flip em the bird – body change

[Mama]

[align=center][div style="width:400px; font-size:8pt;line-height:1.1;color:#000;font-family:arial;margin-top:3px;margin-bottom:3px;letter-spacing:0px;margin-left:0px;text-align:justify;"]A solider to be honed until she was but a mindless weapon to be used within war, deemed a tool before her first breath had ever filled her lungs for the mere fact of what she was. Such had been the base of line of the first three years of her life, a time of trials and tribulation she couldn't quite forget though her mind had struggled to do so before, tried to force her to accept it was behind her. It did not mater her attempts to forget for many nights she found herself awoken by her own screams, throat raw as her voice rang through the space of her home, cheeks wet with tears. What she cried for she could never truly speak of – might it be herself, the child she had been left adrift, her brother killed before he had a chance or the family who had abandoned her rather than accept her walking a different path.

Beneath stark white fur the scars were slow to fade but time had worn them down until little more than pale lines marred her, some days she wondered, however, remembered the angry red of those wounds freshly healed. And she remembered the heat of the forge the first time she had set foot within, had hear the ringing echo of hammer upon steel, the chatter of customers and smith alike, like and agreeable. It had seemed almost a haven to her, but she was afforded only a short year within their care, learning under experienced smiths besides those younger than her yet uncaring for the scars upon her nor the mistake which took her leg. They had loved her, a family she had sought for so long.

In blood and flame had it all ended. She had cried for the life she had lost, the child she had taken in only a month prior, for the family she had found only to watch die beneath the claws of others who sought to see only destruction. They were but memories now her mind revisited infrequently for they were happier times, those she wanted to hold onto but seemed unable to. The good faded while the bad only lingered.

A sigh parted pale lips and she drew herself up upon unsteady legs, abandoning her attempt to once more sleep, gaze drawn to a window. It was early, just after the sun had begun to rise, much too soon for others to be present, and so Ishayu thought a walk along the beach might be best. Through the floating town she walked, listening to the creak of the wood beneath her uneven steps, the hushed calls of birds as they were lifted by thermals, enjoying watching the world slowly waken about her.

All too soon wood became sand, the course grains familiar now for she had walked this path many times for it lead to the mountains, yet she turned instead to the water, allowing the tide to lap at her toes as she moved into it somewhat. Down into the water was her attention directed and she was the broad, flat face of a cougar within, maroon eyes gazing back her, set apart from stark white fur. Her eyes fell shut and lips were drawn back from her teeth within a grimace. Please Istus, give me the strength to keep going. Ishayu could not recall when last she had called upon the Goddess for assistance, had sworn off religion as a whole when she had seen her home burn, but the words felt natural, a warm blanket draped about her shoulders she never knew she needed until it was there.

Brief was it, a tingling which began within her paws but quickly spread, intense as it worked through her body, drawing from her a gasp. She knew there had been some who had changed, who held the ability to shift their form as they so pleased, but never had she held the power, her own centered around her work, this was different, however. Tentatively she opened her eyes and found not a cougar but something entirely different. Angular was the face she now bore though the eyes still held their deep red tone, large ears flicking with uncertainty as a paw lifted, dripping though she didn't care for such, gently running it along her cheek. “What...” The lips of her reflection moved and the voice which rose was one she was familiar with, deep and rumbling, as though she spoke with gravel in her throat, a tentative smile curling her lips.

Ishayu had been given her second chance it seemed, and her heart fluttered, touched with joy for the first time in quite a while.

[ this is a mess but eh, she is still missing her left foreleg and is an albino so it should be easy to recognise her, the change is pretty much her saying fuck you to the tribe which never loved her and removing the last fragment of her past ]

[JA´SUNNA]

Ja'sunna hardly sleeps during the night. The lurking darkness carries many mysteries that do not exist in the light, a world of wonder hidden in each cricket song and whispered breeze, that of which she chases for as long as the moon hangs lazily in the sky. She spends the night in the mountains, prowling through both familiar and unfamiliar landscapes in search of every nook and cranny that offers itself to be discovered. She dips by the border every so often to check scent-marks and replace those that may be fading, before disappearing again into the thick brush, seeking out secrets of the night.

She likes the advantage of familiarity, of knowing where everything is, of knowing the territory that they've claimed as their own inside and out. She wants (perhaps a little too desperately) to discover all of what it may hide, until it may hide no more from her, and it's only when the sun peeks through the horizon-line that she begins the trek back towards the docks, picking her way down the stone staircase with more knowledge of the land than she'd had the night before. There are more secrets, she knows, but for the moment she is satisfied with what she's discovered.

Her vermilion gaze drifts from the steps underneath her paw to the dock, to the coast, to the water where a white figure stands in the lull of ocean waves. One second, she recognizes the familiar figure of Mama, familiar in all of its angles and plains; the next, it is replaced by something smaller, slighter, and Ja'sunna is quick to go from walk to sprint towards the beach to investigate. Seafoam tickling her thick legs, the white tigress watches the new form with clear interest and a slight glimmer of distrust, only for the latter to bleed away into nothingness when familiar features make itself known.

It's Mama, still Mama, smaller but remaining the same.

Ja'sunna wades closer, until seafoam turns into saltwater, rounding the serval until she's standing in front of her. She recognizes joy in the other's expression, and she can't help but allow one of her own to touch her lips, pulling gently. "I dare say, you do still look as pretty," comes her quiet murmur, nearly lost in the soft sounds of the ocean waves. In the privacy of the pocket of air between them, Ja'sunna is more open, more easy-going, less hidden from the world. Her head cocks to the side and it's close to being playful, the way her eyes scarlet eyes glimmer with familiarity.

Her voice is but a breath above the waves. "Is it as you wanted it to be?"

