[Fiction] Feathers, Flesh, Fur, and Form

[Neil Preston]

The worn and weathered traveller was returning to the Badlands after more than a year. His shades shielding his eyes from the early morning son and his breath gave off a slight frost. He walked up to the top of the rise. The road was far enough behind him that he couldn't see it. Before him were rolling hills, scrub brush, and a landscape cut by dry washes and a few, struggling streams here and there.

"Okay," he mused to no one in particular, "were would I live if I wanted a good view of surrounding countryside ... and had a cave."

He looked up and saw a circling hawk way above him. Without a doubt, it had spotted him and decided he wasnt' a meal, yet.

"Would you know were your big spiritual brother happens to hang out?" he asked the hawk.

It didn't respond.

His backpack beeped. Neil looked over his shoulder at his backpack.

"Yeah ... give Wakinyan a call. So much for me macho-ing it out and finding his digs on my own."

Obediantly, the computer gave Wakinyan's Opnet link a call.

[Wakinyan]

It was not exactly conventional, but nothing was in this life out here. Wakinyan happily licked Renee as they sat outside the burrow. It was nice to know by her body language that she enjoyed his attention so much. Even if one pass of his tongue managed to lap at most of her small body.

When she stiffened up suddenly he knew it was not from his touch. At least it wasn't the usual response she gave him. "Someone is coming." The dark haired girl whispered. "He is on the hill at the end of the valley." The Griffin was surprised, normally he was the one who knew people where coming. But he admitted his attention had been more on cleaning his lover than guarding his domain.

"How?" He questioned to which the only reply was. "Hawk." He grinned at her showing his pride in her. "Clever girl." Renee blushed at him. "Let me see who it is." Before he is able to even turn to leave there is a faint chirp in his ear. "Speak." He rumbles out knowing that only a few have access to the device to contact him. All of whom he welcomes talking to. "Hey Neil! Oh that is you? Yeah Thoughtwave said you where coming, she is smart like that. Give me just a sec, I will be right there."

Happily Wakinyan turns back to Renee. "It is Neil. I am glad you two finally get to meet he is my best friend after all." Renee's face betrays an apprehensive look on it. "Don't worry about that. I am going to ask him to keep his powers to himself. I trust him he won't snoop."

Wakinyan touches the tip of his tongue to the girls cheek, winks and leaps into the sky. It takes him only a fraction of an instant to lock onto his target and angle his trajectory to land with a loud thump and a cloud of dust in front of the dark haired young man. He doesn't yell he simply takes the fellow Nova into a warm hug picking him off the ground easily.

"How ya been!?" The happy creature exclaims as he squeezes his friend like a teddy bear.

[Neil Preston]

Neil hugs the big nova back as best as he can.

"Oh, man, its good to see you too, brother. Good to see you too. Thanks for letting me come by your home."

Neil seems deeply gladdened to see his friend.

He steps back and looks the griffon over,

"Wakinyan, eh? Its a good name. So, whose this Thoughtwave whose gotten you all domestic-like, if rumors are to be believed?"

[Wakinyan]

"Well." He rumbles. "Not like I am every gonna have much luck settling Apep down ya know. Doubt I would want to do that to her anyway."

Wakinyan never breaks his physical contact with Neil. Even after he puts him down he keeps some form of proximity to him. "Renee and I are doing okay out here we really are. She is honestly happy and getting away from the world seems to be something we both need these days." He snorts a bit. "Well at least until the party in Vegas next month anyway."

[Neil Preston]

Neil rubs his hand through Wakinyan's feathers, seeming to not mind the close physical contact.

"Apep ... and Juri ... yep. Facinating, facinating women."

He rubs a comforting hand along Wakinyan's neck.

"Well, the party is going to be grand, or really, really stupid, which will be grand anyway. So, show me this home of yours and your companion. After all, your choice in woman is anything but shabby."

"We walk, want me to hop up, or are you going to carry me?"

[Wakinyan]

"Juri.." He reminds himself of her as Neil speaks. "I miss Juri." He sighs shaking her from his head for the moment. "Just climb aboard. You should know how by now." Wakinyan stoops to allow Neil to climb, gives him a minute to get things settled then his muscles begin to tense for the leap back home.

Then suddenly he stops and begins walking.

"I need to talk to you about something else before we get back." Wakinyan paws along the ground with Neil upon his back like some sort of twisted horse.

"I have an issue with Renee. Something I need to ask you of you and also something I need to ask advice on."

