[Relationship] Into the Woods

[Samantha McManus]

After labeling as many of the vials as she could keep focus on, Sam prevailed upon the Headmistress to give her access to Tereza's tracking anklet. Taking one of the university vans, she gets as close as she can before pulling off the road and getting out.

She looks at the beacon on her phone, and starts out on foot.

[Tereza Rozanov]

Hatfield Forest lived up to its name and it felt *old*, even though it was routinely cared for. Now that she was closer, Sam could feel what was confusing her so much. All she was getting was wolf: a mixture of rage, instinct, and hunger, though the hunger was slowly ebbing. The sense was somewhere deeper in one of the wooded areas.

[Samantha McManus]

Sam checks to make sure the feeling she's getting is matching what she's seeing on her phone, and heads deeper in.

"It's okay. I'm here."

[Tereza Rozanov]

The sense perked up slightly before being overwhelmed again in her feral mindset. She was deep in her own head it seemed. As she followed the sense, she could tell that most of the wildlife had fled for safer places. The sense and the indicator were not moving. As she approached, the sense got more wary and defensive. As she rounded a small stand of trees, she caught site of white-silver fur disappearing around a tree, dragging something large-ish and dark with it.

[Samantha McManus]

"You don't need to worry. I'm not here to take your kill."

She puts her phone away and puts her hands over her head to show they're empty as she approaches.

[Tereza Rozanov]

"Lost you," the sense pulsed. "Ran."

There was a tearing sound. "Hungry." The kill turned out to be a small boar, which was still large by most people's animal standards. The wolf was hunched over it, blood staining her fur. Judging by a brief flash of pain in the sense, not all the blood belonged to the boar.

[Samantha McManus]

"I couldn't reach you for awhile. He took my power just like he took yours."

"I've got it all back, though. I know how to fix it."

[Tereza Rozanov]

"Not me. Gone." She planted a hand on the boar, her claws digging in. "Swallowed."

[Samantha McManus]

"You're always you."

She leans against a tree, not showing any indication she's bothered by the gore.

"Know how I can tell?"

[Tereza Rozanov]

"How?" She leaned forward, yellow eyes watching every inch of Sam's posture.

[Samantha McManus]

"I used to think all this white fur was your powers coming through the curse. It was black at first until you got your head about you."

She reaches her hand out for Tereza's mane.

"But here you are. No powers, and white as snow."

[Tereza Rozanov]

The wolf cringes away slightly, but not far enough to be out of reach. "And red."

[Samantha McManus]

"I would never begrudge you your red."

[Tereza Rozanov]

"Why not? Others would."

[Samantha McManus]

"Because there's more than a little red in me too, regardless of what color my hair is."

[Tereza Rozanov]

"Dangerous." From the sense, it's not clear exactly who she's referring to.

[Samantha McManus]

"We can't help what we are, can we?"

[Tereza Rozanov]

There's a cracking noise and the wolf is replaced with Tereza... who apparently had not been wearing her shapeshifting uniform. "Not what I used to be, Morrigan," she says. Sam's sense is still registering a *lot* of wolf.

[Samantha McManus]

"I have the rest of you with me," she says, pulling a vial from her pocket.

[Tereza Rozanov]

"May not fit anymore," she says, licking the corner of her mouth idly.

[Samantha McManus]

"Do you want to find out?"

[Tereza Rozanov]

She eyes the vial, "Don't want to be an experiment." She sniffs the air a bit, "What does the Morrigan think?"

[Samantha McManus]

"The Morrigan was the first one to try this. This is what he put our powers into. Our lights."

"I'll love you no matter how you change, but this is yours, love."

[Tereza Rozanov]

"Something *is* missing," she says, still eyeing the vial. "What do you need?"

[Samantha McManus]

"I'll make it as gentle as I can, and I'll only do it if you want me to."

"I'm getting the hang of this, though. This is... it's almost what I'm meant to do, aye?"

[Tereza Rozanov]

"Only if you want to," Wolf-Tereza says, lowering herself to her knees.

[Samantha McManus]

"I'm going to be stuck helping everyone else, but you're the one I want to help, love. I wish I'd gotten to you sooner, so you wouldn't have been scared."

She uncaps the vial and starts pouring it on Tereza. It's almost reverent the way she does it, like she's anointing her. As she pours she closes her eyes, trying to guide Tereza's spark back into her. The Stantons were easy, but she wants to get this right.

[Tereza Rozanov]

As she tries to guide the spark back into place, it doesn't seem to quite fit, snagging and slipping off in weird ways. It's almost like it wants to fit, but something is off.

[Samantha McManus]

"You're right," she says, not opening her eyes.

"Something has shifted about, but there's still a place for this..."

[Tereza Rozanov]

As she feels it out, she can sense the wolf, sitting where the spark feels like it should attach. It's not out of place, but it also doesn't fit perfectly and she can almost feel the abrasion its causing.

[Samantha McManus]

"Ah, that's what it is."

"I didn't think it would be you standing in my way."

[Tereza Rozanov]

"What do you mean," she asks, looking up at Sam.

[Samantha McManus]

"When I found the place this little ember goes, there was your wolf staring back at me."

[Tereza Rozanov]

"Something had to fill the hole," she says, "it might as well be me."

[Samantha McManus]

"But will you move aside to let it back in?"

[Tereza Rozanov]

She drops her head again, "I... I can't."

[Samantha McManus]

"Do you feel as if you're protecting her, here?"

[Tereza Rozanov]

"I *am* her," she says, "I mean, I'll always protect me."

[Samantha McManus]

"And being a mutant hasn't always been the easiest for her."

[Tereza Rozanov]

"And yet she takes pride in it in a way she..." She doesn't take pride in me.