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Post by Vaitris on Nov 29, 2019 13:07:36 GMT -6
Hau spread his toes, digging his paws into the soft dirt at the stream’s edge. The water burbled past him, the sound so calming and so peaceful he could drift off for a nap but he focused instead on the debris flowing downstream. There was a little twig, still hanging onto a few dried leaves, riding the current toward him. He focused tightly on it, feeling the slight pressure in his head that accompanied any use of his powers. His huge ears caught the faint crackle of ice, he could just see the shadow of white forming around the branch as it glided past. He wasn’t freezing his target so much as he was icing over the water around it but if he could just-
Thump!
The acorn glanced off his skull. His head shot up, glaring at the trees above him. High up in an oak a squirrel was bent over a thin branch, chattering fiercely at him. Hau surged up with a growl, gave a deep bark. If he’d known it would follow him like this, he wouldn’t have bothered with the vindictive little beast to begin with.
Hau’d always had a hard time freezing anything that was moving and, since he had a day off work for once, decided to spend his time in the woods to get some practice in. He had found the squirrel foraging amongst the underbrush not too far into the forest. What better subject to practice on? He didn’t want to freeze it through - he wasn’t a monster! - just frost its tail a bit. Entirely harmless. The little creature, however, didn’t take kindly to being chased and now it seemed to be intent on exacting its revenge.
Another acorn dropped, would have bounced off his muzzle had he not moved out of the way. He huffed out an annoyed breath. Maybe it was best to move on. With a disgruntled flick of his ears, he grabbed his bag and headed upstream, listening to the smack of debris on the forest floor as the squirrel continued its angry bombardment.
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Post by tsukikoko on Nov 29, 2019 13:48:49 GMT -6
Sara sat back on her haunches, thoroughly confused and more than a little perturbed.
She stared down at the face reflected back at her in the stream, wondering where it could possibly have come from. Not quite a fox, not quite a maned wolf and certainly coloured like neither. Her body was a distinctive golden colour, with a flash of the ginger tones, that so often wound up on her shapeshifted forms, sweeping across the back of her head and down her neck. Though perhaps even more striking were the flashes of blue fur, visible beneath the gold wherever her fur parted, as though each hair were two-toned. Which, she supposed, they must be.
The problem was, Sara had no idea where this animal had come from.
She would certainly remember meeting a creature like this, which likely meant, especially given the strange coin she had found in her hand on Halloween night, she had been taken somewhere, somehow, despite Aaron not noticing and she not remembering. Someone within that place must have been this creature and she didn't even know who they were! While she had not been left with nightmares, or a terrible sense of dread (a small mercy), the shifter began to fret. Whomever had given her this form, were they alright? Had they been bleeding, is that where the DNA had come from? Had she bitten them, were they a monster within that place? She certainly didn't feel like a monster... Had they kissed her? That didn't seem likely either.
Tail slapping against the ground, a heavy sound that masked the angry chattering of a squirrel nearby, Sara mulled her thoughts over. She had no idea how to find the original creature who'd given her this form, no way to check if they were okay..
It was a fact that bothered her immensely.
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Post by Vaitris on Nov 29, 2019 16:09:53 GMT -6
He smelled it first. As he followed the winding stream the wind breezed into his face and brought the scents of the forest with it. One odor especially caught his attention, like the scent of a fox but different in a way he couldn’t find words for. There was no mistaking it however, another kitsune! He hadn’t run into one yet this far from home and he hadn’t expected to considering how rarely his kind strayed from Japan. But to find one here, now, alive… it went beyond his expectations. Excitement sparked through him and he dove forward in a run.
When he caught sight of her though, he skidded to an abrupt stop, throwing up dust and leaves. Hau stared for a moment, cocking his head slightly, trying to process just what he was seeing. It was like someone not familiar with his kind had tried to cobble together a kitsune from only a handful of random facts. She was as tall as him, predominantly gold, with a mane of red that ran from her head down her back. But what surprised and alarmed him the most were the little traces of blue he could spy when her fur parted. He’d met red kitsune before, and a gold one once, but never had he encountered one of mixed blood like this. No traditional kitsune would ever allow it, most would destroy such a kit before letting it live.