© LEXASPERATED

[Mama]

[align=center][div style="width:400px; font-size:8pt;line-height:1.1;color:#000;font-family:arial;margin-top:3px;margin-bottom:3px;letter-spacing:0px;margin-left:0px;text-align:justify;"]Teeth find the delicate skin of a pale lower lip, gentle as it works along it, no intent to break simply testing, seeking to be sure this is real. She had grown weary of seeing her reflection, the angular planes made from days of starving as she left herself open to all manner of punishment, uncaring of what she had put herself through for what life could she lead if he was no longer there. Within each surface which dared to show her the gaunt features had been his eyes, brighter than hers though no less red, dancing with laughter as a smile curled about his lips, barely containing his laughter.

Regret was a gentle butterflies wing brushing across her heart, but it was enough. Slowly she lowered her paw once more, barely catching herself before she tumbled into the water, barely registering as her teeth cut through. But a drop of blood fell from her, a scarlet spot upon the water before it was gone, drawn away by the current.  For a few short seconds she is left adrift in grief, the face looking back at her a stranger in all ways, before a voice finds her, familiar and so gentle.

"I dare say, you do still look as pretty."

A mere trick of the mind, conjured in a moment when joy had become desperation, seeking an escape. Shuddering breath passed her teeth and slow was the rise of those maroon toned eyes, widening a fraction as she finds the tigress before her, jaw slackening somewhat. Never had she been deemed pretty for the few who had dared to set their attention upon her had seen nought but ill-intent though she had been nothing more than a child, battered and bruised, forced into a role she had no say upon. Something within her sought to speak similar words, little more than her want to not seem foolish holding her back, once more a soft smile finding a place upon her lips.

To see Ja'sunna smile, bare witness to what Ishayu had deemed little more than a stoic and serious soul softening for her, it lifted her heart. A faint murmur of sound was it, eyes fluttering closed as the head falls, gentle laughter parting her lips once more. Silly was it to indulge in such thoughts, to allow her mind to wander upon a path she might never truly walk but indulge she does, if only for a few seconds.

“And more,” faint is the whisper she offers, never daring to raise her voice beyond for the moment seems like glass, pretty and fragile.

[buckingham barnes]

Shapeshifting, the ability to change your appearance at will, wasn't a power that Buckingham had. He couldn't help it but feel relieved that he's stuck in this tiny feline body. To Buckingham, it felt almost wrong to change his appearance to something else. With a new appearance, to the maine coon, it would feel like he'd be wearing someone else's face. It's probably weird that he has this mentality, considering his past as an assassin- a power like shapeshifting would have been perfect to conceal his identity. But he wouldn't feel like himself if he had the power, so which is why he stuck to stealth during his time as an asset and assassin. There are other ways to hide your identity, Buckingham proved that to be true.

Buckingham barely got any sleep at night. If anything, it was rare for him to sleep for a few hours at once during the night. The maine coon has insomnia, and often he's wide awake into the night. Buckingham used to walk around during sleepless nights back at his old home, and the former assassin found himself doing that here in Sunhaven. He couldn't stare at the ceiling in his docked boat home for very long before he gets frustrated that his eyes refuse to sleep. The male found himself tiredly padding through the sea town, moonlight gleaming on his metal prosthetic. He made his way out of the seatown and into the territory, ears pricked up as he tried his best to stay alert in such a tired state.

Eventually, his paws took him towards the beach, when he came to a pause for a moment. His pricked ears began to detect voices- one he recognized and the other he did not. One of them was Mama Ishayu, and he wasn't sure who the other person was. Bucky knew the other person was a clanmate, he could pick up their scent all the way from here with his enhanced senses. The male didn't consider himself to be close to either Mama or Ja'sunna, and for a moment he wondered if he should approach them or not. After a moment passed by, the former assassin decided to make his way over to the two. With each step he made, he tried to be as quiet as possible, but surely won't be as successful this time around.

And when he arrived, he only could tell who Mama Ishayu was by her scent and voice. When he padded in, he was expecting to see an albino lioness. But what he saw instead was an albino serval, which also helped distinguish Mama from Ja'sunna. She seemed to be quite happy with her new appearance, and she was smaller than before. Bucky knew that he wouldn't be happy if his appearance changed, but clearly others can be. Mama was a perfect example that she's happy with the change. "You look nice," The male commented with a flick of his ear, giving his presence away with a simple meow.

[Mama]

[align=center][div style="width:400px; font-size:8pt;line-height:1.1;color:#000;font-family:arial;margin-top:3px;margin-bottom:3px;letter-spacing:0px;margin-left:0px;text-align:justify;"]Her ears flicked, head swivelling around as a faint noise rose. It would take time to grow used to this, her hearing more sensitive than that which she had become used to but then she had grown somewhat deaf over time, age and her environment wearing upon all senses. To have it back once more, to hear each sound clearly without the need to strain and follow lips to make sure she had correctly heard words, it was a blessing amongst many others. This sound was one she had grown familiar with, years of walking the course sand having attuned her to it though it was different, the finer texture of the sand offering a more dull sound than the crush she was accustomed to.

For a time she merely blinked at the other, unsure of how to accept the compliment. There were so few who readily offered such for she had been nothing to them, dirt beneath their paws to be brushed aside as soon as the chance arose, her own family seeing little worth within her. And then her fellow soldiers, they had seen nothing within beauty for it held no importance, it was the scars you bore, each a reminder of war, a dangerous creature seeking to bring their end only for them to come through victorious, laughing in the face of danger once it was well past.

“I-I... Thank you,” head ducked somewhat and her cheeks grew heated, her ears flattening against her skull. Ishayu had expected no such words from either, growing bashful now as she realised there was truth within them, not pretty lies to placate her, though within the case of Bucky there was less weight there, no flutter of her heart as had there been with Ja'sunna.