It's funny how reflections change

remi When the heart of this star-crossed voyager beats in time with yours He couldn't breathe, but he was panting. He couldn't feel, but his muscles were tense. He couldn't think, but he wanted to kill. Remi-the-man hardly remembered the journey back to his home, though it was a constant battle. The predator in him—this ferocious killing machine—had the taste of blood on its lips and in its mouth and it wanted more more, more, more It was all the alchemist could do to force this new shape to town. Though his door didn't have a lock or even a door knob at this point, with paws instead of hands the creature gouged bloody grooves into the wood as he forced it open. Padding inside and leaving muddy and bloody paw-prints, the lion began to slowly lick the blood from its limbs. Every taste sending a horrifying tingle of pleasure down the lion's throat, and a nauseating sea of pain into Remi's mind. "N-n-n--nnn" Remi tried to say through long and sharp teeth and a tongue that felt too large for words as he thrust himself into the corner of the room. His predatory self fought the control he was trying to exert, and in a horrific display of shape-changing, Remi's body broke itself down into various parts, shifting through a disgusting array of anatomy that did not quite fit together. The process was painful and dizzying, and when he had the vocal chords for it, he cried out in pain and anguish. Wrapping human arms around his shoulders, lion's nails suddenly grew from his fingertips and bore into his skin in long stripes that bled immediately, easily tearing away the cloth of his thin shirt. Teeth flashed and the skin of Remi's lip broke. As his hips and legs changed size the fabric of his pants tore and buckled. With a roar of fury and horror, Remi's hands reached out towards the walls, becoming paws as they touched it. Sliding downwards and digging deep grooves into the wood, the newly born predator and the kindly alchemist waged war in a body that was ill-suited for the battle.   Blood trickled down his arms and legs as the predatory instincts unflinchingly sought blood, even if it was his own. Squeezing his eyes shut and seeing only her, Remi snarled, his sobs leaving his body in ragged hyperventilating bursts of hot air.

It's not that you mean to get yourself into these situations. You don't wake up in the morning and think, Ah, yes, this is a wonderful day to go and bother someone while they're transformed into a man-eating monster! What could go wrong! It's never your plan to poke at beasts while they're down. You just have this knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong (right?) time, and, well. Here you are. And there's a lion. And here we go. You've been looking around the houses, trying to find a nice empty one for you and the wolves when you come across the kinda-broken door covered in blood. Being a naturally curious and caring idiot young man, you follow the trail of pawprints toward the threshold, peering around the old frame as you do so. You also go ahead and grip your detached left arm in your right hand, just in case. "Anyone there?" you call out softly, and when the response is not immediate you go ahead and take a step forward, your arm upraised, again, just in case. It takes a second for your eyes to find the mass of fur and blood, but when you do, shit. Your first thought is Oh man that doesn't look great, followed swiftly by That's a lion you dipshit. Yeah, but it's a sad lion. You don't know it's sad! It's a LION! It's not a lion. It's a person. YEAH BUT IT'S A LION RIGHT NOW. You decide to toe the line between caution and compassion (we call this being foolhardy) and kneel down slightly, trying to meet the lion's eyes. "Hey now. It's okay. First time? It can be rough." A sympathetic smile creeps across his face. "My name's Zero. It's gonna be okay," you tell him confidently, your voice soft and soothing and only shaking a little. Sure, dude. Make promises to the lion. What could go wrong. --- ooc ;; uh Remi looked like he needed a friend so here ya go Z E R O don't care what it cost - no ray of sunlight's ever lost!

 

remi When the heart of this star-crossed voyager beats in time with yours Hawks might have had a good sense of smell, but it was nothing compared to the notes of trepidation and meat wafting towards him now. No, no, no, you shouldn't have come here Remi's mind whined from somewhere in the depths of his addled thoughts. Was he talking to himself, or to the young man who had entered? The lion however only grinned. Raking his claws down the wall, Remi's body began its monstrous shifting war back and forth: man to lion, beast and back again. Screaming with pain when he had the mouth for it and roaring with pleasure when he didn't, eventually the gruesome dance halted and the great amber predator spun nimbly on legs still covered by blood and mud. He had already killed once tonight and was not satisfied. How nice that this new world provided delivery. Raising his lips to demonstrate brilliantly white teeth, the lion roared as Zero knelt down as if he was some startled thing to try and quiet. There was still blood on his tongue (blood from his own mother), but it was dry and tasteless now. Not like the blood plumping through the veins of the one-armed man before him. The lion stretched out a paw to try and swipe at Zero's face, but as it did, the claws suddenly fell away and the pathetically small hand of a man replaced them. Hitting nothing but air the lion roared in frustration as its head began to contort and writhe with human features. "Ca-nnnnn-t" Remi panted through lips that fought to regain their previous feline curve. "GGG-EE-TT" Remi's pale sea-glass green pupils blazed gold. "OUT" He managed again before his pink lips were swallowed up by long white teeth and a lashing tongue.