And the blue… they were almost extinct. It tugged at his eyes. He wanted to know, had to know. But every instinct was bellowing at him. This wasn’t right. She wasn’t really one of his kind, she wasn’t one of Inari’s. The tail alone cried blasphemy. Even without that, the whole situation was off. What was going on? Was this a trick? His discomfort swelled into fear and his mane ruffled. Hau froze stiff-legged at the edge of the trees, teeth bared, growling anxiously. Caught between dread and curiosity, he wasn’t sure what to do.
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Post by tsukikoko on Dec 3, 2019 13:07:29 GMT -6
It was the prickling feeling, spreading across the skin beneath her fur, that first began to rouse Sara from her thoughts and staring. Ever since the attempt on her life, such a sensation, the concept of being observed by something she couldn't yet see, was enough to jolt her to attention.
She did so now. Practically leaping to her feet with a muffled yip as she scanned her surrounds, to be met by the bared teeth and growling face of... whatever she currently was.
What had been the beginnings of nervous fright turned to a mixture of curiosity and apologetic concern. Whoever they were, they were currently growling at her - either alarmed that a member of their species had such a bizarre tail, angry at her intrusion into what might be their territory, or another reason besides. She got the instinctive impression he wasn't outright aggressive; the growling certainly sounded more anxious than angry to her flickering ears.
With a small whine, the shifter took a hesitant step forwards, only to back off again a second later, head down, licking her lips slightly. She didn't really want a fight, nor was she certain whether this blue-furred canine spoke more through body posture or actual language. It could be hard to tell with supers. Not only that, the very nature of his fur had her desperate to find out more, even if he was still growling at her. The fact it was bright blue would have caught her attention regardless, but the fact it seemed to be the very same shade currently dappling her own fur had Sara wondering - could this potentially be the very super who'd given her this form in the first place? She didn't recognise them and certainly they didn't recognise her, but still she couldn't help but wonder.
Another small whine, a tilt of her head, before the shifter let out a tentative bark and a small wag of her scaled tail that implied, [ Hello? ]
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Post by Vaitris on Dec 5, 2019 7:14:40 GMT -6
Hau's growl quieted but he remained otherwise still, eyes flickering over the stranger, thoughts churning. She was clearly more than a beast, there was a very human intelligence there. So another super then, of some sort. Since coming to the mainland he'd run into supers with more forms and powers than he'd ever dreamed, he wasn't sure he knew how to categorize the supernatural world anymore. But it seemed more than coincidence that she looked so much like his own. A shape shifter then. But what kind?
Whatever she was, she seemed nice enough. Curiosity started to win out and Hau felt his lips ease, his tense muscles unlock. Dropping the bag from his teeth he took a hesitant step toward her, ears straining forward and nose outstretched. He could smell it now, an undercurrent to her scent that betrayed what he had mistaken for kitsune before. It was as obvious now and as out of place as her tail was. He crept forward a little further, drifting to the side so he wasn't approaching her straight on, trying to get a better look behind her. Where he would have expected to see several gold-red tails, what he found instead was thick and tapered, scaled like a crocodile. Hau resisted the urge to close the distance and poke at it with his paw. If she could combine forms when she changed, why choose this? And if she couldn't control it, where had she gotten such an unfortunate feature?
Vexed, he backed off, retreating to his discarded bag. Hau huffed a breath, trying to push his apprehension out with it, and decided to return the friendly gesture. His tail gave a wave, a slow and cautious back and forth. Not for the first time, he wished he could speak actual words in this form. Other kitsune could, but it appeared the stranger across from him was similarly disabled. So he added a tremulous noise, a sort of whine with a questioning lilt at the end. In the bag at his feet was a change of clothes, maybe it would be a good idea to change back into a human. At least then he could ask yes or no questions and satisfy his burning curiosity.
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Post by tsukikoko on Dec 8, 2019 13:10:36 GMT -6
Sara was beyond relieved when the stranger's hackles lowered and his bared fangs retreated back behind dark gums. She glanced curiously at the bag he placed down, thinking to herself that this creature must be sentient to be carrying it around and placing it in such a way. Before she could think on it too long, however, the large fox was approaching, extending his muzzle to sniff at her. She didn't move too much, not wanting to spook him, but her tail did continue to gently sway and her own nose trembled as she inhaled his scent - for she could tell for sure it was a he now. Even though he backed off not too much later, perturbed by her tail from the looks of things, it was encouraging that he had approached at all.
