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It took far longer than normal for Cressida to get her most recent bounty, having several interruptions from other monsters along the way, resulting in her only being able to get home days later than planned, right as the sun was starting to rise. Lula was happily trotting alongside her, tail wagging away as they got onto familiar sidewalk. Cressida examined the path ahead, even if she was eighty percent sure nothing would be out of the ordinary.
Lula suddenly tugged on her leash as Cressida's eyes trailed off to the side of the path, examining the road instead. "Woah-" Cressida couldn't help the word coming out of her mouth, allowing Lula to lead the way to whatever had been wrong. Looks like things were falling under that twenty percent today.
The first thing they came across was a spattering of blood across the pavement, small dribbles that had dried some time ago. Steadily as they went, there was more and more, drops becoming splatters, patterns like something had been dragging itself along. Finally, Lula stopped, shoving her nose into a bush. Cressida kneeled, pushing aside the leaves to see what got hurt. It was probably safe if Lula wasn't growling.
Within the bush was a dog with thick, dark brown fur, curled into itself, breathing shallow breathes, a fairly severe looking injury in its side. Shit.
Ione wasn't where she collapsed anymore. She was in a building on something plush by a glass window, a sun beam making her fur feel warm. Her injury was bandaged, when she caught a glance of them by awkwardly turning her head, they were even clean. She felt so confused and scared, but also so comfortable. Her body felt so heavy, like it just wanted her to collapse back into slumber.
She forced past that heaviness, pushing herself up onto her paws. Her injury, especially with those bandages, would make it pretty hard to turn back into a human, but she couldn't know if that'd be safe yet anyway. She'd cross that bridge when it came. With her tail between her legs, she looked around the area. She was contained to the corner of a room by tall, metal things that created a wall, a gate in them with a lock too high up for her paws to reach if she wanted them to.
Footsteps sounded from another room, heading towards this one. Ione backed herself into a corner, trying to get a view of as much as she could and give herself the space to slip under legs if need be, to escape. A woman poked her head into the room, having dark skin and white hair. She was toned, clearly strong, scars scattered across seemingly random parts of her body. She wore a sports bra and shorts, certainly not something all that defensive, but she might not need it.
Ione didn't growl, not yet. She wasn't even sure if she could. The woman approached the fenced in area, looking Ione over inquisitively before showing her a small smile and kneeling outside of it. "Hey there, I bet this is real scary, huh?" She said softly. "I'll go get you some food and water, I guess." She mumbled, less soft and more offhanded, less directed. Huh? Huh???
The pup Cressida picked up was healing quick, and also relaxed quick. It only took a few hours for Lula to have basically adopted the poor thing, and got Cressida to decide it was probably safe to leave them alone when she would have to go shopping later. It had taken to sticking close to Lula, like a child to their mother. Cressida had spent most of her time supervising the pair researching what shelter she should drop it off at once it was fully healed. She really couldn't deal with having a second dog, given her job. She'd be leaving it at home for days at a time.
When she was setting her phone back down, she noticed the dog watching her, green eyes peering at her with a surprising intelligence. "Guess I'm going to need a temporary name for you, huh?" Cressida mused, watching the dog's curious reaction. "Maybe Truffle. You look like a Truffle."
The dog tilted its head. Cute. It had never once heard a sound from the poor thing, besides it whining in its sleep, Cressida noted. She would've expected at least a whimper by now.
"Do you like Truffle?" Cressida asked, knowing she wouldn't get a response. It'd work for now. Certainly better than 'the dog she picked up'.
Ione had learned the woman was named Cressida and her dog was Lula, during the few days she had been with the pair. She had also learned she definitely wouldn't be able to escape yet and that Cressida just thought she was a normal stray. Cressida was gentle though, and fed her, so Ione cautiously bided her time. She watched Cressida's reactions, snuck around examining things, studying. Ione was pretty sure Cressida wasn't planning to harm her.
Cressida was almost as observant as Ione though, even if she noted the behaviours as just being fear. She had noted Ione's avoidance of sleep, Ione's observation, Ione's silence. Ione wasn't sure what she had to avoid being caught in the most yet.
Today, Ione had come across Cressida taking a phone call. She laid down by Cressida's feet like she had seen Lula do a few times, knowing that Cressida would probably at least be neutral on it and it'd give her a chance to listen in, to learn more.
"...are you kidding me? I should have gotten way more than that! You realize how many heads I brought in? They were all working with that werewolf, they're all part of the bonus shit written into the contract!"
Ione froze, she couldn't move, her heartbeat was in her ears.
"There was a vampire in there! Do you know how specialized most folks have to be to hunt vampires? You're lucky I'm not demanding even more than what the contract stated for that alone, given that there was no warning from you about how many there would be!"
Ione wanted to run. Ione wanted to run. Ione wanted to run. Ione wanted to run. Ione wanted to run. Ione wanted to run. Ione wanted to run.
Ione couldn't move.
Cressida was still angry at whoever was on the other line, tearing into them about the pay for her job. Her job hunting monsters. Cressida would kill her. Ione would die if Cressida found out. Ione needed out. Ione couldn't move.