You watch, concerned, as the lion only grows more agitated, a deep growl rising from behind staggeringly white teeth. Maybe, you think, this was not your best idea. This is a stranger, someone you owe nothing to, who clearly wants to eat you. A great paw swipes forward, and you scramble back instinctively, falling on your butt as you attempt to avoid those wicked claws. Your eyes clench shut instinctively - you're used to being hurt and can take quite a few licks, but that doesn't make it any more fun. You've decided that this whole endeavor is definitely more trouble than it's worth - but then your eyes blink back open as instead of nails soft fingers brush past your cheek as the man inside the lion seems to take over, and you are met with gaze of pale green rather than ferocious gold. Is this... progress? Have you accomplished something? Did it help? Apparently not. Get out!- Remi hisses before the beast takes over, the brief flash of a sweet face transforming back into furry fury. It's good advice. You should take it. But, of course, you don't. Remi may be fighting a battle between lion and man, but you are wrapped in a struggle as well - between big brother and unattached stranger, the King of Overcaring and the Duke of This is None of My Business and I Should Back Off. Maybe if you weren't so used Tae and Grusha you would have more sense and take this opportunity to book it, but honestly? You come from a family of love-through-fury, and the strange lion is still less scary than your canine sisters, let alone your mom or dad. You're the odd ball of your clan, the gentle Ferdinand in a pack of bulls, but that doesn't mean you're afraid to hold your own - even when you probably should be. You're shaken, but not intimidated. And this poor kid looks like he needs a friend. You don't want to scare him, either, (not that you could), so you scoot back slowly across the ground, still maintaining eye contact, trying valiantly to relax your posture into something that resembles neutrality. "'M not gonna hurt you," you say soothingly, "But I'm not gonna totally leave, either. You look hurt, an'- an' angry, and you wouldn't wanna do somethin' you'll regret later, right?" It's hard to scoot quietly with one hand full of metal arm and your pack slung over your back, but you still try, angling so that your back is to the doorway - just in case, you explain to yourself, though the beads of sweat that have appeared beneath your curly hair tell another story. Misplaced confidence and primal terror are strange bedfellows, but they seem to be frequent companions in your misadventurous life. And hey, your luck has held this long. Let's hope this isn't the day it breaks. Z E R O don't care what it cost - no ray of sunlight's ever lost!

   

remi When the heart of this star-crossed voyager beats in time with yours He had killed his own mother— —no she was dead already it was just a— —and the lion had tasted it and the blood tasted good and— —a trick, it wasn't real it couldn't have been real— —the lion could taste it even now and the taste swamped out any thoughts the alchemist had, or was trying to have. Remi felt caged inside his own mind, watching through horrified eyes as his senses were completely overwhelmed by this predatory beast that he'd never before experienced. Hawks were predators to be sure, but now he was inside a body meant for killing more than just small game. As the man fell backwards, the lion licked its lips. There was no where to run, no where to go. Zero could shuffle as much as he pleased. But I am going to hurt you. Remi heard himself think, and while the mental voice had the same musical cadence of his normal accented speaking voice, it was far more guttural and primal sounding. There is no later, the predator continued, slinking forwards. There is only now. Launching himself forward, the lion aimed his front paws directly for Zero's throat, just as it had done only hours ago with the woman who had appeared to be his mother. Rallying with whatever strength and sanity he still possessed, Remi threw himself to the forefront of his mind. As he did so, his body contorted in midair—muscles shrinking and the more athletic build of the alchemist somehow being carved out of the tawny and muscular body of the lion—Remi hit the wall (and possibly Zero) with a muffled and pained wmmphhghghfffff. Without fur to cover it, the claw marks on his rib cage and legs were much more pronounced as were the cuts on his mouth. Remi's sides heaved in air as he scrambled to rise on unsteady and shaky legs. Staggering backwards like a man more than slightly intoxicated, he flailed his arms for balance even as claws reasserted themselves on his outstretched fingers. "Please—" He gasped breathlessly, the ruthless and deadly voice of the lion gone, now replaced with the oddly accented but gentle voice of the alchemist. "I cannot—" His sandy curls grew tawny and furred as mane threatened to sprout from his eyes. Squeezing his sea-glass green eyes shut and tensing his stomach as if to resist bile from rising, he held out a warning hand with pronounced claws on it. Backing up until his back, bloody as it was, struck the wall, Remi let out the air he'd been holding. "—I cannot hold it much longer. Please, you have to go. I will be fine—" He wouldn't though, but that had nothing to do with whether or not Zero stayed or left. Remi had killed someone, and whether or not it was a trick of a God or not, it was real enough for the grief and overwhelming burden of his failure to be irrevocably imprinted on his soul.