But she just had so many burning questions! Who was he? What was he and by that token, what had she become? Could he talk? Did he have powers? The female paddled her feet, trying to expel some of her energy when, at the questioning lilt he gave her, she couldn't help but lower her front half briefly in an excitable 'play' pose. A yip, trailing off into a quivering whine, before the shifter was bounding off and rooting around in the nearby brush.
Since it did seem like he was of beyond normal animal intelligence, she wanted to try something.
Only a few seconds later she was trotting back towards the fox-like creature with a stick in her mouth. She gave another, muffled, yip to get his attention and then, by making use of the damp soil near the stream, the shifter began to write. [ S A R A ] Four letters in the mud spelled a name. Sara sat back on her haunches once she was sure the letters were neat enough to read, hoping that whomever this was could read English, or would at least comprehend what the squiggles would signify as she placed a paw in front of them, then against her own chest. She repeated the motion; gesturing first at the letters, then at herself, before placing the stick on the floor, opening her muzzle and attempting to sound out her name with her animal jaws. Difficult to say the least, but she did have some practice. The end result was a strange yawning, 'Saaaaawrrra,' that perhaps made some sense to him. She hoped it did, at least. Then, she gestured at the male, tilted her head and whined questioningly, in a similar manner to the way he had done not so long ago.
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Post by Vaitris on Dec 9, 2019 18:27:33 GMT -6
At his response she seemed to bubble over with excitement and gave him a sweeping play bow. She was using very dog-like gestures but, while Hau spent as little time around dogs as physically possible, he did know the basics of their body language. If it worked, it worked. And her enthusiasm was catching. Whatever fears he'd harbored before were quickly forgotten.
With a yip, she dashed off towards the trees. Was she trying to incite a chase? Had he scared her somehow? He'd only taken half a step before she returned bearing a stick in her mouth. Did she want to play a game? But no, she took it to the bank of the stream with definite purpose and began to scratch something into the damp earth there. Curious, Hau inched forward, straining to see what she was drawing while still leaving her enough room to work.
S A R A
A name. Oh! Her name. She followed it up with a strange, drawn-out yawn, lips and tongue working to create sounds that weren't appropriate for her form. But he heard it anyway, as strange as it sounded coming out of the mouth of a fox. For a moment he just stared, absorbing.
If he could have he would have laughed, possibly hysterically, and he was grateful he couldn't because he didn't want to hurt her feelings. But this was an utterly ridiculous way to communicate, though at the same time he was so amused by it he really wanted to see how much more absurd this could get. Glancing about, he grabbed a sturdy stick of his own and followed her example, writing his name in the mud next to hers. The first two letters were easy. The third he struggled with, the curve of the U coming harder than the straight lines of the symbols before. When he finished he stepped back to look at his work.
H... A... V?
That wouldn't work. He tried to correct it by adding a leg to the U but what he ended up with more closely resembled a backwards N than anything. Maybe if he widened the base of it... now it just looked like a mess. With a snort of frustration, he scratched out the last letter with his front paws, giving her a self-conscious doggy smile around the stick in his mouth as he did. Hau tried once more, digging out something more U shaped in the wet dirt to the right of his failure. It would do. Then he drew a little arrow pointing away from the somewhat sloppily written name and sat himself at the tip of it.
His name should be slightly easier to pronounce in this form at least. He dropped the stick and opened his mouth, making a noise as if to start howling, but quickly cut it off, transforming it into a tiny "ow" sound. It would probably sound more like an expression of pain to her but it was close enough. When he was done, Hau glanced at her with another little wag of his tail, trying to appraise her reaction. Hopefully he hadn't just completely confused her.
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Post by tsukikoko on Dec 28, 2019 14:37:45 GMT -6
Sara watched the other fox as he replicated her actions of spelling with the stick, her feet paddling with barely contained excitement. She didn't want to hop forward too early, or accidentally ruin whatever he was writing, after all. But this was just so nice! She'd met someone new, someone friendly and potentially able to, later, shed light on what she was, how she'd managed to attain this form. After all, he was clearly intelligent and understood written English at least. She wondered whether the male had a form that could speak any human languages. After all, to have a name, with letters using the English alphabet, certainly implied he was capable of such things.
