(Monday, 2/11/1058, mid-morning)
(3rd person PoV)
{I ask thee, thou who oversees the fate of every living being, thee who directs the flow of things. Answer my prayer and grant my humble wish} Henryk started the first of many attempts to alter the genes inside his primary nucleus. Previously with his tail, he had it grow by stimulating the dormant genes still present in the human genome. For most of the remaining racial features, well, they are racial. They are not present within the human genome for him to simply reactivate the responsible genes. One such feature was the whiskers. {Upregulation of hair growth and length in the forearms, below the knees, on the tail and in the beard. Camouflaged among the fur are true whiskers with their corresponding follicles, spurred to form through an upregulated Lef1 gene}
It took around an hour for all the whiskers to form. The sensory input paralyzed Henryk right where he sat down in his room. It felt like a persistent tingle, an itchy tingle that refused to calm down or go away. Worse yet, it came from all around his body right now.
Henryk reflexively started scratching the itch wherever his hands reached. He had it coming. He chose to form the whiskers without rearranging his somatosensory cortex, resulting in his body not being able to interpret the whisker signals.
"Damn it!" He shouted, still scratching. Shira laughed at him. She did not have to deal with this since her entire body was changed at once for her.
After he managed to calm down a little, his mind recovered enough to attempt rearranging his neurons a bit.
'This will probably make my sense of touch less accurate around these areas, but it's gonna be better. The tradeoff of a highly acute sense of spacial awareness will more than compensate for that loss in accuracy of touch in these areas' He reasoned with himself.
"Shira, let me lean on you for a moment" He gestured for her to sit to his right.
"Alright" She agreed, seeing an opportunity for an extra time for skinship.
{Rearrangement of somatosensory cortex from an even grid formation into barrel columns formation}
As soon as Henryk finished his chant, he passed out. He was unconscious for a few minutes before regaining consciousness. He came to Shira purring to high heavens. As he rubbed his cheek on her head, he found himself purring a little.
He froze. In fact, Shira froze as well.
"I'm sure what I asked to change didn't include adding purring to my system..." A realization slowly came to him. "... Don't tell me...!" His eyes widened. 'There was a higher being evaluating my wishes for real this entire time! Otherwise, there's absolutely no chance to add things I didn't plan for! Dammit!'
He then thought about its practical application. He let the purring continue unimpeded. Rather, he leaned in even more and purred harder intentionally while hugging Shira very closely.
'Whoever you are, thanks' Henryk hoped it would reach the higher being responsible for this.
Said higher being was amused by Henryk's acceptance of the situation. As for Shira, she was melting into it. She started purring even more. Their combined purring almost lulled them back to sleep.
(In the afternoon)
"The name's Rein" Rein, a level 2 familia member, introduced himself, extending a hand for a handshake. He pitied Henryk's lack of vision, but Loki's orders came first. It made it easier to swallow when he thought that this wasn't such a bad joke. It was harmless.
"The name's Henryk" Henryk stretched his hand to where Rein's hand should be judging by his voice. The whiskers on his forearm and on the back of his hands helped heavily in locating Rein's stretched hand. Because Rein was close in height to Henryk, it was somewhat easier to do so.
Rein looked with fascination as Henryk located his hand relatively quickly for someone new to the loss of sight.
"As instructed, I'll train you barehanded until you learn how to fight relatively well for a blind person" Rein said, his eyes following Henryk's swishing tail.
Henryk nodded and silently moved a few paces back before taking a stance. Rein took a stance of his own as well.
The two of them started. In the plan devised by Loki and Henryk, Henryk was supposed to start by sensing incoming attacks and choosing to either deflect them or evade them. The longer he could do that, the better.
For hours, Henryk was beaten by Rein until he collapsed. By dusk, Henryk started showing a small result, a smudge if you will. He evaded and deflected a total of 3 hits in the last hour.
At night, Henryk played with the wolves.