R O N I N

---

The infirmary and Ronin had become very good friends over the past few days. Once his fever had broken he was able to leave, at least - albeit with a horrendously bandaged shoulder that hid the oddest shaped bite wound possibly in existence - but he returned every day for the medics to check on it and change the dressings. He'd left it late today, hence why he was strolling through the Domiciles at this hour, and was unfortunately nearby in time to hear the... well, could it be called a conversation, truly?

A mix of snarling, sobbing, pleading and speaking, only one thing became abundantly clear to Ronin, and that was that he recognised Remi's voice somewhere in the chaos.

In what would prove to be yet another noble-but-stupid idea that he doubted any of his friends would thank him for, the ex-captain broke into a jog and arrived in the doorway in time to see a young man he didn't recognise scooting back towards it. Beyond him, one of the most gentle men Ronin had ever met was...

Well. The scene was bewildering and grotesque in equal parts, and the two warred for dominance in Ronin's expression.

"Remi..." He held his hands up slowly, skirting to the side so neither he nor Zero were blocking the doorway. "Look at me, okay? I don't know what has happened, but it's going to be alright. We'll stay over here and we can talk, yeah?"

Things continue to deteriorate at a rapid pace. The lion is now speaking inside your head. Honestly, today still not the weirdest or most terrifying one you’ve lived, but it sure is rising in the ranks. Your new lion friend doesn’t seem to be responding well to your placations, and the levels of regret you feel are quickly dwarfing the levels of foolhardy courage. This is not a friendly kitty. I’m going to hurt you, the shapeshifter says, and “I’d rather you didn’t,” you reply. Not that bald-faced honesty seems any more likely to work than anything else you’ve tried, but really, at this point, it couldn’t hurt. The beast advances, unphased by your appeal, and you swallow hard, trembling, your hand slick with sweat. “Now really isn’t great for me-“ but your attempt at humor is abruptly defused by the fact that a lion is flying at you, and you are freaking the fuck out, and before you know it you’ve let out a very undignified shriek and panic shifted into a corgi but the lion has shifted into a man but it’s too late to backtrack because you’ve flung your damn arm back at him and it’s in a clear trajectory to hit the potential murderer poor fellow square in the jaw but you really don’t notice because someone else is here now and yeah, please help, because you do not have things in hand and desperately need an adult, please and thanks. “Oof!” Remi clips your shoulder on his way to the wall, sending you sprawling onto the floor, dazed, and against better wisdom you decide to chill there for a second while gathering your thoughts. Not a great situation, Zero. What’s the plan? You’ve lost your arm, which, while broken, is still one arm more than you have without it. You’ve once again deeply worsened a situation by attempting to help where you are not wanted. You’ve panicked and become a very small dog, which is probably a pleasant bite-sized morsel for a lion who has threatened to murder you multiple times in the past ten minutes or so. Might as well just leave at this point, let this situation sort itself out. What do you think you’re possibly going to accomplish? What do you ever think you’re going to accomplish? It is the arrival of a newcomer that snaps you out of your funk; from your position on the floor you blink, pleasantly surprised, at the tall man who suddenly looms above. Involuntarily your tail wags - Yes! Hello! Please help! you whine, scrambling to flip back onto your legs as the stranger begins to calmly take charge. We’ll stay over here - yes, you are all about that, and as you scramble toward the stranger you glance around, an idea forming in your very small brain. Part of you still wants to gtfo of this whole situation, but oh man, Remi’s just a kid, and you’re a sucker for everyone children. So you come up with a kind of terrible plan. Scuttling behind Ronin, you quickly shift back into human form. “Hey,“ you say, as much to Remi as the new stranger, “What if we, uh, say, barricaded the door? And stay out here and talk to him? Just until he calms down, y’know, so he doesn’t get loose and hurt himself.” Or anyone else, you opt not to add. Z E R O don't care what it cost - no ray of sunlight's ever lost!

