Afraid -- O; power discovery

[SirDio]

Asteri

While most of the residents of the Inn were sound asleep, one resident's room was filled with the sound of shuffling, whimpering, and whining. Star-speckled fur shifted on the bed, body tensing and relaxing. Asteri was sleeping, but not peacefully. Nightmares plagued her mind, and she whimpered Coy's name. Such violent memories, the loss of her friend were. She wasn't able to feel how her body contorted, became stockier, lost its beautiful black fur in replace for a hungry black that ate all light that hit it. She couldn't feel how wings sprouted from her back, broken and contorted, torn and unable to fly. Sharper claws grew. Her agony from the nightmares spawned this new form, an angel of darkness.

"COY!"

Asteri sat up, instantly feeling weighed down by heavy weights that sat on her back. She looked to see what they were, and her eyes widened at the wings. Then she noticed her fur, her body structure, her claws, and she yelped out of panic. She lept off her bed, wings dragging, claws clicking against the floor. Panic set in upon her regal face, set into her brilliant blue eyes. What happened? She didn't feel like herself in a way, as though something changed. Well -- something did change; she was stockier, with the darkest black fur she had ever seen, broken, damaged wings, and long claws. Then she noticed the scent - burning, ash, smoke. It wasn't her calming lavender and river water scent. It was different, it was scary.

She crumpled down like wet paper, covering her eyes with her paws as she bit her lip to keep from whining. Just another dream. You'll wake up in no time..! But this was no dream. It was a scary, shocking reality.

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[Aker]

[align=center][div style="width: 51%; text-align: justify; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: georgia;"]Upon hearing a yelp, Aker decided to investigate, more so out of curiosity than alarm. The smilodon cub traveled from room to room, peaking into each to find the source of the yelp. Eventually, he found Asteri's room, with a stranger inside. Was this the person he had heard yelp? "Who are you?" He asked, face blank, although there was a little spark of uncertainty inside him. Were they dangerous? Had they taken Asteri away? Or had Asteri let them in? Regardless, they looked more scared than malicious. They were crumpled over, paws over eyes, fearful of something or another.

[SirDio]

Asteri

Her head shot up, paws moving to stand up at the child's voice. Fearful eyes softened, but she still cowered away. Was she scared to harm the boy? "It- It's me... Asteri!" She spoke, then gasped. She sounded different, too?? She sounded regal, royal, more authoritative. Wings folded in crookedly; her left wing had been bent too much to correctly fold in, as she whimpered. She hoped Aker would realize it was still Asteri, still her. Or at least someone else could clarify, maybe Bai or god, even Sam at this point. Would Sam recognize her? Would Bai recognize her?

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[Aker]

[align=center][div style="width: 51%; text-align: justify; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: georgia;"]Aker tilted his head, processing her response. Trusting, he decided to believe it was Asteri. After all, Bai Shi had different looks they could change between. A dragon, a jaguar, a fox... this was likely no different from how Bai changed their appearance. "Ok," He responded, calmly sitting down in front of her. "Food?" The cub said, more or less asking for food. Or at least a buddy to walk down and get food with him. After all, it was early in the morning, and the growing smilodon was hungry.

[SirDio]

Asteri

Ah, so he trusted her. Good. No, really. That was great. At least someone would believe her. So he wanted food? Unfortunately, she didn't have food stashed away in her room. At the mention of food, her stomach growled. Smiling gently against her black fur, she spoke, "I don't have any food stashed here, unfortunately. We can go to the main area of the Inn and look around for some, though." She then realized how perfect the crime could be committed - her black fur absorbed all light, and her wings nearly blended with her fur. She could very easily sneak Aker under her wings into wherever they held food here.

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[SLOAN.]

Indeed such a crime may have been deemed near infallible, as far as anything rooted within reality, as loose and twisted as present, may allow. At the least correct such assumption had not further observation been present to act witness to hypothetical plans.

