surprises me when I'm not thinking about it." He paused, pursed his lips thoughtfully. "It's easier... for me... to accept these changes, accept that I'm never going to change back... if I talk about it, even if it's just writing it down, talking to my reflection... because it's impossible to pretend it's not there."
She smiled softly, gently brushing her fingers over the hand touching her other arm, "It's scratchy, but...I like it," she sighed, "I just...it's hard because it looks so awful. Especially the little legs..." she checked the blanket to make sure it was still covering the rest of her, "And...I don't know." She looked at him, "You really don't think it's that bad?"
He met her gaze, holding it and hoping she would read in his face how sincere he was being. "I think it's cruel and unfair that you were deceived into coming here, that it's vindictive and malicious of these scientists to make us the subjects of this sort of experimentation against our will, and to do it in such a way that makes us lose a part of ourselves. I'll never be at peace with what happens here, and what it does to people like you who never deserved this... but I can't change any of it." His shoulders became tense, his jaw tightened, his expression fixed. He looked away, and when he looked back at her face all of this anger had left him: at least, it was no longer visible in his body language. "But in light of what could have happened, and how you'll probably look once the changes are complete... I think it's not nearly as bad as it could be. If you are only partially changing, your upper body, your face, should be mostly unchanged. And horses really are beautiful, majestic creatures. No matter what this serum does to you... it won't change the sort of person you are, and it won't change what I think of you. And in my opinion, at least, it won't make you- and hasn't made you- any less attractive."
Aislinn smiled, nuzzling against his neck again when he looked away from her. She'd never had someone so sincere, so serious, and so intelligent say such wonderful things to her before, and she wasn't sure what to make of it, other than the idea that she definitely -liked- it a lot. She paused when he returned his gaze to her, for a moment looking like a deer caught in the headlights. "I..."
He smiled a little bit, almost sheepish, but mostly calm and collected. It felt marvellous to finally say those words, and know that he meant them. It meant just as much to Brian to say as it did to Aislinn to hear. Possibly more. It was a burden from his shoulders. He never wanted a part of this, and never meant to, never knew he'd done anything to contribute to it. So it was, for him, a huge leap to fully come to the conclusion that despite all he'd done to aide this project, he never supported it and never condoned it, and deep in his heart felt how wrong it was.
Brian was relaxed, so very relaxed and at ease with this girl who made him open up and act without being in constant fear of offending, who he could speak to as an equal without having to explain himself or without seeming stuck-up or condescending. So at her expression, he merely gave this calm-yet-slightly-sheepish smile, and tilted his head to the side, prompting her to continue.
She closed her mouth abruptly, looking away. Then she turned back to him, smiling softly. She wasn't sure what to say to that. He was so open. And she had a feeling things like that didn't happen often with him. They didn't happen that often with her, really, either. And she'd opened up more than she'd ever thought. She wasn't scared anymore. She felt more at peace. Because she wasn't alone, "I'm just glad...you're here." she said softly, "and...I'm not alone...and that...that you don't care about what I look like, and you're not afraid of me because of it."
"Afraid of you?" He parroted, the words carrying an amused note. "Maybe if you were becoming a hippo, I'd be afraid of you. Those things have terrible tempers, as docile as they appear." Brian grinned at her and leaned into her gently. "Don't worry about it. I'm glad I can help, somehow, in any way I can. You're, really... the only person in this place that I'd call my friend."
The Asian woman actually blushed, leaning forward too. She couldn't help it. He was -inviting- her to. Asking for it. Softly, she kissed his cheek, then pressed hers against it, "I think you're the first person in the world I can really call friend," she said, "I've never met someone so..." she closed her eyes a moment, lashes brushing against his cheeks, "....understanding."
Silent shivers of excitement broke through his pool of calm, and his heartrate began to increase. Brian tried to ignore the romantic notions that danced through his mind and his loins. Now was not the time for it. That would be taking advantage of her emotional instability after her change. He would not do that to her. He would support her, be her friend, and nothing more. "I'm glad," he said a second time, his voice the tiniest bit unsteady. When he spoke again he was more collected. "I try to be understanding... I know sometimes it's the most important thing in the world to have someone you can go to who will just... listen."
She nodded, smiling as sleepiness started to get the best of her. She was feeling very relaxed now, she was so comfortable with him...she let her head fall to his chest, leaning against him and yawning, "And you'll come by often, won't you? I'd like to see you."
"Naturally," he replied, settling an arm around her, finding himself quite comfortable too. "Aren't I coming over tomorrow to help you with your Christmas tree? Which, by the way, I'm wondering where you're getting a pine tree from?" He chuckled and perked an eyebrow.
She shook her head, 'Oh, it's a fake tree. I ordered it a couple weeks ago. S'in the closet with the decorations 'n stuff." She'd figured there wouldn't be any real trees around here. Besides, they were often a pain to take care of and maintain. Afterall, you had to pick up the needles and keep it watered and all that jazz. "You could just stay the night, though."
