‘So you are on a quest to find your parents?’ Blue asks, looking at the photo of you and your family.
‘Well yes, that’s the idea.’
‘Well that won’t be an issue, just give me enough time and we’ll find them.’ Blue says setting the picture down on the bar.
‘Umm…just like that?’
‘Just like that! This isn’t the first time Teyla asked me to help her with this project of hers.’
‘She’s right, Blue’s helped me with this project a ton! She’s the reason I can find the latexes and their histories at all.’ Teyla explains, sitting right next to you.
‘But how?’
‘Why, by asking all of my customers of course!’
‘I don’t see how asking them one by one could help.’
‘Ahh but that’s only a small part! What really helps is spreading the word.’
You look at Blue, slightly puzzled.
‘I don’t follow.’
‘Human, you do understand how fast news spreads here? We are a united community, this institute is our home. We are everywhere! So, when an interesting news comes up, whether it's a new behemoth, news of the outside world…or a human that is seen wandering around the institute…’ Blue trails off.
‘Everyone here is bound to hear about it sooner rather than later.’ Teyla explains.
‘Exactly! And the fact that you are a human in search of your parents might just speed the whole process along.’
‘Do you think it will work?’
‘Most of the time it works.’
‘Most?’
‘There’s a chance that the person or human we are looking for didn’t make it through the riot, or something else happened to them.’ Teyla explains.
‘Although unlikely, it does happen…and that’s the worst-case scenario for this search.’ Blue adds in.
You shudder at the thought of your parents being dead…although, in the alternative… you are not quite sure what to make of it.
‘Are you ok?’ Blue asks, concern is clear in her voice.
‘I’m worried…’
‘About your parents?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Well I’m not saying you should jump to conclusions, but I’m sure they are still here somewhere, we just need to find them.’
‘But that’s just it.’
‘What’s it?’ Teyla replies, asking for clarity.
‘Do I want them to be found? Do I want to see what they’ve become? Do I want to see them turned into latexes, or know that they’re dead? I don’t know which one I would prefer. The idea of seeing my parents turned into something else scares me, but the idea of knowing that they passed away at least assures me that they were still ‘themselves’ till the last second. But I don’t want to lose them either!’ you cry out.
You don’t know which outcome you would rather be true, the hope of them being alive and human is just so slim. And your experience with Trixie when you learned who she was…confuses you. Is she supposed to be like Ellie? An incarnation of her? Or is she just a different person entirely? Just who IS she supposed to be exactly? Who is she to you?
You just don’t know…
‘Well…you still want to find them right?’
‘Yes…I’m just really scared.’ you confirm, still dreading the outcome.
‘The most you can do right now is wait, though it might be better to wait somewhere else. It can get stressful here for you.’
‘Do you have any idea where you could go? I can take you back to my room and you can wait there if you like.’ Teyla offers.
You pause in thought, considering her offer. Personally, you are not sure if you want to see that gallery again just yet, not with all these questions about these latexes in general. But how can you exactly ‘ask’ them about themselves? They won’t be able to see it from your ‘frayed’ point of view. How would you find someone who can understand these strange creatures just like you do?
…
Maybe there IS someone…
‘I can ask Dr K.’ You suggest the idea to yourself.
‘I think I know where I could go, he might be able to help me get some things off my head.’
‘You do? Who?’ Teyla asks.
‘That wolf in a lab coat.’
‘...Oh, that weird shut-in wolf?’
‘Do you think he can help you with this whole dilemma thing you’re going through?’
‘If anyone can answer my questions, it would be him.’
Teyla hums in thought, before her tail shivers as if she has an idea.
‘Hey, why not take me with you? I always wanted to unravel the mysteries of that weird wolf!’
‘What do you mean?’
‘This wolf was once human right? Why wouldn’t I want to interview him?’
‘I…don’t know if he would talk to you.’
‘Nah I wouldn’t worry about that! I picked up a few tricks in my experience, there’s always a way!’
‘If you say so…’
…
----------------------------------------
‘So is this where his nest is?’ Teyla asks, finding herself at the checkpoint with a large secured door.
‘Actually, it’s more like an office, but if I’m right he should still be here.’
‘An office? Does he have a project like I do?’
‘In a way maybe? He IS a scientist, I just don’t know what he is doing nowadays.’
‘Wait a minute, wait a minute, hold on…he’s a ‘scientist’, like, one of our creators?’
‘Well, he seems to know a lot about it so he might be.’
‘Oh wow, this will be my biggest step yet! I can get so much from this interview! But how do we get in there?’
‘I need to call him so he unlocks that door and lets us in,’ you explain, gesturing to the button.
*Beep*
Pushing the ‘security’ button, you and Teyla wait for Dr K to answer the call.
‘...so…now what??’
‘Now, we wait, it shouldn't take long…hopefully.’
*BZZTTT*
“Colin? You’re here?”
“Yeah, it’s me.”
“Alright, let me get the door.”
*BZZTTT*
Looking beside you, you see that Teyla is looking at the intercom in confusion and curiosity.
‘What was that?’
‘That’s Dr K, he said he’s coming now.’
‘You understood all those sounds? You were making some yourself.’
‘We were talking Teyla…’
‘Ohhhh…so kinda like us expressing our feelings without using telepathy?’
‘Without telepathy? What do you mean?’
‘Something like this.’ Teyla communicates, taking a deep breath.
“*Squeak!* *Grunt…* *squeak* *squeak!*”
…
‘What does THAT mean??’
‘That’s me expressing how excited I am for the interview. We rarely use this method since we have no real need for it, not to mention it limits what we want to say or express. In the past it led to some major misunderstandings when taken too far.’
‘So you all just use telepathy?’
‘It’s SO MUCH easier. I’m honestly surprised you humans go out of your way to create…wait hold on…back when I was a human did I ever…do humans use telepathy??’
You simply shake your head, confirming her suspicion.
‘Huh…that explains some of the stories we hear about the humans outside.’
‘What stories-’
*Click*
Before you can ask, the door slides open revealing a familiar face…or mask rather.
“Ah, there you are.” Dr K says, opening the door.
“I’m honestly quite surprised you came back already, although judging by your expression something tells me you have a lot on your mind.”
“You have no idea.”
“Did you remember anything?”
“Too much.”
Dr K lets out a defeated sigh as if he were dreading this outcome.
“I’m not too familiar when it comes to the side-effects of the stasis, though I do know that usually, it takes a week in normal cases of amnesia. Admittedly I was hoping it would take longer than that.”
