First Shift

Ohhhhh, I KNEW this wasn't just some fucked up hangover. 

Idunn swore to herself as she locked eyes with her reflection in the bedroom vanity, stark yellow glowing eyes staring back at her in the dark. 

It was already mysterious enough, waking up with the oddest hangover last month and an indescribable hunger for meat. Idunn had her nights of blackout drinking and shuffling to the nearest fast food place the morning after, but this? She didn't look human. She didn't feel human. 

With every passing minute, Idunn's body felt more and more tense, near ready to snap. Her senses were on fire and overwhelming, her head pounding as she found she could hear the kids downstairs playing some video game - but it felt like she was standing in the kitchen, not in the second floor master bedroom. The window was open, cold bitter night air blowing into the room and chilling her to the bone. 

I-I need to… 

Briefly her thoughts flickered over to asking her girlfriends for help, but the idea was instantly shot down. What if she hurt any of them, while she was like this? Idunn could feel her grip on herself loosening by the minute, and she certainly was not open to letting whatever affliction she had spread to the others. Not if it was contagious. 

No, she had to barricade herself in. Quarantine. It's the only way. 

With shaky legs and an excess of dizziness, Idunn stumbled over to the vanity, dragging it across the room to block the door with less difficulty than expected. It felt like her head was about to split open - and, seeing what diseases could be let loose on the Cyberiad, she wasn't going to risk it spreading to the others. 

Ah--! 

A sudden spike of pain pulsed through Idunn, the combat medic doubling over as she bit down a cry. It felt as if her own body was rebelling against her, almost trying to burst out of her own skin. 

Breathe, breathe--! 

Idunn sucked in a tight breath through her teeth, nearly on the verge of tears. Everything felt too tight, too restricting; Idunn pressed a hand to her head to try to alleviate the pain, fingers brushing past fluffy ears. 

...ears? 

A hushed gasp followed by another strangled noise of pain escaped Idunn as she caught her reflection in the vanity once more. Atop the crown of her head, a pair of wolf's ears sat. 

No. 

Noooooo, no no no. 

Panic rushed through her as she stumbled over to get a better look, to try to blame the suddenly very clear symptoms on a hallucination or something, but the mirror only proved Idunn's worst fears. 

She could spot her canines elongating and beginning to poke out of her mouth, her hair looking scruffier and longer by the minute. Beneath her shirt sleeves, Idunn could spot fur-like patches forming on her arms. 

I'm… not human anymore..? 

A third wave of pain crashed through Idunn's body, though she failed to muffle it in time, letting out a loud anguished cry as her legs gave out beneath her. She could hear someone drop something in response downstairs, one of her girlfriends calling to ask if she was okay. 

No no-- they can't see me like this! They're-- 

"Iduuuuunn?" Rivera's voice rang out, soft muted footsteps approaching the second floor. "You alright, honey?" 

"NO! I mean-- Yes! I'm fine! I just--" 

"Wuh..? Honey, you don't sound okay. Did you fall? Whatever that sound was--" 

"I'm--" 

Fabric tore as Idunn's body continued to shift painfully from the stress, the poor woman letting out another pitiful cry. This all felt so wrong. So wrong and horrific and just painful, and Idunn wanted it to stop happening already. 

"Idunn?!" Angel's voice cried out now, the sounds of children downstairs mumbling in worry. "Idunn, what's wrong?" 

"Nothing!" Oh god, was that a tail? "I'm fine! Just--" 

"Yeah, I'm not buying it. I'm coming in," Angel said flatly. The doorknob twisted in vain, clattering too loud for Idunn's liking. "Wh- SERIOUSLY? You locked yourself in?!" 

"Ohhh my god. Idunn, honey, please let us in," Rivera murmured, the doorknob clattering some more. "It's okay, just-" 

"NO! I don't- I don't want to hurt you, please! Just go! If you come in--" Idunn's now clawed hands gripped the edge of the vanity, pushing it further onto the door. The whole room felt so much… smaller now. 

"Tide, go up the window," Rivera said. 

"No-- STOP, STOP!" Idunn half howled out, the sound eliciting some shocked gasps from whoever else joined her girlfriends in the hallway. "Don't, please!" 

She could hear quick steps - Tide's, likely - go downstairs, dread flooding through her chest. 

The window. I have to- 

Idunn turned towards the open window in the master bedroom, took a shaky step, then collapsed a second time as she realized just how far the changes have gotten. 

What remained of her clothes were hanging off her in patches, her body covered entirely in a near white blonde fur. A long sweeping tail - likely what tripped her up - was visible from her position on the floor. Idunn frantically patted a hand - no, a rather large paw by now - to her face, finding it covered in fur as well and beginning to sweep out into a snout. 

You're not human. You're a monster, Rán. 

The thought was enough to make her cry. She barely registered as Tide, in the small bat form the half vampire was fond of taking on occasion, flew in through the window, letting out a yelp of surprise. Idunn made an inhuman howl, claws scraping across the wooden floor as she tried to withdraw herself into the furthest corner of the room.

"Don't-- don't look at me!" 

"I...Idunn?" 

She didn't know how long Tide stood there as time seemed to freeze in place. The panicked tears began to flow openly now as the vanity was scraped away from the door, quiet gasps ringing out as the doorknob opened at last. 

"Where's-" 

"Over there." 

"That's--?!" 

"Sweet jesus. Okay, uh… someone get Sybil, she might help once we calm her down… Tide, thank you."

"Mhm. Good luck with, uh… yeah." 

Two pairs of footsteps slowly approached Idunn as she let out a pained whimper, the woman trying to disappear entirely.

She could still run. She could run right out the window, off into the forest and never return, living out her destiny of becoming one of those bloodthirsty monsters she was terrified of turning into. 

"Idunn, sweetheart…" 

"Please, don't…" 

"Shh, it's okay. Can we hold you?" 

"Don't… don't look at me. I'm…" 

Gentle hands wrapped around one of Idunn's, their touch careful yet insistent on unwrapping them from the ball of anxious and panicked fur they became. Another pair - one with a rather cold hand, so Rivera's - cautiously stroked Idunn's cheek, tenderly turning the woman towards her. 

"Idunn…" 

"I…" 

The pleas for the two of them to leave her here to rot die in Idunn's throat. A howling sob pried its way loose as Idunn finally broke, holding Angel and Rivera close as they continued to reassure her with gentle murmurs and careful gestures of affection. 

Idunn could feel feathers gently enveloping her as Angel's raven black wings spread out like a hug. 

"Honey, it's alright… I promise," Angel murmured as the woman lowered her head onto Idunn's shoulder. "We love you… regardless if you're, well, like… this now." 

"You're so warm," Rivera mumbled, shutting her eyes as her hands wandered to Idunn's hair, gently stroking her fingers through it. "This is, uh, not what I expected, but… we're here for you, love." 

"You two… you aren't weirded out by this..?" Idunn managed to say, the snout and teeth making speech difficult. "It's…" 

"Sweetheart, you're dating a vampire and an angel. I think adding a werewolf to the mix only makes things more interesting," Rivera half snarks, a smug yet gentle smile on her face as she pressed a kiss to Idunn's cheek. "It's going to be difficult getting used to it, probably, but… we're going to stick by you no matter what." 

"That's right!" Angel piped up, burying her face into the admittedly very soft fur around Idunn's neck, making a delighted noise. "Good luck getting rid of us, hon'. You're like a giant cuddle machine now, and I am not going to ditch you after everything we've been through." 

"I…" Idunn sniffled, shutting her eyes as she nuzzled into Rivera's touch, pulling Angel closer. "Thank you… thank you."