"No," he said gently, "I wouldn't want to impose. Besides, I..." What would he say? 'I don't want to end up doing something that I can't take back and find out it only happened because you were feeling lonely and insecure'? But what if she needed help to do something? What if she just genuinely didn't want to be alone? "I snore like the offspring of a bear and a lawn mower. I wouldn't want to deprive you of your beauty-sleep." He grinned but kept his eyes trained on his knees as he said this.
She laughed, "Sleeping won't make the horse-hair go away. I'm about as beautiful as I get right here," she lifted her head again to look into those cool blues, "I...wouldn't mind the snoring. I'd like you to stay...but if it makes you uncomfortable.." she forgot about his shyness. He'd been so open with her.
"I... I'd rather not, Aislinn..." he said, eyes still trained away, somewhere, anywhere that wasn't meeting her gaze. "I simply..." here any eloquence he had earlier evaporated into thin air. "D-don't misunderstand. It's not that I- don't think that- I just don't want to... I fear that... that you may not... be yourself right now... and... it would be too easy for..." But he was probably just imagining things. She'd probably be insulted that he'd ever dreamed something could happen between them. Insulted that he feared she'd act and then regret it. "I'm sorry," he said, at last, bashfully.
She blinked, then shook her head, "In my condition? I couldn't do anything you'd regret," she smiled, "The lower half doesn't work for that, you know, when it's part equine." she was mostly teasing with those words, and it was evident in her tone. More seriously, though, she smiled, "I'm sorry. I couldn't resist. But honestly...I...well, if you're not comfortable...but..I'd like you to." She kissed his cheek again, "It's not...impossible..that I feel..but...it's not just for that. It would be...just..to keep me company."
She'd hit closer to his concerns than she might have thought. But her appeal got through to him and he smiled helplessly. "It's more that I... I wouldn't want you to do anything you'd regret... anything you weren't sure about... but I'll stay, because I don't want you to be alone, and it's Christmas time, after all. I'm feeling a little lonesome myself..." he admit.
She had to laugh through another yawn, "Oh, you sweet. Don't worry about me doing anything I'd regret." she shook her head and set it on his shoulder once more, "I doubt anything I did here with you would be something I'd regret."
"Hnn," he murmured, letting his head rest on hers, "Still, it's easy to get overly emotional when you go through something overwhelming like... like a change." He closed his eyes.
Shandriz: She shook her head, her body relaxing visibly, "Ah, but I felt this before. When we first met..." she yawned, sleep working as well as alcohol to get her to loosen her tongue completely, "there's just something about you."
The thrill returned, although it was less physical this time. So he hadn't imagined it. But maybe it was just fleeting fancy on her part. He doubted he'd be able to hold her interest for long... not being the most exotic or exciting of people. But... what if...? "It was... a real miracle for me to find someone I could finally relate to. You have no idea how happy I was to hear the phrase 'veterinary textbooks'." He laughed at the sheer absurdity. "I never would have pegged you as the sort. Most of the beautiful young women I've met tend to avoid any profession involving blood, urine, and hypodermic needles."
Aislinn blushed again, "You still think 'm beautiful?" she asked, rubbing at an eye, "You're...different from the guys I usually like." he was more stable. The sort of guy you could stay with rather than just running about with for a while 'till their bad habits drove you crazy. She yawned again, "M. 've been getting dirty m' whole life. Mama was a vet and papa rode and had to clean up and stuff.."
"Is that so?" He smiled, eyes still closed, and nuzzled his cheek against the top of her head. "So you're a real down-to-earth, hands-on sort of woman?" He chuckled.
She grinned, "You have no idea," she stretched her arms a bit, then snuggled her way practically into his lap, "I had to work -hard- to look good with all the work I did," she informed him, pulling the blanket around the both of them, "Really ought to get a futon or something."
"Mmm, it'd make life much easier for you, I'm sure." 'And I'll bet you'd look good no matter what you're doing,' he thought, considered saying it out loud, and decided not to lay it on too thick so early on in their friendship. "We gonna sleep right here, then?" He asked, half joking, half serious.
She opened her eyes sleepily, "Well, unless you want to help me into bed, yes," she smiled, "I wish this thing folded out, at least. I want you to stay with me. You're so warm and snuggly," she said, "but I don't want you to be uncomfortable." She peered at the walker nearby, narrowing her eyes at it as though that would make everything go away, "The bed's a bit bigger, at least, but I don't know if I can get myself up on it." She hadn't even bothered trying that the night before, it was just too high and she'd had a tough enough time getting up onto the couch after Shenzi'd been nice enough to set her up with the pillows on the floor.
"Would you prefer to stay on the couch, or make the effort to get into bed? I'll help you, if you like. Although to be honest, it'll be tough forcing myself to get up. I'm pretty comfortable right now." He chuckled, the sound resonating in his chest, and nuzzled against Aislinn. What was it about her that made him feel so at east and open...?
She smiled, settling back against him as he said this, "If you're sure. If you get uncomfortable during the night, just wake me and we'll try to climb into bed. I need to get new furniture.." and a bigger place, really, but that'd have to wait. At least get the furniture for now. She leaned back, kissing his cheek again softly, "Thank you. I promise this won't become habitual."