He feels Neil pat him along his shoulder blades. "Okay go for it." He replies.

"Well, first off I have to ask you not to be nosey about her physiology. She has reasons that she is on her own out here and she needs to develop trust before she is willing to share things. It is her right to feel that way so I just ask you to not confont her about it until she comes to you about it.."

,,

He winds down into a long wash leading to the valley beyond. "Second. She is no Apep. And I am not insulting either of them by that. I mean she cannot handle me the way Apep can physically. I have to be very gentle with Renee. Her powers are not physical. The reason I am telling you this is I am worried. We are not using protection and if she got pregnant with a child of mine I would worry if she would survive it. I dunno exactly what I am asking for here but maybe just your thoughts."

[Neil Preston]

"Hey, if she gets pregnant, I can work with both of you to make sure everything is okay. Delivering babies is one's of the perks of the job."

"Everything else is cool, bro. I'm here to spend some time with you, after all. Mind you, for a few hours, I can ... well, help her, if she's interested."

After a few more moments, he continues,

"Besides, there's another reason you asked me here, right? I'm good with it ... any excuse to come out and see you, but there's something going on behind those eyes and I'm curious about what it is."

[Wakinyan]

Wakinyan continues his mosey his ears twisting back and forth atop his head as they move along together. "Thanks for the offer Neil. While I wouldn't mind the assit she is a little rabbit so walk softly for her."

He let's out a long sigh as his friend probes him for reasons to the mysterious question he asked several weeks ago. "I am seriously fucked up Neil. I dunno if my backlash is getting worse or I am just losing my mind." He takes a deep breath then goes on with the story. "The new girl Carver. You heard of her? Well you likely know about the issues I have had with her right? I snatched her up in front of her house. I thought it was perfectly the right thing to do at the time. What was I thinking." He mutters to himself. "I almost raped her Neil. It's no wonder she won't warm up to me after that whole thing. She has a killer inside her. A darkness like Apep's I saw it as my chance to be a mentor and lover to her but she freaked out. She let the dark side peak out once and I did what it asked thinking it might help her and us. Just made it worse, it asked for my hide."

Wakinyan screws his head popping the vertebrae along his spine. "We seem to be at a truce now but she does things to me. We seem to spar even when I try my best to get along with her."

"And of course knowing me. There is more. I have been trying to become a skin changer. I admit I want to fit in. Maybe Carver wouldn't have reacted to poorly to me. Renee would be able to handle me better if I was human. Trouble is, I just cannot do it. I can't get to human. I can change shape but the closer I get to human the worse I feel until I have a seizure." He turns and rubs his beak against his friends leg. "See now why I could use your help?"

[Neil Preston]

"Okay. Skin-changer ...," Neil's face turns all serious.

"Let's look at your mythology, Wakinyan. Let's walk back through that pathway that leads back to the skinchangers and what they meant, and what they mean to you."

He remains quiet for a second and he leans back and listens to the wind.

"We need to connect your spirit with your quantum. On the plus side, I feel youa are already open to that ... finding the bridge between your capabilities and your desires."

This is perhaps the first time Wakinyan has seen the Explorer/Shaman/NovaPhysician side of Neil. He does seem open to a variety of ways to help Wakinyan reach his goal. More importantly, his very demeanor seems to be one of positive hope and eventual success.

[Wakinyan]

"If you are willing to help me Neil I will take it. I would be tempted to ask you to slide my taint for awhile but I wouldn't ask that of you."

Wakinyan's desperation when speaking of his frustration about Carver gives way to appreciation of his friend. "I hear the old stories. I know what the Wakinyan is meant to be. The fact that I almost destroyed Chicago shows that I contain it's fickle anger."

"It's hard for me to explore these things since Grandpa died. Renee and the elders try to coax and coach me. Give me support but he had a way of getting to me that the others miss." He laughs. "Maybe it was bopping me in the head with his walking stick."

[Neil Preston]

"Bro, you are what Wakinyan is supposed to be. The rest are just legends and stories that have been filtered down to us in the here and now. You've got to reach back and figure out what was as well as piloting yourself to what will be. Don't get hemmed in. Your Grandpa told me that. The hemmed in part, that is."

"Have a little faith in yourself. Besides, you're getting a bit big for the old stick upside the head trick."

Neil contemplates something for a few seconds.

"If you are willing, I can show up a part of yourself that might be enlightening ... might be uncomfortable. I can do things with taint. I don't advertise ... for obvious reasons, but I've figured out a few things about us and our evolutionary paths. We can take a few small steps and see what you are comfortable with. We can see what speaks to you and go from there."