At his chagrined look, when one of the letters didn't behave, Sara simply gave the male an encouraging wag of her scaled tail. A short, soft huff of a yip. It seemed, before long, he'd managed to create a letter that satisfied what he needed, even if he clearly wasn't completely happy with it. The shifter watched as he sat atop an arrow and then her ears flickered forward, attentive, as he sounded out the word. She glanced down at the letters, back at him, opened her mouth and attempted to replicate the sound. "Haaaaaoowwww." It would have to do, she supposed.
Hau.
The name was not immediately familiar to her, or at least she didn't remember being introduced to any super by that name. Yet... somewhere in the back of her mind, floating near the realms of her subconscious as through dragged from a dream, something... fluttered, just out of her grasp. A strange and slightly unnerving sensation, given where it could mean she had met him.
But that was a bridge to cross later; right now, with the two more or less introduced and Hau acting less unnerved by her, Sara padded a step closer, muzzle extended and nostrils quivering. Should he show reluctance she backed up again, but with the senses available to her in this form, Sara wanted to discover a little more about her companion. She padded around him, scenting, perfectly at ease with being investigated in return if he was curious. She was interested to see whether he'd been in the area long, whether the smell of any other supers she knew lingered in his fur - which would imply he was familiar with them. Shifting back to a human might be easier, given the current language barrier, but she didn't want to potentially spook him by doing so.
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Post by Vaitris on Jan 11, 2020 14:23:31 GMT -6
Hau held himself still, trying to be polite and let her investigate, but he couldn’t resist turning his head to watch her. It was hard to say what she might smell on him. The motel room certainly. Maybe a hint of the bakery he’d stopped at for breakfast. Cheap detergent from his clothes. Exhaust. Perhaps a whiff of one of the strangers from the bus he had ridden to get here. And all those smells veiled by the scent of the woods.
His nostrils flared as he smelled her in return, but the myriad of scents confused him. He could sense so much more than he could identify. If he spent more time in this form, took the time to experience the world more through smell, he might be able to decode more about her. But as it was, he could only pick out a few strong impressions, the rest melted into a jumble too complex for him to interpret.
So he fell back on what he could see instead. Hau scanned her from nose tip to tail, looking for any distinguishing features he had missed before. His gaze still stopped to linger on that crocodile tail, and he tore it away with an effort. Don’t stare, it’s impolite said a voice in the back of his mind, sounding remarkably like his mother. Sara didn’t appear to have arrived here with any accessories, like he had brought his bag. But maybe she had secreted her things somewhere else. Or she had a safe place to change nearby.
Or she wasn’t a shape shifter at all.
Now doubting his earlier assumption, Hau felt a sudden sense of urgency overcome him. He didn’t want to let her slip away without trying to get some sort of answer. But how could he persuade her to stay if it appeared that he was leaving? He cast about, impatient and indecisive, until he was struck with an idea. When it seemed she was done, he picked up his writing stick again and returned to the stream bank, scrawling another short word.
WAIT
He gave her another reassuring wag of his tail, hoping she’d do as he asked, before scooping up his bag and heading towards a tight knot of trees. Unable to help himself, he snuck a look back at the last moment to reassure himself that she was still there. She seemed so eager to interact so far, he had a hard time believing that she’d leave so quickly, but the suspicion still dogged him.
As soon as he felt the foliage close him off from her view he changed with a flash of blue light. “Sorry,” he apologized as soon as he could form words. “I, ah, didn’t want you to think I was rushing off.” Hau tore open the bag and dragged his clothes on with practiced motions, tugging shoes onto his feet without bothering with socks. It took only a few moments. “I’m not going anywhere. I have a few questions for you, actually.” Instead of rushing out from the trees, he peeked only his head out, hoping that wouldn’t spook her too badly. “You can… understand right?”