   

remi When the heart of this star-crossed voyager beats in time with yours The feeling of metal against his jaw was not something Remi had expected. Still, it was not the weirdest thing occurring and actually the twang of pain helped to focus his mind. As the lion-turned-man crashed against the wall, the man-turned-corgi scuttled away. Thrusting himself backwards as much as he could, Remi panted as his eyes blazed with strain. The pale sea-glass green flickered and bled into molten amber as the lion fought to take hold of the man's mind. Each frantic movement of the appetizer-sized ball of fluff would illicit a primal response inside of the man, that threatened to overwhelm his senses. He could still taste the hot blood from his mother, the feeling of his teeth against her throat. Instinctively he knew Zero would taste just the same, but he wanted to know for sure. "Ronin, please. Just g-" Remi tried to say, but as the corgi moved behind Ronin, shifting back into a man, the oh so subtle challenge in Zero's words caught the attention of the predator. Remi's teeth elongated and his lips curled and puffed as a snarl cut off the warning and plea he'd meant to issue. I can hear you, you know The lion snarled telepathically towards Zero. A barricade? As if you have the time. On feet which had suddenly become paws, the lion lunged forward towards the door. His claws dug easily into the soft wooden floor boards propelling the massive creature towards his intended target. Ronin was closer of course, but it was Zero who had ultimately caught the predator's attention. Zero with his hammering heart and adrenaline all but spewing in invisible spurts into the air. Mouth watering and muscles singing happily, the lion tried to lunge between the doorframe and Ronin, paws once again outstretched for Zero's throat.

R O N I N

---

It all happened so pitifully fast. Even the fact that there was a man-turned-corgi in the room with them that wiggled and flailed and wagged its tail and nothereisalionconcentrate

Zero spoke. Remi spoke. Remi lunged. And the lion had one thing right for sure - there most certainly was not time to build a barricade. There wasn't time for anything but action, it appeared.

Ronin's curse cut off in his throat as he was forced to move as quickly as his body was able. The ex-captain had fought monsters in his time, each weirder than the last, but the pure and crystal terror at a clawed and fanged ball of fury hurtling toward him... it was a very mortal but a very real fear that seized him.

Worse still was the realisation that Remi wasn't going for him. Ronin's expletive made it out this time, and he didn't think twice before reacting. For his friend's sake as much as his own, he had to get in between Zero and Remi - the only problem being that in doing so he'd be exposing all of his most fleshy parts to pointy lion claws instead.

So he did the next best thing that came to mind.

He punched the lion in the face.

Engaging his kinesis bracers to (hopefully) knock Remi right back the way he had come, Ronin put every ounce of strength into the move.