“Look, can we come inside? I need help.”
“Yes, come in…I can make coffee if you like.”
“Coffee? I…hmmm sure.”
“What about your new friend? Is she joining as well?”
“Yeah, she is. Wanted to do an interview with you, says she has questions for you.”
“...What is she doing?”
Checking on Teyla, you see that she seems to be concentrating on Dr K, as if she is trying to see through him.
‘Why can’t I connect with him??? It’s like I’m trying to link up with a ghost!’
‘I don’t think he can do telepathy.’
‘But then how can YOU do it?? He was a human just like you!’
‘I got this ability after I visited the Elder.’
‘B-but then HOW am I supposed to do an interview with him??’
“Colin?”
“Oh, she was trying to talk to you through telepathy.”
‘Well since you can communicate with him YOU can be my translator!’
‘Oh come on! Really??’
‘Yes really!!’
“Colin, just tell her I have something we can use to communicate if she really wants to do an interview.”
‘Teyla, Dr K said he has something to communicate with you.’
‘Well, what is it?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘Then ask him!’
‘Dr K, what exactly do you mean by having something to communicate?’
…
…
“Err Colin?”
‘Human you used telepathy.’
“Damn it, I meant to speak! Teyla asked what you meant by that.”
“It’s a device developed by the black dragons, it should be a perfect substitute.”
“He said that it’s a device made by the black dragons.”
…
…
“You meant to use telepathy right?” Dr K asks as Teyla looks at you in confusion.
“Come on!”
The doctor chuckles at this. “Let’s just get you inside so I can make the coffee.”
----------------------------------------
You find yourself sitting at one side of the table as a cup of coffee is placed before you. Thirsty, you take a sip of scalding-hot liquid before quickly regretting that mistake.
Teyla sits at the other end of the table, looking around the lab in a sense of awe and anticipation for her interview.
“Wait a bit if it’s too hot.” Dr K warns, walking briskly to a cabinet.
‘It’s hard to believe that I’m interviewing him! Human! You have no idea how much this means to me! This is my biggest step for my project!’
‘What are you hoping to find?’ you ask, blowing at your coffee to cool it down a bit.
‘Everything! From his story, the creation of the ‘latex’, to the aerosol! He could share everything that I need to finish my ‘timeline’ project!’ Teyla says, tapping her paws onto the desk with anticipation.
Fortunately for her, she doesn’t have to wait long as Dr K returns with a large green crystal, serving as the main component for this strange device. He plugs it into an electric socket in the wall and waits until it begins to glow.
‘Getting the chance to use Black latex technology is a huge bonus! I’ve always wanted to try out these! Although…there is something about him that seems off.’
‘Like what?’
‘Not sure, but it feels unsettling.’
Before you could ask for clarification, Dr K comes by the desk as he looks up to you, ready to talk.
“Alright, Colin please tell Teyla that the communicator is charging so it may take a while. Better this way at least, so we can talk without interruptions.”
You nod in agreement before relaying the message to Teyla.
‘He said that the communicator is charging so you have to wait for a bit.’
‘It’s fine, I know you need to talk to him as well. Do what you need to do.’
‘Thanks, Teyla.’
Picking up the coffee, you take a careful sip, grateful that it isn’t trying to burn you this time.
“Colin, what can you recall so far?”
“Well, I remembered that I had a brother and I recently remembered losing my girlfriend, Ellie. And to make it worse, I found out one of the latexes, Trixie…whom I had grown to like, just so happens to be the one who assimilated her.”
“All of this happened this morning??”
“I…think so? I just don’t have a sense of time right now.”
“Then what happened afterwards?”
“That’s what I came here for, what happened afterwards was…confusing, to say the least. After Trixie and I had found out what happened, I just…gave up. I felt like I lost everything, I was mad at her but I just couldn’t really care anymore.”
“...You ‘were’ mad at her?”
“I tried to distance myself from her, but she reached out to me and…honestly I didn’t know what she did, but she shared these emotions directly, but the strangest thing is…they were from Ellie.”
“Explain.” Dr K asks, seemingly showing interest from what little you could tell behind the mask.
“I don’t know how it’s possible, but I just knew it was from her, no doubt about it. Afterwards, we left in some sort of understanding. She seemed just as conflicted as I was. I then came to Teyla here, she talked to me, and showed me this project she has been working on but I just don’t know what to feel about this anymore.”
“About what?”
“Dr K, what do you think about the latexes? Everything about them, you of all people can understand what I’m trying to say. I just don’t know how I should feel about the fact that most latexes I have met were once humans like Teyla here,” you say, gesturing towards Teyla.
Dr K gives a quick glance to Teyla, seeing her combing her tail with her paws before nuzzling it as if to test it.
“It bothers me that some of them were once human, the fact I was talking with them, that I was petting and playing with the pups like the young hyenas and the black latex pups. Even these clothes of mine were made by a latex that is part spider, part tiger. It’s almost like they’re people, and yet they are the same ones who assimilated everyone in this building. Where am I supposed to go from there?”
Dr K rubs his head as his wolf-like ear flickers as he struggles to come up with a reply.
“Honestly Colin, that is entirely up to you to decide. This isn’t something I can just give a clear answer to considering the bizarreness of the situation. After I released the aerosol I had a lot on my mind. Every victim I saw killed or assimilated through the cameras…it hurts to look back on and realise I only ever remembered half of their names.”
Dr K leans back as he thinks.
“It was…god I can’t remember…a week? Before I started to patrol the institute to do damage reports. Every latex I came across was so curious about me and seeing them act so much like a human bothered me. I just wanted nothing to do with them. Although curiosity got the better of me when I checked one of the sections of the institute where I found Dr Yeen.”
“The giant hyena?”
“Yes. I noticed how she acted so much like her past self. We had some residents with kids they couldn’t find the time to care for, so we relied on her to watch over them in their stead. When I first talked to her again, the similarities were baffling. It’s like Malinda was still herself, identical perhaps.”
You quietly take a sip of your coffee as you process the information.
“And truthfully, we can’t exactly fault them for all the assimilations they had no control of, nor the riot itself. God, if that riot never happened there wouldn’t be so much tension between them and what’s left of us out there.” Dr K comments, looking through a window.
“Plenty of survivors outside hold a grudge against them, we can’t exactly fault them for feeling that way, and neither can the latexes. Regardless of what they may think, they are their own people now, not to mention how much the world needs them. They are very capable of destroying the virus with ease, but they can’t do it if we don’t let them. And they are our only hope for fighting back the ‘feral’ latexes as we’ve been calling them.”