He smiled and angled his face to return the gesture for once, placing a timid, fleeting kiss on her cheek. "It's fine. A small favour for a good friend." He paused thoughtfully. "Tomorrow we'll put up that tree... then maybe it'll feel a little more like Christmas, hmm?"
She grinned, "I think it's already feeling more like Christmas," she sighed softly, feeling hersel start to drift off. This time, hopefully, she wouldn't have nightmares or anything. Maybe she'd actually be able to sleep properly, though she doubted she'd be asleep as long as Brian. Still, she could turn on the tele or something when she woke-- if he snored, she doubted the noise would disturb him.
Brian allowed his eyes to droop shut, smiling still. He thought about everything- about her recent changes, about his impending changes, and about the possibilities for the two that were laid out in the open. There was a mutual interest. If it would ever go beyond just that was anybody's guess. And he knew that it would be different, vastly different from all his past relationships if they did. This particular woman having the hindquarters of a horse being no small part of it. He chewed his lip, wished he could take off his shirt for the night, leaned more heavily against the back of the couch, and slowly thought himself into sleep as he did every night.
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Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2006 7:34 pm
((the next day...))
She woke up only about six hours later. Short for most humans, but for her it was a long, langorous sleep. She was so warm and comfy. There'd been a bit of shifting around during the night, but mostly, she was snuggled comfortably against him. It'd been quite a while since she'd been in the arms of another, and she was loathe to wake him, that was for certain. He looked so adorably peaceful. Carefully, she reached over to the remote and turned the volume on the TV down before turning it on. It was a dull whisper, and she considered whether or not she ought to put it on silent with just captions, but she'd wait and see first. She'd put in one of those animal planet shows about veterinarians that she'd found in the entertainment room, and it was really quite fascinating. She did miss her practice.
Brian continued to sleep. His only reaction was, when Aislinn reached for the remote, to curl an arm around her abdomen and snuggle closer. He too had gone many, many months without having someone to hold at night.
She 'awww'd softly at his reaction, reaching down to briefly run her fingers through his hair and kiss his forehead gently. He was so cute, asleep like that. Puppy-like, almost. She hoped that he would not move too much and find his hands against those awful little legs sprouting from her abdomen. That would be an awful thing to wake up to.
Fortunately for Aislinn, Brian's breathing was gentle and even and the snoring he'd warned her about was pleasantly absent. He didn't seem to notice her gentle touch, and continued to doze. Here and there he shifted his legs or licked his lips or turned his head, but otherwise he was motionless but for the rise and fall of his chest.
The time passed quickly enough while she was watching the show. Whenever he would move, she'd gently brush her fingers along his cheek again in a sort of vain attempt to soothe him. It seemed, to her mind, to work well enough, as he continued sleeping peacefully. The DVD came to an end after a couple more hours, and she turned the thing off, as well as the TV. She would have started reading, but the bookshelf was too far for her to grab one. Instead, she watched him sleep a bit, peered about a bit, and thought a bit. This would have been much nicer if circumstances were a bit different, she mused. She could imagine what sort of possibilities they might have had if they were both completely human and normal in a normal world.
After a little while, Brian became quite still as he began to drift into conciousness. He didn't open his eyes right away, trying to remember why he felt so warm, why he was still wearing his clothes from the day before, and where was he? Finally he opened his eyes, slowly, regretfully, and remembered everything. He looked at Aislinn as he attempted to draw his mind away from those tempting edges of sleep, examining her face through the haze of drowsiness. He smiled stupidly.
She was still happily off in the land of thought, and so hadn't quite noticed his wakefulness yet. The Asian woman's gaze was directed at some far-off distance somewhere beyond the Duplex walls, and her ears were pricked forward a bit, giving her the look of some sort of fantastic statue. She pondered if, in all reality, she would have ever met Brian, or anyone as lovely as he was if she hadn't been forced on this place. Or if, even had she met one, she would have appreciated him as much as she did her newfound interest. Usually, he wouldn't have been interesting enough for her...but here, he was exactly what she needed.
With her head tilted in such a picturesque manner, it was impossible for him not to admire her. Brian found himself drawing invisible lines on her face with his eyes, tracing the gentle shadow below her cheekbone, the smooth arch of her eyebrow, the inviting curve of her lips. She was a rare thing, he thought to himself, gazing through half-lidded eyes, a rare thing indeed. Stunning, intelligent, and, miraculously, not a complete b***h. The combination was, at least in his experiences, a rare one. He found himself wanting to touch that face, that soft skin, but bade his arms lie still where they were.
She sighed softly, then turned to check on her snuggle partner and found him awake. A smile lit her face, "Merry Christmas, " she whispered, leaning in close to give him a very equine-esque nuzzle, "Good morning, as well."
"Right back at you," he purred, already in a rather good (if somewhat playful) mood. "It's strange," he rumbled, his voice somewhat coarse from having just awoken, "waking up with clothes on. I normally sleep in just my boxers." Brian was being uncharacteristically flirtateous that morning, for some reason. Perhaps the confidence fairy visited him as he slept.