'The more I put myself in situations where I use this new sense, the better I get at it' He reasoned. Although, it was not his only reason, nor was it his primary reason. 'Not to mention, it's fun to chase the wolves by hearing and whisker sense alone!' He bit Ouros's tail and was promptly dragged through the grass.
There was a streak of unhinged in Henryk, and he was fully aware and accepting of it.
(Tuesday, 3/11/1058)
(Shira's PoV - Short)
I woke up to the blessed sensation of Henry purring in his sleep. I loathe to admit it, yet I do. He was right to say I'm a cute kitten. I see him as a cute kitten as well, now that he has fur and was purring. A particularly large, cute kitten.
'Maybe... I should fully let go of my attachment to my previous human body... This new body is close enough'
I snuggled with him and went back to sleep.
(Henryk's PoV)
"Say that again?" I said, exasperated and a little scared. "Who came to visit?"
"A goddess going by the name of Artemis" Rein said before jabbing me in the side again, forcing me to kneel by adding extra strength as punishment for losing focus. "Focus"
"Sorry" I stood back up.
"She came by and is being hosted by Loki for now" Rein said before feinting a kick, the real hit being a punch made with the momentum of the kick.
I wanted to say something, but the feeling of the punch approaching made me slap it aside as I grabbed Rein's forearm with my other hand. I tried to wrestle him into a hold but failed to do so.
"Loki prioritized your training over her request to meet you" Rein made a feint kick. Only this time he actually followed through.
I detected the kick late. Having my feet unfortunately kicked from under me, I fell to the ground.
"Level 2 strength and speed are cheating" I whined.
"For a man your age and size, you act childlike often, even animalistic at times" I could feel a mocking tone in Rein's voice.
"Jelly, aren't we?" I smiled smugly. I knew jealousy when I saw it. Err, when I heard it in this case? Conditioned by Norman and two years of living with other humans made me well aware of what the voice of a jealous person was like.
"This isn't the time nor place for food" Rein sighed, exasperation apparent in his voice. He realized, he thought to himself, that I cannot be reasoned with. I, of course, let the misunderstanding go. I didn't see the need to help him overcome the colossal cultural wall between us.
Rein prepared the next attack.
(In a meeting room)
(3rd person PoV)
If a glaring contest could be held between goddesses, this would be it. Loki was glaring at Artemis. Artemis did not back down and glared back in kind.
Loki's eyes were unnaturally wide open. In comparison, that is equal in size to a normal person's. Her eyes started to dry up and burn as frustration ebbed at her divine soul.
She was burning inside while looking at Artemis's unrelenting glare. Artemis's eyelids did not even flinch yet, not once since they started, and their eyes were open for around a minute.
"I yield!" Loki half-closed her eyes, returning them to their usual look.
Artemis wondered to herself why she childishly stared down another goddess.
"But I'll never hand him over!" Loki threw her hands in the air and kicked her legs out.
"Hand him over?" Artemis was bewildered. "Who?"
"Henryk Williams! Who else?! I know you fell for him! I'm never removing my falna from his back!" Loki said loudly. Her voice reached some of the passing familia members.
Artemis's face lit up in a blush. She did not deny it. Loki became slightly unnerved after seeing her reaction.
"Forget it" Loki sighed. "He's far too loyal to his wife to do something that'd displease her. You may want to start with convincing his wife instead"
"There is that..." Artemis's hands were resting between her legs as she started fidgeting. She was in a bind.
Deities of either gender alike laid with mortals in spite of the unspoken rule forbidding it. That much is true. It was also true that she, as a virgin goddess, was not supposed to catch feelings of love toward anyone.
'I have Lante to blame for this' Artemis thought, though her face was graced by a small smile, one that was as radiant as the sun.
Loki covered her eyes in fear of blindness.
'Wait. I can't get permanent blindness or loss of vision' Loki remembered belatedly.
"I'll leave you be for now, so long as you don't try to take him back" Loki said while getting up. She was done talking to Artemis. "Just ask a familia member if you lost the way. I have spread word of your identity and that they should help if you needed it"
Loki forgot who she was dealing with. Artemis, being a hunter, was good at memorizing her own trail. She acutely remembered every detail of every corridor and room they passed by.