“They may not be human, they may be strange, but they are still people like us all the same. And that to me, makes them rather ‘human’. Just look at your friend right now.”
Checking on Teyla, you notice that she isn’t at the table. Scanning the room, you notice that she is currently sitting on her tail comfortably, watching the crystal device with tension, growing impatient.
‘Come on…come on…’
“Quite impatient isn’t she?”
“Well, she did say she was very excited about the interview.”
“Well she doesn’t have to wait long, I think it's almost fully charged.”
…
*Flash!*
The device emits a strobe of brighter light, indicating that it is fully charged. This catches Teyla’s attention as she looks over her shoulder to them as if asking for permission.
“It’s ready, tell her she can bring it over.”
‘It’s ready Teyla, you can bring it.’
Teyla’s eyes sparkle as she hastily unplugs the device from the electric socket and briskly yet carefully brings it to the table. As soon as she sets it down, she retakes her spot, ready for her interview.
Taking the device, Dr K pulls it closer to him and activates it with a touch.
“Colin, this device only allows two-way communication, just to avoid any of the confusion from earlier, I will focus on ‘speaking’ to Teyla for now. In the meantime, do take everything I said into consideration, but remember what you think is up to you.”
You nod in understanding, taking your cup of coffee which is almost completely empty before getting up to aimlessly explore the small lab, allowing Teyla to start the interview with Dr K. As the crystal glows, Dr K places a paw onto the crystal, gesturing Teyla to do the same. As soon as she touches it, the crystal brightens up briefly before dimming down. Teyla seems to have a look of awe as her tail shivers slightly before making some gestures with her paws. Dr K also starts this trend, as if they were having a silent conversation.
‘How do these crystals even work?’ you wonder.
The black latex dragons seemed to use these crystals for every device they had, clearly these crystals hold some powerful traits that only they understand.
‘Maybe I could ask them about it when I have the chance.’
Taking one last sip, the mug runs dry as you put it by the coffee machine, unsure where the sink is. Looking around to find something to do, you see the notes resting upon Dr K’s desk, with the same images of your nervous system that he took. Curious, you gaze down upon the notes. Most of them are dull text that you skim over until you see the last passage.
‘While it is a shame that I don’t have footage of how this black latex reacts during telepathy, (it would have given a much clearer insight into how these function). Colin’s testament to the telepathic properties it provides is certain.
This does highlight my concerns about the Elder. Our ongoing operation with Sarah setting out the specially trained black latex pups for ‘adoption’ among the survivors. Their similarities to puppies make them very suitable for the task, but not to the degree we actually saw.
Sarah once commented how the survivors seem to react a lot differently to other latexes after adopting these black latex pups…If I were to wager, the pups may have played a role there.
But there is nothing I can do now and I’m sure he knows that. What’s the point of telling everyone that the black latex pups MIGHT be implanting this goo into their body without consent? It would shatter any peace between us humans and the latexes.
He is always one step ahead, what does he have to gain from this? Why hide this from us to begin with?
I need more coffee.’
‘Those black latex pups could have given me a goo implant?’
You shiver at the implications of that. Though, on second thought, was it all that different from the many transfurmations you’d been through?
‘Coliiinnnn…’ Teyla calls out fearfully.
The mental communication pulls you back to attention.
‘What’s wrong, Teyla?’
‘Why didn’t you tell me that Dr K is the embodiment of DEATH itself???’
Checking Teyla, you see that she is leaning backwards from her chair, staring at Dr K fearfully while Dr K seems…calm perhaps?
‘What do you mean? Dr K would never harm us.’
‘But the MASK!!! All he has to do is remove that mask and we are BOTH dead! No wonder everyone feels unsafe near him!’
‘I don’t follow…’
‘I…’
Teyla trails off, disconnecting from you before looking at Dr K, who seems to be nodding in understanding. Teyla gets up, making her way to the exit of the lab.
‘Where are you going??’
‘I have to continue the interview another time, I just can’t stand this!’
‘But how-’
Before you can finish, Teyla exits the lab as the door seals shut behind her, leaving you with Dr K.
“What was that all about?!”
“Teyla’s instincts were able to pick up on the ‘threat’ that I pose to her, stuck in a fight or flight mode if you will.”
“But why? You wouldn’t hurt her would you?”
“It’s less about me ‘wanting’ to hurt her, and more about me ‘potentially’ killing her. As long as I keep the mask on she’ll be fine.”
“How can taking your mask off kill her?”
Dr K taps his claws onto the desk as if preparing something.
“My body right now is producing a kind of virus that I modified to kill latexes. It was initially meant for emergencies, but in a stupid attempt to survive the riot, I was left with no option but to inject myself with it and ‘assimilate’ a latex into my own body. This mask is the only thing that stops the virus from spreading.”
“Wait, so YOU assimilated the latex and…how does that even work??”
Dr K quickly pulls his paw in a halting gesture, stopping you from talking.
“Colin, this is something I REALLY don’t want to talk about…”
You bite your tongue, getting an idea of what it means…and it isn’t a pretty picture.
“But don’t you need to take it off every time you eat and drink?”
“Yes, I quarantine myself whenever I need to have breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Since my body is a mixture of both human and latex, my diet had to become a mixture of both everyday meals along with a helping of latex to sustain this body of mine.”
“...You had to eat latex?” You say with slight discomfort.
“I didn’t have a choice back then, although the latex fish oddly tasted like cheese.”
“...Cheese?”
“Don’t ask.”
“Right…”
Disregarding the ‘unusual’ detail, you consider Dr K’s viewpoint and thoughts about the latex. Yes, he has some valid points about them, Teyla and Trixie are proof of that, they just seem to reflect so much of their human personality. You recall that Ellie had a mischievous and dominant personality that Trixie emulates so well…it’s almost like she is Ellie herself.
What would it have been like…if your brother were assimilated just like Ellie? Would he be a clear incarnation of him? How would he react if he were to see you right now? And your parents? What about them? What happened to them in the riot? Dr K did seem to know something…
“Hey Dr K…”
“Yes Colin?”
“Back when we first met, you seemed to know what happened to my parents.”
“Colin, I really don’t think we should talk about this.”
“I think I have the right to know about them, Dr K. You can’t just make me forget about them! They’re a part of my life, the very people who raised me, I should at least know what happened!”
Dr K emits a muffled growl.
“You don’t NEED to know what happened to them, ESPECIALLY now. You woke up with no memories of the past, and you would just hurt yourself all over again by remembering them now. Do you want to put yourself through that??”