The woman laughed, "I usually haven't even got that on," she confessed conspiratorily, "Though sometimes I'll put on an oversized shirt. Eric used to love it when I walked around in his..." she gently pressed her lips to his cheek. Take it slow. That was the way. Perhaps. She'd at least try, anyhow.
Brian exhaled heavily through his nose. On the inhale, his senses shouted 'Aislinn!' at him. There was no escaping it, escaping her. Not that he wanted to. Escape, that is. He did want her. Wanted to what, though? The natural answer to that one was definately not going to be happening. Augh! Thinking too fast. "Oohhh reaally?" The biologist teased, his imagination filling in the spaces between her relatively innocent words. That desire to touch became stronger, and he became rather aware of the fact that one of his arms was around her waist.
She smiled, "Oh, yes. He thought it was incredibly sexy." she shook her head, "at least, that's what he told me." She snuggled closer again, wanting to retain the warmth she'd had all night. She'd definitely missed having a sleeping partner the past few years, and it didn't hurt that the one she had now had more attachment, at least, on a deeper level, than her previous ones.
"I'm sure it would be," he murmured, and could think, then and there, of several other things involving her that would be described as 'incredibly sexy'. Ohh, it had been so long since... and she was so fantastic and... it was so difficult not to... Oh to hell with it! To hell with self-restraint! Pulling back only as much was necessary, Brian cupped her cheek with one hand and kissed her.
A bit of red hit Aislinn's cheeks, but she managed to catch her startlement in time to barely return the kiss. Tentatively, she put her arms around his neck, leaning into it. It was such a nice release, to finally do what she'd been trying -not- to since they'd met. But she certainly wasn't going to stop him if -he- wanted to start things..though there were limitations on what she was properly capable of.
Brian lost himself for a moment in the depths of happiness and then jumped back out into hesitation and self-doubt. He ended the kiss reluctantly, gazing at her like a man intoxicated before dropping his eyes. "Sorry," he mumbled, his line of sight jumping from the carpet to her, back and forth, nervously. "I..." he trailed off. His assured attitude had fled at the first sign of danger. An imagined sign. An invented sign. But a sign nonetheless.
She released him from her hold, gently reaching up to brush her fingers against his cheek. She wanted -more-...but she made herself relax, calm down, despite the rush of ...whatever, coming over her. "No, it's okay," she managed a wobbly smile, "Really. I...you're not upset...are you?" he looked incredibly nervous, and she wondered if he regretted kissing her.
"No, not, it's not me, I just," he stumbled with the meaning he was attempting to convey. "You're okay with this?" He placed his own hand on top of the fingers that touched his cheek and held them there gently as he peered almost fearfully at her. There was no way she'd want to be doing something like this, with him, so soon. He was certain he'd gone too far too fast. He was quick to criticize himself.
She nodded, smiling, "I would've pulled back, not forward, if I weren't okay with it." Why did this have to happen now, with her half horse and in even worse shape for...well, really, did she want to jump into that yet anyhow? This wasn't like her previous flings. This was more. She could feel it. At least, communications were more open between herself and Brian than they'd ever been with her previous beaus. And she felt a much deeper connection to him through their situation as well. "No, I want...to try this..?" she wasn't sure she was making herself clear, but then again, she wasn't sure what she was saying. She wanted two very different things at the same time, and it was hard sorting how much of it was hormones overacting at their first opportunity in years and how much was really -her-.
"True," Brian said, smiling that sheepish smile of his, "that -would- make sense." He wanted to do that again, but he'd ruined the moment with his stupidity! Not the first time that had happened. Maybe he'd hold back, maybe it was better if they waited. But then he looked at her again, and he felt a jolt of something in his chest at the expression on her fact that looked to him like confusion, uncertainty, but something else, something good. He wanted to take that expression, those feelings. He wanted to give her something to smile about. And damn! He wanted to kiss her! Leaning forward, more carefully, tenderly this time, Brian brushed a strand of hair from her face, ran his fingers down her jaw and neck, and drew her towards him and kissed her a second time.
Aislinn let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding as he pulled her forward again, finding herself the one struggling in surprise to keep up with him. It was interesting, how their roles had been reversed in this-- the usually shy man taking the incredibly outgoing woman off-guard. But she enjoyed it still, and leaned into the kiss again. Her arms slid about his waist, and she sighed softly, contentedly, pulling away after she felt it over and gently tracing small kisses along his jaw, "I wish..." but she decided not to ruin the moment with wishes, and left off that train of thought, returning her lips to his instead, and taking another kiss from him. No, there'd be time to worry about those things later. For now, she was going to enjoy what she had.
Brian wondered that he hadn't seen this coming. Then he just stopped thinking.
He indulged all his urges to explore her face, no place on it able to escape his soft, tender kisses, from chin to nose to eyelids. One of his hands took to stroking her long, silvery tresses of hair, and the other rested against the small of her back. It too longed to explore, but this he denied his curious fingers for the time being.
