devoutish | IC contact for wethelost

[IS SOMEONE GETTING MURDERED UP THERE HOLY FUCK

-- Is what Alfie thinks for a split second, before he realizes that it must be someone under the effects of one of these animal transformation spells. It doesn't sound like Royce's howl, which he is of course familiar with by now, but maybe...

He heads outside, Bear jumping up to follow as he passes through the living room. Once he's in the front yard, he shades his face with a hand, and looks up.

Welp.]

Emily.

Alfie!

[She's sitting on the hill with her legs hanging over the side toward the house. The nub of a tail behind her trashes excitedly when she spots him. Her howl, unfortunately, is nowhere near as refined at Royce's.]

Guess what!

[Bet he can't guess.]

I don't know.

[He feigns ignorance and surprise, looking around the yard.]

Have you wished for another dog?

[She bursts into giggles, rolling back into the grass and, well, just laughing. She keeps rolling over until she's up on her feet again, and then she races at full force down the side of the hill and around to the front with Alfie. A Lot of energy.]

I'm a wolf! Like Royce!

[It's announced proudly. Her tail is still going, and her ears are up.]

I can howl and everything! It's because we ate one of the special cupcakes.

A wolf. I was wondering why you'd grown ears.

[He holds out a hand to her, and will stroke her head if she doesn't zoom away.]

How has Bear taken to you?

[He'd been wary of Royce in the beginning, and they'd had a bit of a dominance issue, but Emily's just a baby wolf cub, really.]

[She giggles again, beaming. The ears flick.] Yeah, a wolf! Except, I think I'm a baby wolf because I can't howl like Royce. [She doesn't sound sad so much as dejected. She wants to be a grown-up wolf.]

Bear barked at me at first. Maybe I smell funny. [But now she can move over to hug Bear around the neck. Royce had the unfortunate bit of experience.] So I ran away and then I came back. In case he was upset.

But all he did was smell me, and then he licked me to let me know it was okay.

[Bear hadn't bitten her, then, or even growled. A slight tenseness that he hadn't even realized was there drains out of his shoulders.]

If you can't howl, then what was that I heard just now?

[She stands back up and smiles sheepishly at Alfie. Both ears plane wing to each side.] Um.

My howl...

But it's not nice like Royce's howl. I sound like a baby...

[He hunkers down so that he can look her in the eye.]

You sounded very loud and strong to me. Young, too, but that's all right.

[Alfie is always so good to her. Again, she smiles, thankfully much more than when she first came here. She moves forward and wraps her arms around his neck, butting his cheek and head with her own and doing the equivalent of nuzzling for a moment.]

You didn't eat any cupcakes. Royce didn't want to either, but I told him it was okay. And that I would eat one with him, too.

He wanted to be a wolf.

He makes a good wolf, doesn't he.

[He gives her a big bear hug, kissing her on the cheek.]

Very fierce, and very loyal.

Yes--AH! [She gives a soft squeal, but it's playful. Both ears go back, then up again. Her tail starts up its excited wagging.] Yes. He's a good wolf.

He can sing really loud. I can hear him even at the treehouse. And he can smell really well, too.

Did he visit you already?

He brought me a dead deer.

[After they had an argument, but he's not going to make Emily worry about that.]

[At first, her head tilts and she looks surprised. But... right now, the idea of a dead deer doesn't seem so disgusting. In fact, it seems fairly polite and caring.

So she ends up giggling some, covering her mouth.] That's good! [Is it really, Emily?] You can't hunt very well.

So we can hunt for you. Or... Royce can, but I'm going to learn to hunt just like him. And then we can bring you more deer so you won't ever be hungry.

Then who's gonna eat all the food in the refrigerator?

[He gives her a nudge.]

[For a moment, her face drops in surprise. The ears go back a little, and the tail slows before drooping. You can't do this to her, Alfie.] Oh!

That's okay! We'll eat that, too! Or... [Her dark eyes look sidelong at Bear.] We can share it.

Can you eat it, or do you need raw meat?

[Oh... She hadn't considered that either...]

I don't know... I haven't gotten hungry yet.

Did Royce eat the deer?

I think he did, yeah. He eats a lot now - but, well, he's bigger than you.

I guess... when I think about... raw meat doesn't sound so bad. [It sounds kinda tasty actually, but the other part of her doesn't want Alfie to be upset and, like, call her a freak!] Um.

I would have to try it, though. I think some things smell better now. I can smell them from far away. Like rabbits.

[Alfie is trying so hard to keep from making a face when she talks about how awesome raw meats sound. He's going to be a supportive dad.]

Right-- yeah. Rabbits. You could try catching one of those and eating it outdoors.

[Please don't rip up a raw rabbit in the house.]

IC contact for wethelost

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how did I miss this!!!