“It’s either that or be haunted by the thought for the rest of my life! And besides, I would never forgive myself if I don’t bother looking for them. I HATED myself for forgetting that I had a brother! I just can’t go on without at least finding the truth…they’ve been with my life for years, should I really forget who they were and never learn what became of them??”
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Dr K goes silent, slouching by his desk as he seems to be in thought.
“Listen Colin…I made decisions that I will always regret. I played a key role in creating the plague, I tried to fix it by working with these labs to create a cure. It was by luck that the Elder gave us the latex to fight it, but we ran out of time. If I had just a little more time, that riot would never have happened.
For the past three years, I have been trapped here in this institute, chained down by the very virus I used to keep myself alive, the only thing keeping me going is a strange diet under constant quarantine. I’ve always done research to try to amend what I had done, and the choices I had to make. It wasn’t easy for me to release the aerosol when there might be survivors, but if I didn’t there would be nothing to save humanity…what’s left of it that is.
I try to avoid talking to the latexes knowing what they were…that I had failed them. This institute is nothing but the same prison where I failed everyone…including you Colin.
The fact you were still alive in the stasis pod for three years terrifies me. Yes, I am happy that you survived, but I failed to create the cure in time to save your family.
I felt as though I took all of that away from you. I just don’t want to hurt you again.”
…
“I…Dr K, I never realised that you felt this way I…”
“It’s fine, I need to set things right.” Dr K says, reaching for the monitor and typing on the keyboard.
“Whatever you want to learn about your parents is your decision to make, not mine. Although I imagine your parents don’t want you to know what happened to them, I can’t stop you. Just know this, you will not like what you see.”
You walk beside Dr K, as he searches and opens a file. A camera’s view of a break room appears on screen overlaid by a pause symbol, all there is left to do is click ‘play’.
You stare at the screen, captivated by the thought of finally learning the truth, no matter how terrible.
Dr K nods in understanding, and wordlessly pushes himself away from the monitor, motioning you to play the footage.
You step forward, kneeling down to face the monitor as your hand reaches for the mouse…pausing momentarily over the play button while you find the strength to say yes to this.
…
*Click*
The footage starts by showing two people in a break room, sitting at a table while drinking coffee and eating toast. You quickly recognise that these two people must be your parents.
They seem to be talking to each other, your father in some formal clothing with a lab coat resting his back on the chair he is sitting on while your mother has more casual clothing, though she does have a file with some papers inside.
Suddenly the lights turn into an alarming red, and your parents quickly react by exiting the room.
“This is when the riot occurred, they managed to get themselves to one of the safe zones nearby.” Dr K says, quickly switching footage to a different room.
This one shows your parents locking the door with the keycard. There is no one else with them. Your father seems to be consoling your mother, trying to calm her down without panicking himself. Suddenly, one of the vents falls off the ceiling as something climbs down, a brown latex goo.
You grit your teeth, knowing what could happen.
The brown goo quickly forms into a wolf, a messy version that is struggling to maintain its body. The wolf quickly pounces to attack your parents, seeking a host.
Reacting to this, your father pushes your mother aside as the wolf deforms and splats against him, almost covering his entire body. Your father panics and tries to use his hands to tear off the goo, but the goo simply spreads further, digging into his body while gaining wolf-like traits as it goes.
Your mom panics and struggles to make distance from the horror before her.
“Why isn’t she getting out?!”
“We had a power outage during the riot, the safe zones needed electricity to ensure maximum security. Unfortunately, if there is no power, no one can leave.”
Your mother quickly runs to a cabinet, searching until she grabs something. A taser. Your father gets pulled under a table, invisible to the camera view, but not to your mother’s perspective.
She readies up the taser, pointing it downwards as if to aim at something under the table. Time passes by as your mother maintains her grip on the taser, ready to fire when needed.
…
Suddenly, a small splotch of goo gets thrown from underneath the table, splatting against her and causing her to tumble as your father…now in a dripping form of an anthropomorphic brown wolf, leaps onto her.
The wolf throws itself upon her, coating her limbs with viscous latex . Your mother tries her best to throw off the latex, but it is no use as it consumes her.
She collapses onto the floor, deforming into a large puddle on impact...with no indication of a body. Then…the puddle resembles itself, a head…torso…two wolves form themselves from the puddle, the remnants of your parents.
Wordlessly, a wolf makes its way to the vent as the other wolf follows suit, disappearing from the footage…never to be seen again…
*Click*
Dr K clicks off the footage with a sigh, dreading your reaction.
…
You say nothing, trying to process the footage of your parent’s ghastly fate…uncertain on how to take this.
…
You take a breath in, then let it out.
Quietly, you repeat the process, realizing with each breath just how terrifying the situation was back then.
After a moment of silence, you find the will to speak again.
“It’s…worse than I thought…and the fact they’re still out there but..like this.”
“I’m afraid so.”
“I just don’t know if I could stand seeing them, knowing what they did…or if it's even ‘them’.”
“Personally, I think it would be better if you avoid them for now, including your brother, you still have a lot to think about.”
“Dr K, I don’t even know how much more I can take from this. I mean, seeing what happened to my parents…after learning that Puro assimilated my brother. It’s all just getting too much for me to take, and yet this is something that I have to remember.”
…
…
Dr K looks at you in confusion and disbelief.
“Puro?”
“Yes.”
…
“The same black latex wolf that was with you?”
“Yes, the same wolf. He did it right in front of me.”
…
Dr K looks at you blankly.
…
“No no…the Elder told me Purziko was gone… wait, Pur-o, Pur-zik-o. They reduced his rank and reintroduced him to the institute, clever bastards.”
“What do you mean??”
Dr K quickly puts out his paws in a calming gesture.
“I’m not saying your memories are faulty nor that he didn’t do it, I’m saying that it is not something he would do without reason. You and Puro had a good kinship prior to the riot.”
“What the heck are you talking about??”
“You don’t recall? You and Puro were good friends before the riot.”
…But…that can’t be right can it?? You were friends with him before??
“N-no! But even still, he killed my brother.”
“I can’t excuse the fact that as you say, he assimilated your brother, but what I can do is give an educated guess.”
Your expression of frustration and confusion did not escape the wolf doctor’s sight. Seeing this, Dr K returns to the monitor, quickly clicking and typing on his keyboard to bring up another footage.
“Look, let me show you. This is the last footage I got of you and your brother.”