In seconds, she was laughing and returning his efforts, attempting to give kiss for kiss, but with his attempts finding herself more often close to bumping into him than anything else, and so gave up that effort and instead wrapped her arms about his neck and slid her fingers through the hair on the back of his neck, laughing in delight. This was what made all the hurt go away. He didn't care that she was half horse, and she didn't mind the pawpads, and they could be happy like this, it seemed.
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Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 9:04 am
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Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 9:05 am
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 10:45 am
Rp Entry In the Arcade Summary: Aislinn meets Kim again after her first two transformations. She certainly believes her about the island -now-!
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Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 9:57 pm
Outside your duplex door is a small gift, wrapped in simple lined paper with your name written on top, and a little card taped to the top. Upon opening the gift, you see an apparently blank CD;  The note reads: Aislinn
Just hope you're doin' alright now. Anyways, merry christmas! It's a CD with some of my band's songs on it, hope you like them. Happy holidays.
Shenzi
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Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 12:27 pm
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Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 12:29 pm
Brian was out walking Blitzen again. He'd found himself feeling uplifted a great deal since the arrival of the dog and the pleasant morning spent at Aislinn's, and he went out a great deal more. The last little while he'd taken the Autralian Shepherd exploring, mostly through the village but also near the outskirts of the lake, tossing a stick back and forth and keeping an eye out for Cody. He never saw the boy, and hoped he was alright.
It was on the way back from one of these excursions that he was walking between the rows of duplexes, Blitzen at his side, thinking about Aislinn, and the clinic, and Aislinn some more. He considered dropping by at her duplex, but was drawn off by Blitzen who needed to sniff at a clump of weeds which had been visited by another four-legged canine at some point.
Aislinn had been working on her strength, more than anything else. Her legs were fine now, but her upper body needed work. The morning had been spent in the workout room, followed by as much of a shower as she could manage given her bulkiness, and then she'd taken off for a bit of a walk. She'd made her way through the usual trails-- the same ones on which she'd met up with Charlie before the holiday season. After a while, though, she had become exhausted and returned to her duplex. On her way, though, she spotted a familiar face....and an unfamiliar one, "Brian!" she shouted, moving along at a halfway decent pace given her trouble with the walker.
A bright smile plastered itself on his face as he recognized the voice calling him. Tugging on Blitzen's leash, Brian went to greet her. "Hey! How was your Christmas? I-" pleased to be meeting a new person, the dog forgot the weeds and hurried forward to give Aislinn a good sniffing-over, mouth wide and tongue lolling in a genuine doggy-grin. "This is Blitzen. He was waiting for me on my doorstep Christmas morning. I've seen a couple people around with dogs since then- you didn't get one, did you?" As he spoke, he stroked the long brown fur of Blitzen's neck and shoulders.
The woman laughed, letting her hands slide down on the walker so that she could kneel and then petting the dog, "Well hello Blitzen," she grinned, "He's adorable, Brian. but no, I didn't get one. I don't know if I could handle one if I had anyhow." She imagined trying to walk a dog and herself at the same time. ...Yeah, she was definitely thinking more of a cat, "I had a fairly good Christmas. I just took down the tree and stuff today."
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Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2007 4:29 pm
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Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 8:31 am
Aislinn was...well, not quite as depressed as she had been. Things were getting better. She was managing to get around, though her room was still smaller than she would have liked for her bulk, and some things were just downright difficult to do. Still, she was alive and no longer in any pain now that the calluses on her hands had worn over from leaning so much on her walker. She wore long shirts that covered the tiny hooves nicely, and had left the rest of her clothing with one of the lab people. She was expecting Brian at any moment, and so had made some effort to clean the place up, but...well, it really didn't look all that much better than it had.
The announcement of the zoologist's arrival came first in the form of the scratching noise of an animal pawing the door, which was shortly followed by a muffled rebuke. After the scratching subsided, two knocks came. "It's me," Brian said, rubbing at the hair (fur?) on his chin.
The woman left the clothes that hadn't been picked up yet where it lie and hobbled her way over to the door, straightening her hair a bit. "Brian!" she beamed, opening it with less difficulty than she could have managed a few weeks ago and stepping back to let him have the space to get in. She blinked in surprise a moment later, though. He looked...well, distinctly more canine than the last time they'd been together.
"Aislinn," he said, his smile wavering when he caught the naunaces of her reaction to his appearance. He was no longer passably human, and he had come to terms with that. But could she? Pushing the thought away, he stepped inside and gestured to the dog at his heels. "I brought Blitzen along- I hope you don't mind. Normally I wouldn't, but there was something curious I've noticed about him that I wanted to ask you. You have more experience than I do with the domestic breeds of dogs." Though the words that spilled from his mouth were business, the quick, flighty glance that found its way to Aislinn's face was anything but.
After a moment or so, she recovered from the surprise and smiled, leaning down about as far as she'd found herself able to manage to scratch between Blitzen's ears, "Sure, I'm sure I can give you a few educated guesses anyhow." Her smile warmed significantly as she straightened and moved forward tentatively to hug him, "It's...I've missed you," she said softly.
