xp_logs | Log: (Nathan, Rahne) Marrow Bones--No, Not THAT Marrow

Nathan comes to check on Rahne and discuss their shared experience of being gnawed on by Marius.

Nap.

Rahne inspected the kitchen carefully, left Dani and Jamie a note, and made her way to the nearest comfortable couch that it was reasonably acceptable to shed on a little. She stretched out on it, yawning, then frowned and sat up, staring at her hand and willing the change.

Fur was relatively easy, though she had to think about it harder than usual and the hair on her head didn't want to get any shorter. The fur's cooperation was fortunate, since she broke a sweat and triggered a transformation of the shapeshifting clothing Forge had invented rather earlier in the process than usual. Organs rearranged themselves rather queasily, and the bones were downright argumentative. They ached by the time a reddish wolf curled up on the cushions and went straight to sleep.

Some time later, Nathan stood in the doorway and watched the wolf sleeping, a wistful, worried look on his face. He moved in as quietly as possible, crouching down beside the couch. She was breathing all right, he reassured himself, and seemed relaxed... there was enough discomfort in her thoughts to make him think that she wasn't sleeping quite soundly, though.

It had, nonetheless, been a fairly good nap. Rahne might have awakened anyway, but as it was, a little while after Nathan had crouched next to her, her nostrils flared. After a second, one eye opened, and her tongue came out to lick her nose. She lifted her head a little and thumped her tail.

"You know," Nathan said, reaching out and stroking the top of her head, "I do like doing things with you, kiddo. I would still prefer there are certain experiences we don't share."

Rahne snorted lightly and bumped her head up against his hand. She considered shifting back, but it seemed like enough trouble that she tried thinking at him instead. #Getting chewed on by Marius? Does it help any that I tackled him?#

"You did an extremely brave and forward-thinking thing," Nathan said, a bit wryly. "I don't think Haroun would have fared too well, in his current condition. Doesn't mean I'm any less not-happy about the fact that you got chewed on."

#Not that brave,# she demurred. #I'm smaller, but other than that I thought I'd probably fare no worse than you did, maybe better without the virus. I knew somebody else would be helping before long.# She roused herself enough to scoot sideways and nose at the spare cushion, inviting Nathan to sit on the couch too.

Nathan got up and sat down beside her. "Again with the not taking compliments well," he said idly. "If I repeat it and reassure you that I mean it, will you believe me?"

Had she been human at the time, Rahne would have blushed. As it was, she just ducked her head a little and replied sheepishly, #Sorry. I believe you.#

"That's good." It was very much the same impulse that ruled with Catseye, that had Nathan reaching out to stroke the top of Rahne's head again. "How are you feeling?"

Rahne had no more objections than Catseye to this sort of petting; she put her ears forward and changed positions rather shamelessly to lie with her front paws across his lap--much the way Joyita would do to her, given the opportunity. #A little tired. The nap helped. 'Tis harder to shift than usual, but getting easier, I think.# She lowered her head sheepishly, then, a decided sense of embarrassment in her voice as she added in a sort of mental mutter, #And it looks like I have a love-bite on my collarbone.#

Nathan blinked. There was to be no further love-biting of the Rahne, he decided suddenly. Not even by accident. "Just don't strain yourself. You get to lie around and relax until you feel better, and if I see you straining yourself..." Nathan trailed off warningly, scratching gently behind her ears.

#I just wanted to make sure I could do it!# Oh, ear-scratching was nice. Staying in wolf form for this conversation was a good idea.

"You made sure," Nathan pointed out. "Now you can just rest until your system gets back to normal." He grinned suddenly, still scratching. The blissful edge to her thoughts was rather nice to sense. "I'd feed you, but I don't think stuffing you with vitamin-C-bearing foods works quite so well when you're in wolf-form."

#I had lots of those already.# Her ears perked again as something else occurred to her. #Although you know what would work in wolf-form... only I'd have to shift back to get at it myself....#

"Tell me."

#There are a lot of marrow bones from the deer still in the deep freeze.# And the remembered/imagined scent and taste and the feel between her teeth were all very appealing right now.

Nathan patted her. "I'll go get them for you. Sound like a plan? You can stay right here and nap some more while I do."

#Yum.# Rahne looked down at the carpet. #Shouldn't I go somewhere they won't make a mess?#

"Have you seen some of your classmates eat? I wouldn't worry."

#I've cleaned up after them, that's why I do!# But she was laughing. She wasn't likely to leave crumbs in this case, anyway.