*Click*
Peering at the screen, you see Matthew and yourself in a room with the lights blaring red, but you are not alone. In the footage you see that your brother is using a chair to push back an anthropomorphic raccoon latex with no visible eyes, while you are at the door, trying to pry it open with a crowbar.
You just manage to get the door pried open. The latex reacts, quickly grabbing the chair and yanking it away, making your brother stumble for a brief moment. Just before you both rush through the door the raccoon lashes out at your brother, swiping at him with its claws, and delivering a cut.
You both exit the room as the racoon gives chase, ending the footage.
“Afterwards, I have no idea what happened. But I had assumed either that the Racoon or something else got you and your brother…or that your brother got infected and turned on you.”
That last part did not slip by you.
“What do you mean by ‘infected’? He wasn’t assimilated!”
“Yes, he wasn’t assimilated…yet. You did see it right? When he got cut?”
“I did, but I don’t see how this has to do with anything.”
“Colin, latexes prior to the aerosol were very infectious creatures. Encountering one of them unprepared is nothing but a death sentence. A single drop of latex in your body is all they need to assimilate their prey whole. And the most effective way to do so?” Dr K rhetorically asks, bringing his paw in front of him, before unsheathing his claws, as latex drips from the edge of his claws.
“A simple scratch. A single swipe from a latex’s claws usually means getting assimilated. Once that happens, the victim would be unaware of the assimilation process ongoing in their own body besides a headache and localised symptoms of numbness. The latex within their body would only strike another victim at the most opportunistic moment.
We had cases where one survivor that we thought was clear transformed into one of them, causing a break-out.The black latex wolves were the only means we had of knowing who was safe or not.
From what I know about your relationship with him prior to the riot…your brother must have been infected by that latex, and Puro was likely protecting you.”
…
But then…
If what he says is true…the footage…the past outbreaks and incidents then…
…
N-no!
NO!
“You don’t mean to tell me that Puro saved my life!”
“Yes, I am saying he did.”
“But, Puro…He…How can I trust that’s what actually happened?”
…
…
“Because it is something he’s done before, not to mention how much of a bond you two shared. I admit, I once had a rather negative opinion of him just before the riot, the Elder tried to explain something to me about him but I just refused to believe it, but as soon as I saw you with him, I completely changed my mind. Perhaps if I had just listened to the Elder we might have found you sooner.”
…
“...N-no…”
That…that can’t be right! Is he saying Puro KNEW that you were in danger?? B-but how do you know that your brother was infected?? How can-
…
Wait…
“Dr. K…”
“Hmm?”
“What were the symptoms for an ongoing assimilation again?”
“A massive headache and numbness. Why?”
“...My brother had a headache when we were hiding in the maintenance corridor.”
“...It’s just as I feared.”
B-but that would mean…that would mean-!
----------------------------------------
…
*SLAM*
Ignoring the continuous blaring red lights, you quickly slam the door shut, pushing against it as you brace for the oncoming impact.
*BANG!*
Your pursuer is bashing against the door, trying to break through to get to you, but you hold your ground, fighting to keep your life.
*BANG!*
The latex behind the door keeps on ramming the door, but you refuse to let him through, not like this!
‘I am NOT dying today!’
*BANG!*
…
*BANG!*
…
…
You maintain your holding, expecting the latex to ram against the door again, but strangely enough…nothing happens. Did it give up?
‘It can’t be that easy…’ you think to yourself, suspicious and anticipating the latex’s next attack.
Looking down onto the floor, you nearly jump in fright, it’s sliding through underneath the door! Knowing the door cannot keep your pursuer out, you quickly rush to a hiding place, reaching out for a cabinet. You quickly pull it open before climbing in and closing the door, hiding away.
Peering through the cabinet, you see the white goo slides all the way through the door, piling up into a large white formless puddle. The puddle rumbles as a body takes shape, rising up from the puddle as it forms into a feral white wolf…a wolf with no eyes.
You watch in fear as it prowls throughout the room, on the hunt…searching for you. You watch in dread as it tries to figure out where you went. But then…it pauses, its fur shuddering, its gaze facing towards the cabinet…the same cabinet where you are hiding.
‘NO! I LOOKED AT IT FOR TOO LONG!!’ you mentally cry out in terror, forgetting the most important rule…
Don’t look at them for too long…or they WILL know they are being watched.
The wolf deforms slightly, turning into an unstable anthropomorphic shape, barely able to hold its own…but it doesn’t have to worry about that for long…it makes its way to the locker. It seems as though it was the end for you…
‘NO, NO, NO!’ you panic, wanting to scream out all the thoughts you're holding in...
…Until something drops through the ceiling.
A vent cover drops onto the floor as something else follows suit, landing onto the floor…a black latex wolf with a mask…
It’s Purziko…
The white wolf growls, turning aggressive against the black latex. In a flash, Purziko charges in, grabbing the wolf by the throat before pinning it against the wall, showing strength and prowess.
You recall the fight Purziko was in as he took down his opponents before him, one by one without breaking a sweat…as if he was made for it. That white latex doesn’t stand a chance.
Without warning, Purziko absorbs the wolf, not letting a single drop of white latex escape his grasp. Recalling the recent events you flinch and shut your eyes in terror, your knees giving out as you curl into a ball, huddling close to the corner of the cabinet trying to block out the sounds that are bringing back that terrible memory.
*Gloop*
Purziko had absorbed the wolf…
…
Footsteps.
…
“Human? I know you are in here, please speak up.”
You can’t help but feel tortured, the same wolf who ruined everything is still following you, and worse yet…he saved your life…again…
“Go away…”
“Human...I understand why you are angry but it really was for your sake.”
“MY sake…? What about him?? What about Matthew?? I WANTED him to be alive!!”
“I am not faulting you for your desire to help your own sibling. But it was a reckless move of you. You knew he was infected.”
“Of course I knew!! But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve a chance! I’m here because of him! I don’t want him to give himself up for my sake! He deserves better than this! IT’S NOT FAIR!!”
…
“Human, hate me all you want. But if I didn’t step in, he would have lashed out at you when you turned your back on him. It was pure luck that I stopped him in time, he was about to do it.”
‘Damn it, damn it! Stop doing that!!’
“I could have saved him Purziko! If I had taken him to Dr K he might still be here! He could have been saved!”
“Even if you had more time, it would have been impossible. Not only are the latexes everywhere, the gas would have already cut all possible access to Dr. K. And that same gas is approaching us as we speak. We must evacuate!”