Brian wrapped his arms tightly around her shoulders and pressed his cheek to hers, regardless of strangeness of his face it might bring to attention. His tail fluttered back and forth like a banner on the breeze. "I've missed you too. How've you been?" He really didn't want to let go. It was much too nice to hold her again, breathing in the smells he associated with her.
She nuzzled him gently, sighing a bit. Her senses weren't developed the way his were, but she could certainly enjoy the feeling of being held just as well. She pulled back, taking in all of his changes. He was still adorable. She did love dogs...smiling, she moved back a bit more so they could both be fully in the duplex, "I've been allright. Adjusting and all." in a way it was good that they'd been apart for a while, just so that she could get used to her difficulties and changes. But she had missed him. And..well, that was for later.
Brian stepped inside and gestured vaguely, at which Blitzen trotted inside after him and set about exploring. "If you break anything," the redhead warned his pooch, "You're in trouble." The words would obviously mean nothing to Blitzen, but he understood that tone well enough. When he was satisfied that no unwanted gifts would be left for Aislinn in dark corners, Brian took a moment to just gaze at her. It had been... so long, it felt. But he'd wanted to give her some space, and give himself some time to accept the changes. He had no other choice but to accept them, really. "No too bad, then?" He asked, hopefully. It was obvious what he referred to.
She grinned, shaking her head and moving to run her fingers through his hair again, "Oh, no!" she leaned over the walker to give him a kiss on the cheek, "You're adorable. It was just a surprise, that's all." she looked over to where Blitzen had wandered, but wasn't really concerned. Anything he did to the room probably wasn't nearly as bad as what she'd done when she was first adjusting to her new form. It would be tough to clean up, but she'd manage.
A pleased but timid smile appeared on the man's face at the compliment, and even though he wasn't sure it was true it made him happy nonetheless. "Here, lemme show you this. I think you might find it interesting. Blitzen- here!" The dog came obediently, tongue lolling happily, and stood still while Brian maneuvered him to better make his point. "His tail, or what should have been a tail... normally when one is cropped, when they're pups, there's some nub or evidence of the severed bone, right? Blitz doesn't have any of that... it's almost like he was born completely lacking a tail. Is that normal?" Indeed, it would appear upon inspection that Blitzen had never been the proud owner of a tail.
Aislinn blinked, moving over to the couch to sit down, "Here, bring him over and I'll have a look." It was easier to get closer to Blitzen's height when she was on the couch than to attempt crouching with equine knees. And lying down always meant that at some point she'd have to get back -up-. She shook her head, "though you're right, usually there's some evidence of a docking. Though, I suppose it could be a genetic mutation....but I wouldn't think it's common in his breed. Only manx cats really have that tendency..."
The man flicked his wrist at the couch and with the command of 'Up!', the dog was settled comfortably next to Aislinn, looking rather smug. I gets to sit on the big people chair. "I thought so. He's an Australian Shepherd, if that tells you anything." Brian's ears strained forward, enjoying greatly the sound of his dear friend's voice again.
Aislinn nodded thoughtfully, running her hands along the dog's back and towards his rump. Gently, she brushed against the area where his tail would be, putting a little pressure just to make sure there really was no tail bone.She bit her lip thoughtfully, then looked up at Brian, "That -is- odd," she informed him, "Aussie's usually have their tails docked when they're puppies in countries that allow it, but they usually start off with at least a stub of a tail."
"I wonder," he muttered, coming to stand beside her, "If it has anything to do with his life before he was given to me. I'm not sure if he was reared in the labs or if they bought him as an adult, but I'm curious as to why I randomly got a dog as a gift... beyond the cruel irony Duvert seems to get a kick out of. But that wouldn't explain why other people got dogs, too." He looked from Blitzen to Aislinn, who was still so pretty just sitting there. Her shoulder looked like a good place to put a hand or brush his knuckles against affectionately, and the urge to do so was difficult to resist. Resist it he did, however. Brian wasn't sure if she still felt... that way about him. Better safe than sorry.
She smiled, hugging Blitzen, "He's a good boy, though," she said, "So well-behaved..." she let her voice trail off, 'I really don't know. I suppose I wouldn't put it past the labs to do something like that, though." The woman adjusted herself a bit and patted the spot on the other side of her from Blitzen, "Come sit down," she smiled, "No reason for you to be standing about like that."
The dog recognised those two magical words of praise and looked up at Aislinn, maw wide in a doggy grin and eyes sparkling with happiness. Yay attention! Brian sat in the indicated spot, wondering why suddenly he felt awkward. He wasn't really sure... what to expect. The man struggled to say something, and failed, gazing at his knees in silence.
She smiled, rearranging herself a bit so that she could snuggle against Brian, "It's good to have you back," she said softly. She wanted to ask...but...she wasn't sure now was the right time. He seemed very stiff and uncomfortable, and if he didn't change that soon she'd probably have her answer without having to ask it.
The snuggling melted his defenses within a fraction of a fraction of a second. His arm went out to encircle her waist- or was it her lower back, now? Bah, it didn't matter. His eyes closed as he pressed his fuzzy forehead to the side of her head, inhaling deeply. "I've missed you," he reiterated.