Cressida's call ended with some very rude words from the other line and her getting hung up on. She tossed her phone onto her desk, grumbling and running her hand through her hair. She glanced down after a moment, spotting Ione shaking beneath her.
"You alright, Truffle?" Cressida asked, her voice dropping to that soft tone that made Ione ache to hear it again, having not been faced with something so genuinely sugary before. "Did me raising my voice scare you? I'm sorry." Ione didn't understand why Cressida spoke to her like that when she thought Ione wouldn't understand.
Cressida reached out very slowly, giving Ione time to dodge, but Ione couldn't. A hand was put in her fur, gently petting her before scratching her behind the ears gently. Ione felt her heart slow down a bit, it was nice. She could hide what she was until she escaped, she'd be okay.
Cressida could see Truffle's eyes in the corner of her room, peering at her as she idly rearranged her blankets and pillows to get ready for bed. Lula was already curled up on her bed, comfortable in her favorite corner by the footboard. Truffle looked lonely in comparious, just watching them both.
"Truffle!" Cressida called, watching how the pup immediately trotted over. Cressida wondered if somebody else has trained her in the past. Cressida kneeled down to her level, giving Truffle a few gentle pets before scooping her up. Truffle didn't struggle at all when getting picked up. She didn't relax either, but it was still better than nothing. Cressida plopped Truffle down on the bed next to Lula, who lifted her head to gently sniff the other dog. Truffle looked incredibly confused, but didn't attempt to jump off the bed when Cressida laid down too, so she was probably fine.
Cressida's probably getting too attached to a dog she was going to give up within a few weeks, but she'd be able to get over it once she got to that bridge.
Ione had, whether she intended to or not, ended up sleeping on Cressida's bed each night as she finished her recovery, her wound steadily healing as she remained transformed. Cressida was scary, but Ione couldn't fully deny that it was comfortable, more comfortable than any other place she had slept. She was able to climb under the blankets even, which would be laughed off by Cressida. It eventually got to the point she would start to fall asleep the second she laid down and a calloused hand was going over her fur.
This morning ended up different from their usual wake-ups though as Ione realized her body felt larger, and far less furry, than it usually, her hair in her face. She felt herself start shaking almost immediately as she slowly forced herself to sit up. She had to get out.
She had to get out. She had to.
She had to get out. She had to get out. She had to get out. She had to get out. She had to get out. She had to get out. She had to get out. She had to-
"Truffle?" Cressida called out tired, starting to sit up with heavy eyes. "Lula?" Lula was already awake, staying in her normal spot and staring at Ione perfectly calmly.
Ione was half way to the door, tears started to well her eyes. She was going to be killed. She couldn't get her legs to keep running, much less so walk, they were shaking so bad that she could only stumble even.
She felt Cressida's eyes on her. "Woah- who the fuck are you?! How did you get in here?" She heard Cressida grab something and jump out of bed.
Ione dropped, shielding her head like she would've for one of priors, the habit so deeply ingrained in her that she couldn't stop herself even if it wouldn't protect her from any incoming blade. "Please," she choked out, "please don't kill me."
There was a pause, Cressida's steps slowed down a bit, presumably sizing Ione up. "...wait." Cressida said, taking a breath, sounding much less panicked. "Wait. Wait. Truffle?"
Ione didn't respond, curling into herself as tight as she could, protecting her stomach her with her folded legs.
"Shit- I was treating a werewolf like a dog..." Cressida sounded so tired, her voice having a slight hiss in what Ione could only assume was frustrating. "I'm not going to hurt you. You're not one of my bounties, you didn't attack me, I'm not going to hurt you." Cressida said firmly, kneeling on the floor next to Ione.
Lula lazily hopped out of bed without a care, coming to sit at Ione and Cressida's side, and Cressida gave the dog a few pats as she kept talking. "...I really don't know how to comfort somebody in this situation, shit." Cressida mumbled, humming in that way that meant she was thinking. Lula moved to the other side of Ione, trying to stick her cold nose between her arms, getting a startled squeak out of Ione. "...Lula, I don't think that's working." Cressida commented.
Lula couldn't care though, starting to lick at Ione's arms. The feeling was so weird when she was a human, and also kind of gross, but it worked better than Cressida's comments alone, breaking Ione out of the looping thoughts in her head just enough to think. Cressida pulled Lula away from Ione, looking her over again.
"I won't hurt you as long as you don't hurt me." Cressida repeated, receiving a small nod from Ione in response. "...sorry for treating you like a dog? Normally werewolves are... Bigger."
Ione wasn't sure what to say to that, but some small part of her wanted to laugh, and she let it, feeling her body go somewhat limp as she giggled, tears streaming down her face.
"...I'm not sure what that reaction is supposed to mean."
Ione watched from the couch as Cressida poured a glass of water, Lula sprawled comfortably across her lap, the heavy weight keeping her grounded. Ione ran her hands over Lula's short fur, letting the texture imprint itself into her brain. Cressida walked over, passing the glass to Ione.
"So, introductions." Cressida said as Ione took her first step. "I'm Cressida."
"...I'm Ione."
Cressida smiled, Ione felt her cheeks heat up a bit. It's just embarrassment.
"Nice to finally meet you, Ione. Do you have anywhere to go?"