Common had grown the occurrence Sloan acted as occupant of a spare room, the hour tended to get away from hir and it simply grew easier to accept lodging, to such a point voluntary some of hir recent nights. Peaceful and well hir sleep when such occured, though fractured had it become beneath the startling sound distance had striped back until it was less a name and more a wordless cry, upwards head drawn with such speed ze was left light headed. Necessary a moment to gather hir bearings before ze slipped from the bed, traversing the familiar space with ease, beyond was a matter all its own, however.

Down each side of the hallway ze peered yet undetected any movement, almost forgone further exploration until the sun rose in full before the notion was cast aside with the hushed sounds of conversation. Slow hir progression, past rooms closed and some open, other occupants seemingly startled awake as ze had been but unwilling to conduct any investigation, and so alone the fox when located the supposed origin.

"It is early." Strained the annoyed whisper Sloan voiced, observed only Aker for the most part for, between each closure of her eyelids, among the shadows was Asteri lost. Startling the realisation she too occupied the room when she spoke, the words of the cub brushed aside as mere comment to himself over the state of his being, agape hir mouth as ze tried to formulate a sentence of some kind. None came to mind, strangled the pitiful whine ze offered, confusion winning out as ze had yet to awaken in full.

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Roundest moon flutters on the river, night bird song coasting through heat hangs for a moment there cascades slowly down the thick air, landing somewhere by my feet waking up bugs try to repeat, a fine night to feel light

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code by Wisker

[teef]

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THE KINGPIN

golden lung dragon & black jaguar w/ vitiligo & platinum silver fox. god of war - ancient. bai shi lynn lingré. proper chinese name is lin bai. prefers lynn if close. they/them. formerly blind. wind element & electric element. firstborn son of jerisidie lingré & current head of family. courting halo mercer. kingpin of alithís evgenis. demiromantic gray-asexual. parent of veris, arvin, leoku, erian, flos, kekhai, evarhi, laeglin, sloan and colwyn. elder brother of ramona and hope, uncle of quennel and cosette. (strike is deceased/unknown status)

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slumber thick and heavy upon ebony head, jaguar curled nearest to fireplace without nest or soft blanket, fallen asleep whilst guarding. cry echoing through halls, enough to waken bleary eyes and lead filled paws. head lifting from ground, blinking to clear eyes of sleep, head splitting with force of disorientation as they pushed to their paws, tail whirling as they fought for balance. taking a second, they stumbled for the stairs, the yelp echoing in their ears. scents of youth and fear filled their nose as they clumsily took the stairs with a grunt as sleep-numbed legs gave way, body crashing to floor. hissing in pain as pawpads pricked uneasily, kingpin righted heavy weight to three of four paws and limped along, claws sliding out to tack floorboards.

breath heavy with a yawn, they followed behind sloan and aker, recognizing the room as asteri's, their nose wrinkling at the strange scent flowing out. peering within the room from dark visage, silver scars showing their eyes as slim slivers of blue. yawn pressing jaws, breath exhaling, a paw stepping before sloan at hir whine, fur bristling upon shoulders at first, urgency bolting along their veins at sight of dark creature within confines of room. a low noise escaped them, stepping closer to cub, sniffing the foreign being within room, upon floor, dark leather wings causing heart to flutter. listening to conversation, they halted, half desiring to stand over both children, nostrils flared to take in scent, eyes slitted to see dark furred comrade. "asteri?", came deep uncertain and tired voice, alarms ringing in head yet heart knowing. taking a breath, they wrinkled their nose, "are you alright?", they coughed, disgust at the scent so different from normal, eyes searching for hers as they let electricity alight within throat, traveling up along tongue from thimble ignited in mouth, a light and gentle glow along their teeth and tongue, enough to see by for those without night sight.

[SirDio]

Asteri

Eyes settling on Sloan, stepping back a bit, wings furling up in awkward, broken places. "Yes it is uhm... It is early.." When Bai Shi entered the room, She saw their reaction a small bit, felt their gaze, heard their noise, and she shrunk away, deeper into the shadow. Why was she so scared??