[Wakinyan]

"This is all still a work in progress. I am trying my best Neil. Renee has helped me stay stable. If I was out here alone I would likely be stark raving mad by now. Still it is never easy."

With that Neil senses the Nova tense. "I think it is time we get up there." He has long enough to twist his hands into the fur of his friend before the griffin leaps covering the valley to his hilltop home in seconds. Landing before large sculpted pillars Wakinyan lowers himself to allow Neil to dismount. "Welcome to my home Neil Preston."

He peeks as Renee watches the stranger from near the entrance to their home. "Renee this is Neil Preston. Neil this is Renee Ward, or ThunderHawk though I dunno if she was going to go with it." He pauses and looks at Renee as Neil slides off of him.

[Neil Preston]

Neil steps forward and offers Renee a hand.

"Its good to meet you, Renee ... ah ... ThunderHawk?"

Neil seems at ease and comfortable though he remains in contact with Wakinyan with his other hand.

[Ptesan-Wi]

Thoughtwave accepts the offered hand; the doctor's nimble fingers wrap around her own. "Renee is fine, though I tend to go by Thoughtwave around Wasicu. No offense," she quickly adds with a small smile. "I'm afraid you've caught us a little unprepared; if I had known you were coming, I could have had a proper meal ready. Still, can I at least offer you a sandwich and a cold beer?"

[Neil Preston]

"Offering a nova food is almost always a good idea," he jokes.

"Anyway Renee, call me Neil. A beer and something dressed up with bread sounds great."

Neil looks back to Wakinyan and gives him a big grin.

"Btw, folks, where can I dump my stuff. Its a beautiful morning and soaking up these unfiltered rays sounds like a good opening plan."

[Wakinyan]

"Here I will drop them in the cave." Wakinyan responds taking the pack from his friend. He nuzzles Renee as he nears her and they both go inside.

As Neil takes in the intricate carvings outside. Wakinyan eases his mates mind as he places Neil's pack in their large entryway. He is my best friend Renee. I sense your apprehensiveness with him but look into my mind and see him as I do. It is all I ask.

He passes the girl giving her a loving look before retreating into the ice cave he has created to retrieve drinks. Entertaining seems to have become a regular thing for the two of them. Augment, Iron Rose, Vali, Carver and now Neil. All in less than two weeks. He chuckled as he returned back outside. For a place he intended to be of solitude for himself he now had someone living with him and some major cities see less Novas than this hilltop has lately.

[Ptesan-Wi]

I trust you, Thoughtwave thinks back across the link as she begins the task of constructing enough sandwiches to tide over a couple of novas. You know exactly how vulnerable I am, and because of that, I trust you. She locks eyes with him for a moment as he hands her the cold cuts from the ice room. Just remember -- if you ever violate that trust, it's gone.

"So did you hike clear out here from the road, Neil, or are you one of the lucky ones with a quick transport power? This is pretty much the middle of nowhere, after all, and the weather's heading for a cold snap pretty soon."

[Madison 'Vali' West]

{whoops}

[Neil Preston]

Neil seems to take comfort fromt he closeness shown by the two lovers.

In response to Thoughtwave,

"Nah, no zap-bang I'm across the globe kind of stuff for me. I caught a flight to Pierre and hitch-hiked from there ... with a good deal of shoe leather in between. I'm not too worried about the weather. Heck, I've walked through blizzards, sandstorms, Monsoons, and one Typhoon, which while sometimes unwise, didn't kill me. Besides, if we get an unseasonable blizzard, we've always got Wakinyan to fly us to safety, right?"

Looking over to Wakinyan,

"By the way, remember that saddle? Well, my fears were justified. I finally had a flyer drop me," Neil makes a squished-face expression," and man, did that hurt. Is that thing still around here?"

[Wakinyan]

"A blizzard will only bother us if I allow it to bother us." Wakinyan sniffs a bit arrogantly. "Still I don't like telling the winds what to do all the time. Best let them do their own thing. Especially the North Wind. He is such a grouch."

The Griffin settles down near Neil and nods throughtfully about the dropping incident. "Yeah I keep it. Even maintained it well. Renee thinks it isn't needed since she barebacks but she hasn't spent days on my back nonstop yet. Plus the saddlebags are handy." He winks at the girl as she hands Neil a sandwich before returning to his side. "Tell me what you have been up to since we last saw one another." His face darkens. "I know Ibiza was very rough on you."