You grit your teeth at the reminder of the oncoming gas, it supposedly is going to put a stop to all of the latexes here, but then there was that ominous announcement...
“WHERE can we even go??”
“We can find safety at the black latex nest! The Elder informed everyone that it’s the only safe place from the aerosol. But we must hurry! You will survive if you just let me help you!”
…
You open the cabinet, walking out as you glare at the wolf before you.
“I will not accept help from a murderer…especially my brother’s…If I knew you would do something like this, I would never be your friend.”
Puroziko freezes in shock, his ears drooping down and his tail becomes still. Your message has gone through to him. Ignoring the wolf you make your way to the door, intending to survive the chaos on your own.
…
But a black paw quickly grabs your hand, sending chills down your spine as your body freezes up in fear. You knew Puroziko was fast, but you didn’t think he was that fast!
“Human…” the indescribable tone in his voice did not help at all…
“When I came into contact with your brother, I had felt his essence, his desire for your safety and survival. I had made a promise…a promise that I will keep you safe…Even if I must sacrifice this friendship of ours to protect you.”
Another paw lands on your shoulder.
“It’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.”
Before you can yell out in protest, Purziko quickly pulls you closer as his body deforms, losing its solid state to allow you to slide into him.
You start to struggle, angrily trying to claw your way out but Purziko effortlessly grabs onto your hands with his own as they quickly merge together, disabling your ability to fight back, bringing you to your knees. To your fear and confusion, you feel as though your body is ‘disappearing’ as though you couldn’t feel it anymore.
The more that Purziko takes hold of your body, the more you lose your ‘sense’ for it. With your limbs merged into his, Puro quickly pulls your head inside, pulling your torso along with it.
You start to feel drowsy, as the mask slides into its place as Purziko seals you within him.
Everything starts to black out as you hear a voice speak out.
“Human…you are in safe paws…no matter what happens…I will still protect you…”
You lose all of your senses except for your mind, but you feel an indescribable force pushing you away…closer into a tiring state…losing the ability to think clearly…before everything fades away…you couldn’t help but feel…
…sad…
…
…
You blink your eyes, as the memories come to the end…revealing a sad truth.
You clench your hand into a fist, struggling to take in the news. This can’t be right…this can’t be right! There is no way that Puro had ‘protected’ you! He killed your own brother! He-
“Grr, Human! Just don’t panic! Puro will find a way to free you! Even if he has to fight all the mean latex just to find you!” Puro’s words at the aquarium echo in your mind.
It’s all lies! It’s-
“Human, Puro doesn’t know what you’re saying!”
He is not your friend! He-
“You’re Puro’s friend right?”
…
----------------------------------------
…
Did he truly do it for the sake of protecting you? Did he know that you were in danger?
…
“Colin?”
…
“I have to go.”
Getting up quickly, you make your way to the exit, unable to sit or even stand still anymore. Opening the door Dr K calls out to you.
“I’m always here if you need me alright?”
…
“I know, I just need some space.” you reply, closing the door behind you.
…
…
“...The others can always help you.” Dr K adds quietly to himself.
----------------------------------------
You find yourself back at the greenhouse, where the plants are still lively—in more ways than one—and the sun is still shining through the transparent glass while the latexes take the opportunity to bask beneath its warm glow.
But none of these quells the troubling thoughts in your head.
You spot Leevo basking underneath the sun, mingling with his leaf wolf latex companion but you dare not talk to them, not in the mood just yet. You recall your first meeting with him while Neon huddles close to you for emotional support. You feel your heart skip a beat, your hand sliding into one of your pockets. You sigh in relief, feeling Neon’s broken friendship band she gifted you.
You can’t help but feel sorry for her, understanding well by now that she had meant no harm to you, even at the aquarium. If only things had turned out differently when the white behemoth showed up, maybe you and Neon wouldn’t have left on such bad terms.
You take a moment to take in your surroundings, seeing the various latexes interacting with one another, very much like what normal everyday people would. There’s even Proto, trimming some of the plants to keep them neat and tidy while keeping a watering can close by. If this was how you met these latexes for the first time instead of that weird wolf and the deceiving cat, perhaps you wouldn’t be so afraid of them. Heck, even meeting the black latex wolves would have been a great way to start.
If it weren’t for Hunter and Scar, you would still be so afraid of them.
But now you are left with a few choices…
Do you stay here where you find sanctuary from the outside world?
Do you go on a search for your parents?
Should you confront Puro and hope your memories unravel the truth?
Or do you abandon it all and go to the outside world…alone…
…
None of these options are very appealing.
While you have more of a complete understanding of these latexes, you still need space to find some sort of middle ground for them. Finding your parents now? Not a chance, not after seeing that footage. Finding Puro? Can you really bring yourself up to the black wolf? What if you were right to distrust him? But what if you were wrong to do so? He did still try to assimilate you…but he did stop himself…whatever that reason may be…you don’t think you can work up the courage to face him.
Going out to the outside world alone? With no one to guide you? You still don’t have your memories, and you are not completely sure what to expect when you go out there, not to mention you don’t even know where to go the second you step outside.
You stop for a brief moment when you see a small white normal latex rabbit, looking up to the orange fruit that is just out of its reach longingly, hunger clear in its eyes. Reaching the orange, you pluck it off the bush, peeling it before presenting it to the rabbit.
*Hummm*
The rabbit quickly grabs the orange with its tiny paws and tucks in, enjoying the delicious fruit.
Seeing the rabbit enjoying the fruit made you feel a bit better…but that small joy quickly diminishes when you look up to see Blue’s bar. Sitting at the stools are two latexes, sitting closely together as they mingle with each other and enjoy the fruits and latex to fuel their bodies. But you recognize these wolves all too well…
…
It’s them…
…
It’s your parents.
…
Or at least…an incarnation of them.
You feel your mind goes blank, overwhelmed just by seeing the very two people who are supposedly your mother and father…sitting at the bar, unburdened by anything.
…
But you were staring at them for too long, as their fur shudders as they look over their shoulders…onto you. Unable to bear seeing them any longer you start to run, sending them in both a surprise and confusion.
----------------------------------------
‘Honey…who was that?’
‘I’m not sure, but it’s definitely the human that everyone seems to be talking about.’
‘But why was he acting so strange?’
‘Well, they did say that he is a strange fellow, but aren’t all humans like that?’
‘Well yes, but this one also seems…familiar don’t you think?’
The brown wolf looks down where the human had run off to, giving it some thought.
‘Maybe.’