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Post by tsukikoko on Jan 11, 2020 20:26:57 GMT -6
The most likely confusing part of Sara's scent, for Hau, were just how many different kinds of animals seemed to be layered and mingled within her smell. Birds, mammals, reptiles; all at varying degrees of intensity, as though she had stumbled across and rubbed herself against them at varying times. There was the city, as well as warm, homely scents like freshly baked bread or newly washed bed sheets.
The shifter waited patiently, as instructed, when Hau wrote that single word in the bank. Sat back on her haunches, tail curled over her paws, she watched the foliage where he had disappeared with a slightly tilted head, perplexed as to why he had suddenly left. A flash of blue light and a very suddenly human voice answered the question and made the female's eyes open wider, a soft, mildly startled yip escaping her jaws. By the time Hau returned she'd recovered from her brief surprise and wagged her tail with rising excitement as it was revealed he did, in fact, have a human form. Though admittedly he was only poking his head out, right now.
At the question, she nodded, barked and jumped to her feet, prancing a little on the spot. She then balanced on three legs to hold up a front paw in an oddly human 'one moment' type gesture. Luckily, she'd come out in charmed clothing, so there'd be no awkward nakedness when she shifted back, which is exactly what Sara proceeded to do. For a half second, her flesh and fur took on a strange, rippling consistency, as though losing all solid shape, before abruptly a ginger-haired woman stood in the kitsune's place. Noticeably, the crocodile tail remained. She waved at Hau, a friendly smile on her face. She didn't get any closer, in case he was more comfortable remaining in the treeline and simply replied, "Why aye man, I understand ya, like! 'Ope this-" she gestured to herself, "-ain't too sudden, like. Divvint want tah spook ya earlier but figured now since ya were 'uman I would be too, ya know?" Now that she could see his face, the shifter was once again struck by that odd sense of... something she couldn't place in the back of her head. She wondered whether he had a similar feeling, or she was just experiencing an odd sense of deja vu. "Anyway, ya 'ad some questions for us?"
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Post by Vaitris on Jan 16, 2020 18:38:36 GMT -6
When Sara didn’t seem alarmed, Hau slipped out of the trees fully. And when she made her own transition into human form he felt a grin light his face. She was a shapeshifter! That was more than he'd hoped for. So many questions bubbled up within him, all begging to be asked, but something else teased at the back of his mind and made him hesitate.
The combination of her human appearance and her name tugged at his memories and stirred up something dim and almost forgotten. A dream - no, a nightmare. Nothing that left him waking in a dark alley, shaking, with the ground around him frozen solid could be described as something as innocent as a dream. Despite how traumatic waking had been, the memory of the nightmare itself was faded, worn through and absent in most places. The few images that remained in his head were unsettling and he hadn't spent much time contemplating them, content to bury them in distraction until they all but disappeared from his mind.
But Sara, with her bright red hair and that crocodile tail and the way she spoke, was somehow intertwined with those unpleasant memories and he was baffled by the connection. He wanted to reject the idea that he recognized her from the dream, but after more thought he realized there was no other way he could possibly know her. He'd never met her before, not while awake at least. He must have glimpsed her in the street and unconsciously included her in the dream. That was the only sensible explanation even if it was an embarrassing one.
Self-consciously he cleared his throat, wondering if his discomfort was manifesting as a blush the way it sometimes did. “What are you?” He grimaced when he was suddenly struck by the baldness of the words. “Sorry, I’m not trying to be rude. It’s just… you looked like a kitsune, but not a type I’ve ever seen before. And I’ve seen….” Hau searched his memory quick, “…a few.” He finished lamely.
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Post by tsukikoko on Feb 18, 2020 13:56:05 GMT -6
Sara noted the hesitation, the flicker of something across Hau's eyes - perhaps he really was experiencing the strange, unsettling half-memories. If that was the case... they really had met under less than ideal circumstances.
But she was getting ahead of herself.
The shifter smiled at her new companion and waved off his apology with a chuckle. "Nah, y'alreet luv, divvint apologise. I ain't exactly the norm, like." She gestured to herself. "Shapeshifter, but I ain't limited tah just a few forms, like. 'Ave all Earth's animals at me disposal. Plus-" For a half second the woman hesitated, unsure whether she should reveal the other aspect of her powers. Because surely, when she explained how she acquired new forms, he would slot the puzzle pieces together.