[Neil Preston]

A brief flicker of despair and anger flash over Neil's face at the mention of Ibiza.

"It's been a time. War zones, disaster relief, some walking the world. Most recently, I've been getting slapped around by this poor bastard with really powerful ties."

Neil sighs and sits down, looking off into the distance.

"I let his grand-daughter, his last bit of family, die. That's how he sees it anyway. Thing was, at the time, there wasn't much I thought I could do for her. It hurts, but there are times when I find my healing arts so limited. She ... she was a little thing, suffering ... with a degenerative genetic condition. I couldn't do anything about genes at that time. I thought ... well I thought that letting her die would be the right thing. All I could have done was prolong her life, not cure her, or stop her suffering."

He looks over at Wakinyan.

"That's what all the stuff about them trying to pull my medical license as well as some damn Congressional hearings. Its crazy trying to explain things to people who will never have a real clue about what any of us do. I tried, but I think all I ended up doing was getting angry."

Neil lowers his head and rubs his hand through a struggling weed scratching a life for itself at the cave entrance. At Neil's touch, the plant's fibers strengthen and the weed blooms into life.

"Then came Ibiza and it made a liar of me. I can do shit now I couldn't do before. I think ... hell, I know that I could have cured her now."

He looks back up at Wakinyan and Thoughtwave,

"Oh yeah, I'm going to be a father, too. Not getting married, mind you. Seems I would complicate matters. She's going to have my child on her own. I can be a part of her life ... of their lives, but ... hell, it is complicated."

"So, how about you?"

[Wakinyan]

"Well you know as I said I am not a father yet. That will happen in due time I would guess."

Wakinyan draws in a long breath. "Nothing much happened to me all last winter and spring. Then right after Ibiza Geryon and Leviathan jumped me and left me for dead. I was out of it for weeks afterward living on instinct I guess. I ended up back home. My house was in ruins, my grandfather was dead. Tough time for me." He brings Thoughtwave closer to him as he continues. "I pulled that crap with Carver. Then Renee came to me and well we just seemed to work. We both needed someone but we both needed our space. So.... Here we are."

[Neil Preston]

Neil pantamimes a cup and makes a toasting motion.

"Here's to the Good Ole Days. They weren't all that good."

He finishes and then smiles at Renee.

"Still, we have lived, learned, and grown. I'm sorry for your Grandfather's loss ... even with the occassional blow to the head. As for Geryon and Leviathan ... man, what are we going to do about them? I'm not advocating going after them, but damn, that was just uncalled for. Thing is, I see that shit ... pardon me, Renee ... happening everywhere. The strong preying upon the weak because they can. Its like we novas aren't going anywhere spiritually. Just the same ole sh ... crap."

"Still, there's us here. We're doing okay. You two have found happiness, which is always a blessing. You've got a nice place here, with beautiful carvings, wonderful aromas, and a sweet skyline. How can I help the two of you build on that?"

[Ptesan-Wi]

"You don't need to watch your language around me, Neil; believe me, I've heard and said much worse." Thoughtwave hands him another sandwich, and settles back into picking at her own.

"As for what you could do to help us...I'm honestly at a loss for that. This winter's not going to be easy -- I got here too late to put in a garden -- but I think we have enough canned goods from town socked away that we'll be OK. The sightseers have pretty much disappeared, the government seems content to leave us alone at this point, and the local wildlife does a good job of providing me an early-warning system of sorts. So I'm not quite certain what it is that you're offering, Neil," she finishes, locking eyes with Wakinyan's friend.

[Wakinyan]

"He could help me for starters." Wakinyan says slowly. "My taint, he could possibly help me manage it better. It would be a good thing though I admit it might be lazy of me."

"The guy is a doctor Renee. He and Alchemist are the best and most trusted I know of. Any of our issues he can help us with."

The Griffon then adds. "It is no secret that we are lovers Renee and I am dangerous to you. One false move and I could really harm you. Neil could help us there as well."

[Neil Preston]

"Strictly between the three of us ... and a few other friends, I can do things with taint aberrations ... permanently. Since I'm more a student than a learned one, I am very cautious about doing this."

"Also, I can do more mundane things like," he looks toward Renee and offers her his hand, "if you don't mind, take my hand and find out. I boost immune systems, physical resiliance, increase, or decrease, genetic variability, as well as alter forms to a limited degree."