Artemis found her way on her own after someone told her that Henryk was training outside. She just came around the corner when a clawed hand came out of nowhere and muffled her mouth, dragging her back behind the corner. She shortly overpowered her aggressor, realizing that her aggressor only has the strength of a level 1 adventurer.
When she turned around, she was met with a shushing finger but no real aggression.
"Quiet" Shira whispered in her face. "Don't disturb his training" She pulled away and Artemis could get a better look at her. Artemis's mind quickly picked out details that did not make sense. The person before her was definitely Arnold's daughter, yet her face, no, more like her entire being was changed.
'A modified cluwr? But how? Their race was forever destined to remain in obscurity' Artemis thought.
"A skill" Shira dismissed Artemis's analytical gaze. Artemis became self-aware after Shira's reminder. She turned away bashfully.
"Sorry" Artemis apologized.
"I know why you are here, Artemis" Shira dropped all decorum of how to speak with a god or goddess. She looked at Artemis just like any other woman, something that Shira found to be fair considering what Artemis wanted. Artemis turned away with an appropriate amount of shame.
"Look me in the eyes, Artemis" Shira said with an annoyed tone. She glared until Artemis was looking at her again, though there was some hesitation. "I won't actively make an enemy out of you; you have my word on that" Artemis brightened up before her hopes were promptly shut down. "However, I will make it much harder for you to get closer to him" Shira gave her a very aggressive glare.
Artemis was about to speak up when she noticed Shira's demeanor change as she looked past Artemis. Artemis turned to look behind her and saw the looming figure of Henryk staring through her with empty eyes and a contrasting intent-filled smile.
"If you were talking about me, either of you better speak up" Henryk said as he leaned on the wall.
Shira did not know where to start, neither did Artemis, who gulped audibly enough for Henryk to hear.
Shira gathered her courage and spoke up, taking the risk.
"I was telling Artemis that I would stand in her way if she wanted to be with you" She said, putting up a confident front, if a bit shaken. Her ears were starting to flatten against her head.
"Well, let's hear her out first. I wish to give her the benefit of the doubt and say she came to check on a previous familia member" Henryk turned to where he felt her standing. "Is it that?"
"..." Artemis opened her mouth, yet no words came out. She was left speechless at his words. Her fist rested upon her knotting heart with her head lowered. She resolved to be honest. Lante said that men were more comfortable with a woman that did not lie to them about her feelings, or at all. Lante also said that withholding information temporarily was okay as an alternative to lying, that was if the information was unnecessary. This was necessary to tell in all honesty. "I came here to try and get closer to you..." She closed her eyes fearfully.
After a long moment of silence, she heard Henryk stepping around her and going over to Shira. She hesitantly looked back. She saw Henryk silently looking at Shira for an answer.
"What?!" Shira was exasperated. "What do you expect me to say?"
"I was asking you to stand in her way like a stalwart wall. I don't wish to saddle myself with the effort and responsibility to balance more than one relationship, not to mention the emotions of a deity" Henryk said with his back still turned away from Artemis.
"I don't know, Henryk" Shira was feeling something amess in his choice of words. "Do you mean that if everyone was content, that you would have more than one wife?" Her fur flared up as her tail lashed out violently.
Henryk's tail clumsily found its way to hers and held it in place.
"I'm simply fearful of that ever happening myself. If given the chance, I'd rather refuse it than indulge some rotten fantasy" He said in a faint voice. "That isn't even mentioning that I have chosen to be with you for life. I want a life full of love and care between us, undisturbed by any unnecessary feeling of jealousy toward another person from either of us"
Shira sighed. They all stood in awkward silence until Shira came to a decision. 'He needs as much attachment to this world as he can get. I need to admit that Fey and I may not be enough, and I don't know if I'm with a child yet, or how long it would take if I'm not. If it at all helps him, I should let him get that help' Shira resolved. She prioritized giving him more reasons to remain alive and more family to belong to by stepping back a bit here.