She snuggled even closer now that he was responding, all but purring her response, "I missed you too. But now at least we're both...well, I'm in better condition than I was, so I can enjoy being with you a bit more." She wasn't going to fall asleep on him at a moment's notice or become inexplicably angry just because she was irritible or anything. And she was less likely to be solemn and all that jazz.
"Mmm," he muttered, not entirely following what she meant but catching the general drift. Brian placed a drawn-out, sentimental kiss on her cheek, and then gazed at her. After a moment, he asked, "When is your birthday?"
Aislinn made a face, "April 13th," she said, "I'll be twenty-seven. Another step closer to thirty and being old." She laughed, then snuggled up against him again, "Why d'you ask? Is yours soon?"
"Mine was in October. Just wondering if I should start panicking about what to do for a gift. And thirty is hardly old... or at least, I keep telling myself that." His eyes twinkled, and a wide grin exploded on his face without warning. Being here with here with her filled him with an inexplicable joy he'd nearly forgotten.
Aislinn laughed, "I'm just lucky I'm Asian so I won't -look- thirty until I'm fourty. Or at least, I hope not." ...how could she still be -vain- after what she'd been through? But she was so used to being careful about her appearance...it made her feel better to act in a way so familiar to her. "And really, I wouldn't worry about a gift. I'd be more panicked about how to help me make a totally -rockin'- party." She'd definitely have to get 'zee in on that if she did have a party when it came time for her birthday.
"I'm not much of a party person," Brian admit, "But for yours, I'll just have to ignore my... antisocial tendencies. I'm sure any party you're at will be fantastic." He couldn't, apparently, bring himself to say "totally rockin'". At least not without laughing at himself.
She smiled, nuzzling his neck softly. Oooh it was even more fun now that he was furrier! He was somehow even -more- cuddly, and she did crave the physical touching-ness. It'd been much too long since she'd had someone to hold her, "Aww, you're too sweet. I promise I'll try not to subject you to too much. Just some Karaoke and drinking, perhaps."
"I haven't been well and truly smashed in absolute years," he confessed drolly, "But I'll admit to doing some Karaoke in the past while before I wound up here." Brian was no singer, but he didn't sound horrible. Or at least, that was his perspective. "Jonathon would always pretend he didn't know me afterwards, but we were about ready to leave anyways, by the time I'd had enough to drink that I was doing any singing." He chuckled, remembering the days of old, and wondered if the island held any promise of more friends like Jon had been. He hoped so.
Aislinn giggled at the image of a drunken, fuzzy Brian singing karaoke. Of course, wasn't like any of the islanders that might be invited wouldn't be as ridiculous an image. ....really, why not have a karaoke party -before- her birthday? There didn't have to be an excuse for a Karaoke drinking party! She pulled away a bit and turned to face him, "Perhaps we should have a party anyhow," she grinned, "I'd love to see you drunk!"
Her enthusiasm made him laugh, and he raised a brow at her impishly. "Oh, I dunno. I'm not sure you'd be safe when I decided to throw away all decorum and self-restraint. Alcohol gives me confidence, I'll have you know, and it's a fearsome and unnatural sight." His self-depreciating comments were undermined by the fanged smile on his face and the gentle thumping of his tail against the couch.
She was falling in love with that tail by the second. It was like an eternal gauge of his mood. Something that she felt could be quite useful. She widened her eyes in an expression of mock innocence, "Really? Confidence and a lack of self-restraint? I wonder what would happen then?" she couldn't keep it up past that, though, and broke into giggles.
Brian cackled and tipped his head to nibble at her neck, drawing a thumb across her collarbone. "That's when the big bad wild dog jumps out of the shadows and eats you up," he whispered below her ear, smirking.
Something fluttered within her, but she managed to push that feeling aside. Definitely not something she wanted to deal with just now. Shivering gently, she leaned against his touch, her eyes half-closed, "Oh really?" she asked softly, sneaking her arm around his back and up it to play once again with his marvelous orange locks, "I don't know if that's such a -bad- thing..."
The wild dog man gave a playful growl, spreading gentle bites up and down her jaw. "Ohhh, it's terrible," he intoned, the odd word muffled as it was spoken with his lips to her skin, "The big nasty beast will break free of his chains and then goodness knows what he'll get up to once he's loose."
Aislinn sighed softly, "I know what I rather -wish- he'd get up to." She blinked, realizing she'd said it out loud and tinged red, waiting for a response. But perhaps he wouldn't really notice it so much. He did seem involved in what he was doing and she certainly didn't mind that.
Her words gave Brian pause, and he finished off his attack on her neck with a few gentle kisses before drawing back to look at her. "Oh?" He asked, one of his brows perking in an expression of inquisitiveness and, without really realising it, his head tilted ever so slightly to one side.
The distinctly doggy tilt made her smile and melted her embarrassment a little bit, "Oh, it's nothing. I didn't really mean it," Well, she had and she hadn't. In another situation she would have meant it, but given the circumstances... "It's just..odd.."