Build a barricade, you said. It will work great, you said. Well, sorry to rain on your parade, but plan: barricade is a no go, especially because you just said it out loud, and now the lion knows and he's talking in your head again and, man, maybe you should listen to the giant murderous cat. Give up. Let it go. Let it go. You can't hold him back anymore. Turn around. Close the door. Except there is no door. But you get it. This is not working out. Your plan is bad, and you should feel bad. Luckily your new friend is here, and he definitely has a better plan, so maybe you should just step back and let him - - I'm sorry, what was that? Your new friend's plan is to.... punch the lion? I take it back. You're both idiots. You're fucked. The lion lunges at you again, and maybe you would leap back except that Ronin is lunging forward and you can suddenly see very clearly how things are about to play out. "'No!" you exclaim, "'Don't hurt him!", though whether it's in response to Remi's lunge or Ronin's fist is lost in the chaos. In your naive idealism, you have decided two things: 1) nobody needs to get hurt, and 2) if someone is gonna get hurt, it should be you for sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. But what are you to do? How do you fix this new disaster? With half the arms of the other two there is little you can really contribute to the fight. The fight you started, by the way. Unbidden, tears sting at the corners of your eyes; you blink against them, but it's hard to swallow the lump of unhappy anxiety and anger that rises in your throat, hot and high and heavy and choking until finally you can't hold it in, you don't know what to do, so fuck it, you just kinda... explode. "Alright that's ENOUGH!" you bellow, in a voice usually reserved for your particularly difficult siblings. It's impressive; you can practically feel your parents flanking you, their firestorm personality electrifying your brain. "'You hear me? ENOUGH. Remi, get your fucking shit together. You don't wanna hurt someone? DON'T. You are being a CHILD and letting an ANIMAL win." And then, really stupid, carried by your passion, you take a big step into the room with the lion and hold up your arms. "If you - YOU - wanna hurt someone, you can hurt me. But remember that you aren't the lion. The lion is you. So whatever you do... make sure you do it.'" Yeah, Zero, you gon' die. Z E R O don't care what it cost - no ray of sunlight's ever lost!

   

remi When the heart of this star-crossed voyager beats in time with yours What was supposed to be the tantalizing softness of Zero's throat has been unfairly transformed into the magical-punch issued from Ronin's bracers. With staggering force Remi felt the bizarre effect of the magical item as a shockwave of force rippled through his nose and back into his skull. Staggering despite his forward momentum, the lion swayed on his four paws even as Zero demanded that he not be hurt. Wanting to roar his anger and fury but temporarily being immobilized by the ringing in his ears and the stars exploding in his eyes. What was perhaps stranger than having one of his best friends punch him in the face because he was being a man-eating-beast, was hearing someone he didn't know call him a child. Glancing towards Zero with piercing amber eyes, Remi staggered towards the wall as a low rumble broke out of his parted lips. So what if he was being a child? Children needed to eat didn't they? And letting the lion win? Well. The lion was part of him now, wasn't it. So a win for one was— — "LEE-EAAVVE" Remi managed to shout through a mouth that looked pasted-onto the lion's face. Pain etched into the vaguely human features of his face before the lion reasserted itself and snarled. Every word from Zero's mouth was a challenge and the beast within was more than happy to rise to the occasion. In time, perhaps Remi would be able to control this. But on this night his mother had asked him to commit suicide, he'd drained the life from her himself, he'd confronted a deity, and was now cornered in his own home being chastised by a Corgi and punched by a friend. Tonight was not the night Remi would likely be able to find the strength to overcome this. Having finally regained his balance, Remi would once again lunge for Zero. Clearly Ronin was able to defend himself and Zero seemed much tastier just now. Besides, not that the lion was wrapped up in human-issues, but damn if he didn't have a mouth on him. The lion thought he'd probably start by removing his lips and his throat first.

R O N I N

---

Okay, this was getting completely out of hand here. A lot of bellowing and screaming and growling and frankly it was laughable that Zero thought Ronin had managed to hurt Remi. He could pack a punch, literally and metaphorically speaking, but he wasn't expecting miracles here. In fact, it was something of a shock to find his blow was as effective as it had been. Leave. He recognised that at least, glancing at Zero with fierce blue eyes that said he was of the serious opinion that the other man was making a (potentially fatal) mistake.

Remi did not look as though he was in the mood for a pep talk. He looked more like he wanted a snack, and as the lion took control once more and lunged for Zero's throat Ronin had no choice but to intercept - again. He wasn't able to use the bracers a second time but it wouldn't stop him from trying to crack the lion across the jaw with his off hand. To his absolute shock, it actually worked too. It probably helped, granted, that he threw all of his weight against it - and thus also on top of the beast - and thank whoever he was meant to that it DID work because otherwise he was about to find himself around a lot of teeth and claws.

Instead, he landed astride an unconscious alchemist. Blessedly human, but unfortunately totally out of it. "Uh..." Ronin began, swearing under his breath and moving quickly, lest Remi come around. He grabbed hold of the other man, wrestling him up and over one shoulder before turning to face Zero. "We need to go," he informed him. "We have to get him somewhere he can't hurt anyone." He thought he had a place in mind, unpleasant as it was.

{Permission granted by Odd to control Remi in this post.}