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Richard had spent the entire night slumped over the beach bar. It was late morning when he had begun to stir. Bright topical sun and a massive hangover wasn't mixing well. Adding in the stiffness caused by sleeping on a barstool and Richard was almost as sore as he had been after his lastest change.

He stumbled along the beach, trying to shield his overly sensitive eyes from the sun. What the hell had made him decided that getting sloshed was a good idea? He hadn't gotten that far gone in decades.

Through the sound of invisable hammers beating upon his skull, Richard thought he heard his name. He stopped and looked up, squinting againist the harsh sun. He could see a figure in the distance but his bleary eyes refused to offer anymore information than that. Ugh. People, voices and noise. Socializing was not what he needed right now.

However this person was position so that he HAD to walk past them to get home. Maybe they could be satified with a quick hello? He could go around but that would require more walking and that wasn't acceptable either. His tail curled with indecision for a momment before continuing toward the figure.

As Richard advanced forward the Cheeta girl's features resolved. He flashed a worn smile at her. The exicution was mixed as his eyes were still scrunch up to ward off the bright sun. "Hello Colche," he said softly. He was about to continue past when his eyes fell upon the cast.

He halted and stared at it with a concerned expression.

"A piggy?" An animal had broken her leg? Or an islander that was turning into a pig? Damn his curiosity, now he'd have to stay in the sun until he heard the whole story. Or his head ache beat him back into blissful obivilion.

He sat his considerably thinner form down next to Colche but he angled him self so he look back at the beach and not at the murderous glimmers. He supported himself with his arms while his smaller hands shielded his eyes from the sun. "It has been a awhile. What have you been doing all this time?"

The tentacles waved drunkenly behind his back.

Unfortunately for Colche, Richard wasn't in a empathitic mood and didn't detect her unwillingness to talk about being wild. Even if he had been, it probably wouldn't have stopped him anyway. "A big pig. You must mean a boar." He voice was somewhat mumbled as he deciphered her situation. "You wanted to be wild?" Dear god. Richard reeled as if he had been hit. She had been hunting it! This sweet and innocent, if perhaps brain damaged girl was hunting? Richard did not like those implications.

"Yes, I've changed twice now Colche." Her sentance structure was worse than he remembered. His sickly fuzzed tail flickered over the sand behind him. "Two more to go." The tail stopped at the thought, a laid in the sand.

"Wanted to be like everyone else?" Richard repeated dumbly as he studied Colche through bleary eyes. "Why would you want that?" Richard didn't quite comprend what Colche was talking about being like everyone else. That sadness that crossed her face was in stark constrast to the bright and bubbly creature the had met before.

As a journalist in some not so happy places Richard had developed a strong emotional barrier when confronted with awful situations. He told himself that his job was to report these conditions, not change them. When he had broken that rule it had come back to haunt him. Children he had given food to tended to return the next day, bringing their siblings and their friends. Sometimes that had been less than understanding when he had nothing else to give them.

Here it was a different place and a very different situation. After a moments hesitation, he reached over and placed his hand over Colche's furry paw. He wasn't thinking straight enough to peice the puzzle of Colche's word together but he wanted to help her. "You can tell me all about it ya know."

The color drained from Richard's face as his brain assembled what Colche was telling him. He had suspected that Colche had been "rescued" from some horrible place but to hear her speak of it made it real. She wasn't brain damaged at all. Indeed that she was even willing to talk to men after years of abuse spoke volumes of praise for this young woman. The only reason that she appeared simple was that she hadn't been taught. Was the damage permant? Or maybe the changes had repaired the damage?

The logical part of Richard's brain wasn't the only part that was busy. Deep in the emotional centers of his brain there was a new cluster of nerons that had begun to fire when Colche made that squeek of distress. Born of Richard's own long denied desire for children and the invasion of foreign DNA in his brain there was special identification beyond friend and foe, rival or prey. It was that of a cub. Unconiciously Richard had just adopted Colche. The new mental link was embryonic, but had the potential to grow stronger.

He would have hugged Colche right there and then but the little hiss had made him cautious. "Colche its alright okay. Nobody can hurt you now. That was a long time ago." He scooted closer and put a cautious hand on her back, hoping she wouldn't bolt. He left his body open should Colche lean in for a hug but allowing enough distance to pull away should she desire. It was a practiced techique that he hadn't used in a very long time. Cathy had been a very unpredictable woman at times and when she was angry or sullen a show of affection could make the situation worse. So Richard had always tried to allow her an out.

As he draws closer Colche may notice that his scent is no longer that of a man, but isn't femine either.