He biologist follows her line of thinking, and for a moment his baser instinct-driven thoughts wished that they'd met when they were both fully human. But then he remembered her legs- they wouldn't have been able to pursue that sort of romance anyways. Lose lose situation! But then, he was just happy to have found someone that he'd been able to make such a strong connection with. "I understand. Don't worry about it." Perhaps to apologize for pressing her on such an uncomfortable topic, he touched a gentle kiss to her lips.
Aislinn returned the kiss softly. That feeling fluttered up again, and she leaned against him. He was so much...nicer..more mature? Better, really, than the guys she'd been with previously. Even Erik, though he'd wanted to stay with her through all that...well, he hadn't known, had he? That she wouldn't be able to do...much. He probably would have left her after a few months anyhow and she'd spared herself that. Besides, they'd remained friends. She scratched at Brian's ears thoughtfully, "It's not...just that," she said, biting her lip thoughtfully.
Not just that? Hm. He leaned into her touch, trying not to admit what a pleasant sensation having one's ears scratched was. No wonder Blitzen liked it so much. "We don't have to talk about it if it makes you uncomfortable," he said, brushing his knuckles against her shoulder. Of course, he wondered what was bothering and hoped she'd tell him, but it was more important that -she- was happy.
She sighed, continuing to scratch and working out how exactly to word what she wanted to say. But-- in typical Aislinn fashion-- she realized the only way was really just to say it, "What...is this, exactly? I mean...are we just...friends who like to cuddle and kiss, or...are we something else?" she -had- to know. She couldn't just keep it bottled up. And it was difficult to just 'ask him out'...where would they go? It wasn't like there were dating areas on the island or whatever. It was a very...complicated situation.
At that moment, his ears did something fairly peculiar. First they poinked up, as if surprised, swiveled and pushed backwards, as though afraid or upset, and then titled forward, as though listening to something in the distance. It was a fairly accurate representation of the emotions that swirled through Brian's thoughts. "Well, uh," here he had to rub thoughtfully at his chin. "I'm not sure. I mean- uh, it's not that- I, uh-" he clamped his mouth shut and inhaled dramatically. Then he made a second attempt to speak his mind. "I... I'd like for us to be... more than just... friends who like to cuddle. But only if that's what you want."
Aislinn's body had seemed to tense a bit when she brought up her concerns, but it relaxed significantly now, though she refused to meet his eyes at least at the moment. Instead, she watched Blitzen rather avidly, "I...well, I'd like to be more, of course..I just..I don't know. It's hard to ask a person out when there isn't really anywhere to go, isn't it?"
Her response surprised Brian more than the actual question. Was that her only concern? Not, 'I'm sorry, I can't date you: I'm turning into a horse,' or 'You're just not my species'? "There are plenty of places to go. Have you ever been out and explored the island?" Then he remembered her legs and winced internally. Ooohhh, that was insensitive. Change gears. "When you've changed again you'll probably be able to walk on your own, and we can go to the edge of the lake, take-" a wide grin plastered itself on his maw "-long, romantic walks on the beach. Watch a sunset, even. Oh, and the beach bar. Is that Karaoke I hear in our future?" His voice has taken on an air of jest, and he looked hopefully at her.
She had to laugh, pulling him closer, "I actually do enjoy hiking about a bit. It helps build my confidence with the walker and all that jazz." she knew enough about physical therapy to appreciate how much assistance pushing herself to do things that were difficult for her could give. "And...well, I suppose. I'm so used to dating in the city...we'd always drive out to San Fran or something. There wasn't much in Davis besides the zoo...and most of the guys I dated weren't particularly interested in -that-." Another thing she adored about Brian. That reminded her, "And of course, we could always talk about animals. That's terribly romantic."
He smiled, rubbing the tip of his nose against her cheek. "Oh yes, terribly. That's definately the first thing I think of when I see you. Animals!" The sarcasm was so thick on his words and in his expression that it was almost droll. But he didn't allow himself to forget, it had been that mutual interest which had drawn them together in the first place. For that, he was grateful.
She grinned, "Well, I'm not surprised given I'm about half horse at this point." she flicked her tail without a thought, nuzzling against him and burying her face in his shoulderblade for a moment, then bringing her head back up, "So...you will, then? Date me, I mean?"
"I'd love to," he replied, sincerity in every fibre of his being and every timbre of his speech. He gazed at her, feeling the finer hairs on his back prickle with excitement and anticipation.
"Even if I'm half horse?" she let her insecurity shine through for a second, then masked it with a grin, "As that'll make sex pretty tricky, you see." It'd make -everything- pretty tricky, really. And what, she'd be dating a man turning into a dog. How odd was that? Well, she'd worry about how she felt over that another time.
Brian clicked his tongue against his teeth in a sort of 'tsk tsk'. "That's not important at this point. I'd rather have met you entirely as a horse than never have met you at all." He paused, and then laughed suddenly. "Better to have loved a horse than never to have loved at all? Christ this place does weird things to your sense of humour."
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