She must have interacted with a kitsune to have the form she had. She didn't recall ever meeting one, especially not with the blue fur they eerily shared. Would she frighten him? Or did enough blue kitsunes exist that he wouldn't make the mental leap? She cleared her throat, started again, deciding not to keep her ability a secret, "If I git a full sample of somethin', blood, saliva... other things, like, from a species that I divvint 'ave yet, I acquire me own version of that species. Can turn intah 'em at will, me build an' features transferrin' as if I'd been born that way, if that makes sense?" A sweeping gesture down to her tail. "Only thing that divvint change is me tail. Always a crocodile. Oh an' me hair. There's often somethin' ginger on there too, that what ya mean by I divvint look like ya expected?" A pause, then, with a slight tilt of her head, "Take it you're a kitsune luv?"
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Post by Vaitris on Feb 20, 2020 16:26:24 GMT -6
All Earth's animals but with a crocodile tail? Hau couldn't help but smirk a bit, mind flipping through several of the most ridiculous possibilities. And the blood and saliva aspect certainly made sense, but from who had she pulled that specific DNA? There were no other kitsune in Wathais, at least not that he had found. He'd been searching for months for others like himself, blues especially, and he'd gone miles and miles up and down the city and the mountains and everywhere and had never encountered so much as a whiff of one.
"Yeah, I am. And kinda new to these parts." He admitted, shuffling his feet a little. "Who did you get that form from? I haven't seen another kitsune around here since I arrived."
She'd probably gotten it from someone a long time ago or in another city. But anything could be a potential lead for Hau to hunt down, even something old. He couldn't help getting his hopes up just a little. Clearly he hadn't learned anything from all the otherwise promising trails he'd followed that had ended in disappointment. But maybe there was something obvious he was missing, or something hidden. Something only someone more familiar with the area would know.
The only other alternative was outright impossible. Hau refused to consider it for more than a second, feeling silly just thinking about it.
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Post by tsukikoko on Mar 13, 2020 11:45:02 GMT -6
Now Sara looked uncomfortable. She ran a hand through her hair, groaned a little, turned her gaze away. A creeping feeling had settled in her gut, one that told the shifter this wasn't about to be an easy conversation; since he had asked so directly, she wasn't about to lie, but how could she tell him that there was no-one else her form could have come from, bar Hau himself? It would sound crazy, since clearly neither remembered the other. Or could dredge up terrible, horrifying memories, if they had met where she believed they may have done.
Eventually, with a long exhale, the shifter looked towards her companion once again. "I'm sorry luv... I- I 'aven't met any other kitsune, like." She tried to explain, tone as gentle as she could make it. "Only got me powers a few years ago, like, an' I definitely divvint 'ave that form until recently. The only one I've met, especially with blue fur, like.. is you, Hau."
Both hands raised. A pacifying gesture. "I know 'ow it sounds, like, I know, but we must 'ave met somewhere before. We just... divvint remember."
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Post by Vaitris on Mar 15, 2020 9:39:21 GMT -6
Hau was quiet for a long moment, his expression pinching anxiously. “I'm not sure I understand. I've never met you before.”
Except… maybe? If she had gotten that form from him, then he had met her. The only place that could have happened was… that nightmare. He struggled to recall the memories of it, furiously digging them out of their grave in the back of his mind. He seemed to remember red. Her hair? His blood? A confusing mishmash of pain, terror, death. The memory of it didn’t crystallize and he didn’t want it to, already he was feeling vaguely ill. If the logic followed, then everything he remembered had actually happened and that was a frightening idea to consider.
If that wasn't just a dream... then what did that make it? What did it mean? Why didn't he remember more? What else had he forgotten? Why didn't he have any scars from it? How was he alive?
A shiver crept over him and Hau suddenly thought very fondly of his motel room. He put a hand to his head, rubbing at his temple, anxious, distracted. “I don't... this doesn't make sense.” But if it was true, then she was there as well. Did she not remember either? “It’s like some sort of bad dream.” His tone wasn’t as light as he hoped but he glanced back at her, searching for some reaction, hoping he could fish some sort of confirmation out of her without saying anything that made him sound crazy.
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