"Have at it" Her words nearly gave Henryk a heart attack. She felt him freezing all over for a second, becoming a rigid statue. "As long as I remain the priority, I'm willing to let you try this out"
Henryk's hand went to her unguarded cheek, caressing it, making Shira start to get flustered. He immediately pinched it when he felt the chance.
"I'll be guarded, just so you know" He let go of Shira's throbbing cheek. Shira slapped his shoulder before running away. He felt the urge to run after her, to which he listened. They left Artemis there all alone.
'To Fey and to all wolves, we are in the hunt for Shira. Whoever sees her, catch her and occupy her until I get there' Henryk sent through the link.
As he rounded the corner, he called her name. Hearing a change in someone's pace after he did so, he started chasing that person. As he stretched a hand forward, he noticed something.
'The ears... there are only two of them? I feel like these ears are too few to be hers' He skidded to a halt. "Did Shira tell you to pretend to be running away when I call her name?"
"Um.." The person, he recognized now was Anakitty, was unsure of what to say. "She said she really needed time alone" Anakitty scratched her cheek, unsure of what to do. "I couldn't not help her" She looked away nervously.
Henryk sighed. If she wanted time alone, he would leave her alone for some time.
'Fey, go soothe Mama. She needs someone other than me to help her' Henryk felt wounded but took it in stride. Taking this little wound now will prove valuable when their relationship isn't built on pressuring her to be calm instead of soothing her heart until she is naturally calm.
'Roger that!' Fey saluted her father, who was not in front of her at the time. She was actually taking a bath with Tiona. After she excused herself, taking some time to shake off some water to fly better, she went to find Shira. She employed the help of the wolves and their extraordinary sense of smell to do so. Hers was sadly not going to suffice, and Shira was hiding too well for Fey's keen eyes to find her.
Fey took Shira for a mother-daughter bonding time around the city to unwind. Their bonding time lasted the entire day, only returning after dusk. They found Henryk still training with Rein, far past the time originally allotted for them. They saw Henryk take a punch with his left forearm, supported by his right hand, and countering with a left hook. It was sadly evaded.
"Negative emotions aren't always a good fuel, you know that?" Rein said to Henryk.
"I know" Henryk dusted himself off. Fey told him when they came back. "I can regulate my emotion as I please. I've gone through rigorous training not to fall to anger or panic, to always be able to choose to think rationally"
In the background, Fey nudged Shira to go closer, taking the bags with her beak when Shira looked at them. She gestured for Shira to just go if she wanted to.
Shira let go. She ran her fastest and launched herself at his back.
Sensing something getting into his personal space, from behind and through his tail whiskers, whereas Rein was to his front, Henryk braced for impact so they would not fall over and tumble.
"You're back" He said, a warm smile spreading across his face. The way she came at him, along with how she latched onto his back with her arms around his shoulders, made him forget. It washed away the icky feeling he felt when Shira distanced herself from him earlier in the day.
"Yeah" Shira said. She started purring loudly. This was her first time purring in public, turning some heads. Catfolk did not purr. That was a given. She did, and that made some people question whether catfolk purred but kept it a heavily guarded secret. The catfolk of the familia felt suffocated thinking about the flood of questions coming their way soon.
Well, it was an approaching flood until the flood was met with the high barrier of Henryk's own purring. He was disregarding everyone there and purring back as he walked inside with Shira still on his back.
Fey giggled then flew towards Tione, who was amused by the situation herself. Although, there was some envy in her gaze. Her thoughts about Finn were cut off when Fey invaded her personal space with a feathery hug.
Fey insisted that Tione played with her a little. Being the older sister, or so she wanted to be, she played with Fey for the night, joined by a whiny Tiona when she knew they were playing together without her. She wanted her fill of Vitamin Fey before the expedition.
Everyone went to sleep early in preparation for the expedition in two days' time, starting on Thursday morning. Being well-rested was a requirement for long expeditions like this one.
(Expedition: D-2)
(Start of original timeline: D-17)