"What I do is use my body to act as a conduit for quantum conductivity. In an extreme case, I can even bring on temporary recreations of someone's eruption experience ... though that's really not safe."

[Ptesan-Wi]

Thoughtwave looks at Neil's outstretched hand; a great deal of effort is spent trying to appear that she doesn't consider it the equivalent of a serpent...and to less accute eyes than Neil's, she may have actually succeeded.

"Um, that's probably not the best of ideas," she says after a moment. "I have...control issues with one of my powers. It's a sort of quantum interference thing, and it sort of acts as a reflex when someone else tries to use powers on me. It's not a pleasant thing, I've been told, and I'd really just as soon not inflict it on you."

She hopes that the feeble excuse will hold, but what Wakinyan has shown her about Neil makes her realize that he isn't the sort to shirk a little personal discomfort if he thinks he can help with something. He's going to find out everything, she thinks with just a touch of panic to Wakinyan, and I honestly don't think I can stop him without raising enough suspicions as to be even more dangerous than the knowledge. Can we trust him...and if we can't, what are we going to do?

[Wakinyan]

"Something we need to do." Wakinyan beckons Neil to come closer. As his friend does so he opens his left paw palm up and uses a claw to cut a straight thin line of crimson across it. Neil sees what his friend is doing and rather then be alarmed hold out his own left hand to which Wakinyan draws his claw across as well, producing the same effect.

The two Novas lock eyes and Neil drops his hand against the upraised paw. The blood welling up from both of their hands mingle as the paw closes holding his hand tightly. "Neil I trust you with my life and that means I trust you with hers as well. Things must be said now and I must trust you absolutely or I will have to kill you. Do you understand?"

Despite the harsh wording Wakinyan's caring for Neil is obvious as he breaks eye contact and looks at Thoughtwave. That is where I stand on this my love.

[Preston]

Neil eyes seem to swell up as if he is about to cry. He chokes back a sob then hugs the big Griffon.

"Sure thing, Bro. Sure thing."

Pushing back slightly, he adds,

"Well, I may not be able to kill for you, but I've got your back and Renee's too."

He pivots his gaze and looks at Renee.

"If ever you need to put someone between yourself and harms way, it can be me. I'm hard to kill."

Neil settles back and gathers his composure.

"You know, I've been an only child all my life. Thanks for this."

[Ptesan-Wi]

She looks back and forth between the two, Wakinyan's thoughts echoing in her head. The moment to choose is now, and the choice will be final -- if she fails to reveal herself to Neil now, it is unlikely she will ever be able to steel herself to do so again; if she does reveal the truth, there's no going back.

A reassuring look from Wakinyan settles her on a course of action. Bracing herself, she looks at Neil, and says, "All right; go ahead and examine me." She holds out her hand for the nova to take.

[Wakinyan]

Remains silent and let's Neil perform his work. He has to see and understand where they are. How careful he must be with Thoughtwave. Her fear of the world and her retreat with him to a simpler life.

The gryphon keeps himself near her his presence as soothing as it can be coming from him. His thoughts stroke and assure her mind.

It is time to let these two know what the other is and he will not interfere they both mean to much to him.

[Neil Preston]

Neil reaches out and touchs Renee's hand. His eyes sparkly with a hint of gold and silver lights and it takes Renee a second to realize she is seeing him draw in information about her body and thinking on it.

Telepathically, he reaches out and asks her,

*How do you do what you do? No node ... no dispersed node that I can find ... no quantum signature, though I have heard of people suppressing them outside of dorming.*

"Hold on a second," he muses.

Thoughtwave feels a warm sensation pass through her body. Her fatigue and muscle aches vanish.

[Ptesan-Wi]

"I'm not a nova, Neil," Thoughwave replies out loud, albeit in a quiet voice.

"I honestly don't know exactly what I am, but I'm not a nova. Someone once told me that they thought I was an 'anti-nova', that I didn't so much use as displace quantum; that's why you probably got a sort of static when you tried to interact with me." She sighs, leaning against Wakinyan.

"This is my big secret, and the reason I don't interact with other novas when I can help it. Well, other novas than my mate, at any rate. I don't have the huge appetite, I don't have the buffed-up physique, all I have are my mental talents...and I really don't want either Project Utopia or the Teragen or the plain old government knowing that I so much as exist, let alone getting their hands on me." Looking Neil in the eye, she says, "I want to live out my life here, not in a lab."