"Yes, It's me.. Asteri.." She stepped forward hesitantly, light blue eyes looking into Bai's. "To answer your question, I... I don't know. I just woke up, really.. I don't know if I'm alright, I just know I'm in a different body.." She whined softly, ears pinned back, wings suddenly flopping onto the floor, sprawled and twisted.

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[teef]

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THE KINGPIN

golden lung dragon & black jaguar w/ vitiligo & platinum silver fox. god of war - ancient. bai shi lynn lingré. proper chinese name is lin bai. prefers lynn if close. they/them. formerly blind. wind element & electric element. firstborn son of jerisidie lingré & current head of family. courting halo mercer. kingpin of alithís evgenis. demiromantic gray-asexual. parent of veris, arvin, leoku, erian, flos, kekhai, evarhi, laeglin, sloan and colwyn. elder brother of ramona and hope, uncle of quennel and cosette. (strike is deceased/unknown status)

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Forward stepped tired body, head lowered, sniffing the floors around her. Lifting head, they held her gaze, stepping closer to stand close to her, investigating with soft sniffs and snuffles, close but far enough away. "it's alright.", they murmured in soft assurance, lowering their head to her level to gently bump her jaw with their nose, meant to comfort her. "the sudden changes are ... interesting. I still think you look vibrant.", they tried to soothe as they came close.

Extending a paw softly, they gestured to her wings, interest on their face, gaze holding her light blue eyes firmly and affectionately. "it does not look bad, this new body of yours. Had you been this way the whole time I had known you while blind, I would still call you star-weaver. It is a time of fear, to awaken as such, your body foreign and unknowing of it.", they would speak softly, gaze warm and welcoming of the change that had taken her. Touching their nose to one wing, they gave a soft hum, "why don't the lot of us find a snack? I'm here, if you need the support.", they murmured in soft reassurance.

[SLOAN.]

Beneath guise of tenacity slow the encroaching atrophy, the living reduced in miniscule fragments, process obscured by prepared falsehood. Conflicting that which swelled in tightened chest, capacity reached and over pushed, yet too did it felt meagre, the unknown crowding shadowed thoughts peeling back rationality until ze may only entertain the frivolous. Known the sounds accompanying struggle, agonised movement grown heavy, pace reduced even as strain is conducted to quickened that which refuses. Back did vision turn, regarded shadowed figure adorned in velvet, encircling for thought of personal safety seemed impossible.

Don't go. Brief the rise of thought, desire crowding aching skull, a cruel notion normalcy may be found of only ze may lean into them, the world allowed to die if only they were to live. Conclusion both children had come to had alike Bai Shi arrived at, conflicted that worn against familiar visage, burdened with too much the voice that soothed hammering heart. Further within other tread and also did the cry slip past, teeth ground into tongue as they tended Asteri in a moment hers alone.

Downward turning lips, a minute twitch, response unconscious as her confuse arose, comment remarked upon with the worth it deserved. Why was it hir heart squeezed further, restriction shortening hummed breath, within wake of father forth treading the reynard. Unknown this one beyond her name, pleasant had ze the mind to speak aloud such, the fondness Bai Shi shared rankling and yet inciting something. "It is… A unique look." Unaccustomed to sharing any comments meant to incite positivity the strain in hir words was apparent, as was the unease Sloan expressed in a taunt smile, slight as it was, averted eyes though back was it drawn.

With the addressal of her wings unbidden arose question, forward sliding a paw though contact might not be made. "Can you fly?" There was no malice in the query, brief note that exposed in the pale light of pure electricity, the look of each appendage wrong and ragged, thoughts turning to surely needing only medical attention to permit proper mending.

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Roundest moon flutters on the river, night bird song coasting through heat hangs for a moment there cascades slowly down the thick air, landing somewhere by my feet waking up bugs try to repeat, a fine night to feel light

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code by Wisker