----------------------------------------
Quickly climbing into the vent duct to get yourself into the maintenance corridors, you desperately try to find a place where you can find solitude in case the two wolves come after you, you do not want to see them right now…not like this.
You keep running…aimlessly through the corridors, trying to find some kind of solitude. But unfortunately, you cannot run forever as your legs ache and your lungs burn while your heart beats rapidly to compensate for the overwork.
… But at least you are alone now…
…
That is until you bump into someone else, sending you onto the floor. You look up to see…a pink latex to be exact along with their supposed friend as they are in a strange predicament.
A pink furry anthropomorphic pink dragon with a white torso with a strange pink symbol is trying to free their latex friend, who is a white anthropomorphic goat with purple hair from Weaver’s web…
…
Wait…
Oh no…
Rose immediately stops what she is doing, leaving Violet stuck on the web. She turns to see you, collapsed onto the floor with no strength to get up, a vulnerable position you do not want to find yourself in.
‘Human! You came back! What happened to you??’
‘Wait Rose? Do you mean the human is here? The same human from before?’
Ignoring her friend’s question she hurries to your side, kneeling down and trying to get you up. As soon as she brings you high enough to see Violet, you immediately shudder in response.
‘Don’t take my clothes again!’ you quickly yell out in your head.
Violet sighs in response.
‘Seriously? That’s the first thing you say? Look I know I messed up, I REALLY underestimated how much you value those shorts of yours. But hey! You got some new clothes now right??’
…
‘Really Violet?’
‘I’m trying Rosey!’
Rose simply sighs, facepalming in disbelief while keeping hold of you.
‘Look human…I know we started on bad terms, but if you help me out of this web we can start this all over! So what do you say, human?’
‘NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!’ you quickly reply, growing unstable.
Rose takes note of this and places her paw on your head, trying to calm you down.
‘Violet, he is not doing well. I think he needs some help.’
‘Well, I can’t help him if I’m stuck here!’
‘And how do you suppose you got there in the first place?’
‘How am I supposed to know that lion was going to take my prank seriously?? It’s harmless!’
‘That bucket of water totally ruined their boxes.’
‘I didn’t think he would carry them! I didn’t mean to do that!’
Rose exhales through her nose, venting her frustration.
‘Look, we will discuss this AFTER we help the human.’ Rose communicates, before turning back to you. ‘Human? Can you hear me?’
‘...Yes.’
‘I’m going to help you now, but I can’t carry you through this corridor, so I'm gonna have to transfur you to help…are you ok with that?’
…
‘I’m fine with that...just hurry.’
With your permission, Rose gently pulls you in front of her, allowing you to lean onto her as she positions herself, drawing her arms and legs onto yours.
You feel her fur deform as it loses its texture and becomes a gooey state, causing you to slowly sink into her as the goo brushes your back and hips, overflowing around your torso. You feel Rose place her paws onto your hands, as your limbs merge into hers as she takes control of them.
Helpless to the situation, you watch as your limbs slowly sink into the white-pink goo, as the oddly yet pleasant warm feeling washes over your body, as though a warm blanket is wrapping around you. The pleasant warmth does help you calm down slightly.
With most of your body in her grasp, Rose brings up her dripping arms and hugs herself gently pulling you closer to speed up the transfur. Feeling the impending transfur, you close your eyes to allow Rose to take over your head.
Just like before, you regain your vision, allowing you to see Rose finishing the transfur. The goo starts to settle on your body, allowing you to ‘feel’ the leathery wings on your arms, you also feel the tail swaying about as though it was your own. As the fur starts to develop on your body, you see that Rose’s pink symbol starts to appear on her chest, signalling that the transfur is complete.
Seeing this, Violet calls out to Rose.
‘Great! Now can you pull me out??’
Rolling her eyes, Rose gets up and makes her way to Violet. Seeing this, you start to shudder in response, recalling your previous encounter. Your discomfort made Rose halt her advance, as if hesitating.
…
‘Umm…Rosey…? You're gonna pull me out now?’
‘You know what, no.’
Violet’s eyes widened in shock.
‘C-come again??’
‘I think this is just what you need Violet, learning some humility. We really need to fix your pranking problem, and I think this is just what you need to get a better sense of the fact that your pranks have consequences. I’m doing this for your sake.’
Rose stares down Violet, who flinches.
‘Hehehe…good one Pinky! For a moment there I thought you were serious! This all a joke right??’
Rose’s stare remains as blank as ever.
‘Right Rosey???’ Violet asks almost pleadingly.
‘Well, kudos for your choice of final words, I’m leaving now.’ Rose replies, walking away from Violet as she thrashes around, trying to break out from the web.
‘R-rosey!!! Do you have any idea what that spider would do to me??’
‘She’s just going to put some clothes on you! A rather funny twist don’t you think? And besides, it’s not like anything bad is going to happen to ya!’ Rose calls out, giggling to herself.
‘Rosseeyyyy!!! Don’t be that latex right now! Come on sis! Get back here!!’
…
‘Rosey? Pinky?’
…
‘ROSSEEEYYY!!!’
…
…
‘Hii volunteer…’ A distinct spidery voice says.
…
‘NOOO!!!!!’
----------------------------------------
‘Human, you don’t seem to be well. Your mind is going haywire, are you ok?’
…
Oh…this is worse than she thought, the human can’t even muster an attempt to reply. Judging from the human’s mental state, it is a complete mess. She is picking up a strong sense of distress, depression, confusion…and perhaps a tinge of guilt? It’s hard to say.
If anything, the human is in a much worse state than when they first met, what could have happened that had brought this human to such a conflicted state? Ohh if only the first meeting hadn't gone so poorly, she could definitely use the help from Violet…
…On second thought…maybe not…
Brushing off the thought, she turns around the corner to come face to face with a large blanket sheet covering an entrance…an entrance to her and Violet’s home.
Rose mentally ‘nuzzles’ the human’s mind, trying to bring a sense of assurance and comfort. The human seems to acknowledge this gesture but does nothing more.
‘Let’s head inside…’ Rose thinks to herself.
The sheet covering the entrance is white except for the drawings on it. What stands out the most is the two flowers, one’s a pink rose and the other’s a purple Violet. Rose lifts the sheet up and goes through, stepping into her hideout.
The room consists of a large singular room with decorations consisting of two opposing colours, Pink and Purple clashing against each other, each side consists of their respective colourful bean bag beds, a large water jug, a sack filled with a variety of food including the familiar oranges, a picture of a certain flower with colour, and a pot of latex flowers in each respective side.