[Wakinyan]

"You understand I know you do Neil." Wakinyan is confident of his friend. "You see what she is here. Though I hope there is more reason for her to be here than just to be in hiding." He nudges the girl as she leans against him wrapping her in a large arm.

"She is great for me. A sea of calm amid the storm. But I am sure you can see some of the issues the two of us face. Things that could harm us from the world. Harm I could do to her if I didn't focus."

[Neil Preston]

Neil gives Renee a very serious look, "Well then, your secret is safe with me. I learn what I learn, but I know the importance of allowing each of us the freedom to live our own lives. All I can suggest is that if you get into serious trouble ... so serious that neither Wakinyan or I can help, seek out my father and ask for his help. I'm not going to tell him anything about you, outside of you being my brother's mate, but he's no friend to either the Teragen or the Project. With my Blood Oath with Wakinyan, he has stepped into the orbit of people you can count on."

Neil's brow forrows slightly,

"But, if your not a nova that means ... Means I can do interesting things to help you out that I can't do with a regular ... umm ... nova."

Neil opens up his mind for Renee some of the possibilities he possesses in the art of fleshcrafting.

[Ptesan-Wi]

Thoughtwave reaches out to the unshielded mind, and sees the broad scope of Neil's talents. There isn't, she realises, much that he can't do; if he so wished, he could make her look like...well, like just about anything. Including a griffin.

The thought of it does make her briefly consider the concept...and reject it rather quickly. She may be ready for change, but not that much change. However, a more subtle thing could be done that would help her to fit better in Wakinyan's world. She thinks across to him, Neal, would you be willing to darken my skin tone and maybe bring out my cheekbones a little bit? In other words, could you make me look more Lakota?

[Wakinyan]

Wakinyan's eyes widen slightly at what she considers then settles and asks for. He get's her attention with a small squeeze of her body.

You do not have to do this love. Not for me. Though I admit changing your looks some will protect you.

The Griffin nudges Neil. "This isn't something that you couldnt correct is it? If she wanted to return to the way she was once?" He is somewhat marveled by his friends skill but seems honestly concerned for Renee's needs at this point.

[Neil Preston]

Renee, look deep into my mind were I formulate the changes I am going to make.

As she does so, she sees Neil break her down to a genetic level in his mind, recording her various flaws and peculiarities into a wonderful whole. From there, he creates a duplicate set of genes and begins altering them. When he seems pleased with what he's created, he begins to expand on the single genetic strand, reaching out and weaving it into a greater and greater tapestry of life.

Externally, Renee feels her hair lengthen to the small of her back, its texture subtly changed. Her cheek bones feel ... different and she senses a few minute changes creep across her skin. All of this happens in a matter of seconds. She feels other aspects begin to change as well. Inside, Renee feels Neil transfer the initial genetic sequence over into her memories.

Looking at herself through Neil's eyes, she can see that she has become something of a fusion between an idealized Lakota woman and herself.

Had your mother been Lakota, this is how you would have looked.

In his mind's eye, he then shows her what she would have looked like with her father being Lakota, and finally what she would look like as full-blooded. Behind those thoughts, she can feel a near infinite cradle of possibilities whispering from Neil's Quantum Mind. Flaws and imperfections so easily erased, yet also an appreciation of what makes each and every living thing unique and special.

[Ptesan-Wi]

Stunned by the results, Thoughtwave simply gazes through Neil's eyes for a moment, before breaking herself away from his mind enough to turn and look in the mirror. What looks back is her, and yet, it isn't. She recognizes herself within the darker skin; her eyes shine out from above the changed cheekbones and slightly altered nose; her teeth gleam white behind lips that are just a bit fuller then before. Her hair is much thicker than before, hanging like a mane straight and true all the way to the bottom of her back.

A smile breaks across her old/new face. "Don't change a thing more, Neil, this is just...this is...perfect. Isn't it, Wakinyan?"

[Wakinyan]

Wakinyan's beak hangs open as he watches the work performed. When it is done the new/old form are indeed spectacular to behold.

"Yes.. Perfect. You are." His big blue eyes blink again as if he tries to disbelieve what is in front of him. He pulls her a bit closer to him and takes a long drawn breath of Thoughtwave. "Not just that but now your past cannot haunt you."

The Griffin look to his friend again. "Thank you Neil. Your work is good you let her become what she wanted." He pauses considers something then in his blunt but charismatic way asks. "I will ask you this. Can you do that again to help her become stronger? More able to withstand me more? I know I can never unleash myself on her sexually totally but if there are ways you can help her that will keep her from harm I will be grateful."