The familiar sight along with the two colours always brings a sense of familiarity and peace to the pink dragon.
Seeing her pink flowers, Rose inspects the flowers as she tends to them, making sure that they are in mint condition.
‘Flowers?’
Hearing this, Rose takes the opportunity to interact with the human.
‘Yep. My personal flowers, I like to make sure that they are in good condition. These flowers are a bit special to me.’
…
Rose can’t help but feel bitter about the prank Violet pulled off on the human…she doesn’t even think it qualifies as a prank.
‘Look, I know what Violet did wasn’t the brightest idea, but she really does feel bad about what she did. She just has a hard time saying it, you know?’
‘It wasn’t a very good first impression.’
‘It really wasn’t, hopefully, that little punishment might help give her some valuable insight.’ she sighs, sitting down on her beanbag.
‘Say human, I always wanted to know. Did you ever- GASP!’ Rose pauses, lifting her right paw before poking her wrist as if checking for something.
----------------------------------------
Suddenly, you feel your ‘tail’ freeze in place as Rose starts to deform, releasing you from being her host while setting you down onto her bed. Once fully released, Rose gently grabs your right wrist, finding a pink bracelet…inspecting the scale-like pattern.
She keeps quiet, although you start to notice her becoming a little nervous.
Without warning, she throws herself onto you, placing her paws on your shoulders, her eyes’ gaze piercing into your own, overwhelming you
‘Y-you kept it?! You really kept it?! You kept the part of me I gifted to you??’ Rose exclaims.
‘Yeah? I don’t see how it’s a bad thing,’ you reply, unsure why the pink dragon is getting worked up.
‘No I mean-! Augh, did you let that wolf see it??’
‘Yes. I still don’t see-’
You immediately sense Rose’s impending panic, reminding you of her fear of being hunted by Puro for your kidnapping.
‘He’s not upset! The black latex wolf is not upset! He was rather glad that you stepped in as you did.’
This does ease the pink dragon somewhat but she is still somewhat uncertain.
‘But are you sure he won’t err…you know?’
‘He won’t hurt you or Violet, I already said that you are a compassionate latex and Violet meant no harm, just a little carried away.’
Luckily, this seems to be enough to put the pink dragon at ease.
‘Well, if you put it like that. What about the bracelet? How did you manage to get it like that?’
‘Oh yeah, Weaver offered to turn it into a friendship bracelet after explaining to me the importance of gifting a part of themselves. I just don’t have the heart to throw it away.’
Rose becomes a bit bashful, yet somewhat happy as she calms down.
‘R-really? You turned it into a friendship bracelet? Do you really consider me as a friend?’
‘Friend is a bit of a stretch. After Weaver explained it to me I just can’t find the heart to just throw it away like that.’
‘Aww human! You are making me feel bashful!’ Rose squeals, her tail wagging in random directions.
She then quickly hops off the bed, grabbing a pair of oranges before handing one to you.
‘If you are keeping that bracelet, then I will work to be a good friend to you human. How does that sound?’
‘Don’t you think you are taking it a bit too fast?’ you reply, accepting her offering.
‘Maybe. But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try right? Every latex you met wanted to know you right?’
‘Yeah, but usually they just want to transfur me right after.’ you reply, peeling the orange.
‘Well at least I won’t chase you around like Trixie. I can imagine she would do that.’
‘Actually that is what she did.’
‘Oh…my point still stands.’
----------------------------------------
Some time passed after Rose allowed you to rest on Violet’s beanbag for the time being. She assures you it will be fine, commenting how Violet won’t be needing it right now.
Resting on the purple bean bag, you feel an odd sense of being watched. Cracking open an eye, you look beside you to see Rose crouching beside you, seemingly in conflict with herself.
‘Rose?’
‘Eeep!’
‘What are you doing?’
‘Oh you know…thinking…’
‘About what?’
‘A lot of things.’
‘Like what?’
‘...Things…’
‘Rose…’ you raise your tone.
‘It’s embarrassing ok! I just don’t know how to tell you about it!’
‘It can’t be that bad. I had to deal with Trixie chasing me all over the institute, some Behemoths, and a bunch of sharks that failed to realise that they could have talked to me despite hearing me connecting with them through telepathy.’
…
‘Wow…’
‘And that’s not even close to the full story. So much has happened that I feel like I have gotten to the point where I’m expecting anything.’
‘...Would cuddling with you be one of them?’
…
‘Is that it?’
‘You’re not bothered by it?’
‘Rose…transfurring was one of the weirdest things that ever happened to me, and I kinda accepted it at this point. I don’t think cuddling is that bad.’
‘Would you mind if I join you?’
‘Now?’
‘I…don’t like sleeping alone. Sometimes I go to Violet about it.’
‘And she’s fine with it?.’
‘Usually.’
‘How often do you do it?’
‘Ahh…’
‘You do it a lot don’t you?’
‘I like cuddling ok?! Since Violet is not here I thought maybe you could help.’
You quickly consider the pros and cons. The pros? You would be warmer, you would have a friend, and someone to keep you safe from Violet in case she comes back while you are asleep.
The cons?
…
Nothing really…it’s not like something you haven’t done before, Trixie is proof of that. Not to mention how soft her fur is and…
…
‘Damn it Trixie…’
‘Huh?’
‘I mean sure. Go ahead.’ you assure her, shifting enough space for Rose to climb on.
Climbing onto the purple bean bag, Rose rests close beside you as she raises up her leather wing onto you as she sighs in contentment…at peace as she quickly falls asleep. Finding your position comfortable, you went back to sleep as Rose’s fur keeps you warm as you rest.
----------------------------------------
At Blue’s bar, Trixie takes a blissful sip of her cranberry juice as she contemplates her recovered memories and the sad twist along with them.
It saddens her that her time with the human…er…Colin ended in such a bitter taste. Perhaps after some time, they would talk about it? She hopes so…
‘Well…at the bright side, at least you won’t be haunted by those visions anymore. And you are no longer obsessed with humans!’ Blue comments.
‘It’s not an obsession! It’s just some issue I had to deal with.’ Trixie communicates, trying to defend herself.
‘Sure, whatever you say.’ Blue says with a slight tease.
Trixie sighs, lifting the glass as she takes another sip of her juice…but then her fur puffs up slightly as she shudders.
‘...Trixie?’
‘Why do I have this terrible feeling Human is cuddling with another latex?’
‘...So?’
‘Colin is MY Human! I swear if there is a latex cuddling him I will-’
Blue tunes the irate leopard out with a sigh.