Howl Your Appellations

Slow Rise

BOEN OPEOR

The first thing I saw when I woke up was Sana’s face. And before I saw her face, I heard her voice calling to me. Up until that point, I was completely gone from the world. I had no dreams nor at any point did I gain consciousness. In a way, I would have considered myself completely dead for the few days that I was asleep. It was refreshing, almost rejuvenating.

The moment I knew I was waking up was when I finally gained my consciousness again. I could feel my body move and my eyelids desperately covering my eyes. It was as if I was born again, trying to get familiar with the body I’m in, and figuring out that I’ve already done that before. I didn’t want to wake up, but I then heard her voice.

“It’s time to wake up.” She said softly. My couldn’t resist but blush.

It took me some time but I managed to gain control of my mouth and let out a coarse voice, “ Sana…” I said, almost longingly. I still think about whether or not it was obvious. Now that I remember a few details about Lissana and everything. It’s harder for me to stay composed.

I finally open my eyes and it’s a wonderful picture of the woman who saved my life and risked hers. She’s even bigger than how I remember her, and now she has more scars than she had before. Her eyes, still perfect dots, but now has a dark red lining. She’s changed.

The moment seemed to take too long to finish, Sana stared at me as if I was the last rose on earth. She opened her mouth and says, “Welcome Home, Little Moon.” as if it wouldn’t make me release all the butterflies in my stomach. All I could do was nod.

Despite this, her smile just kept getting wider and I loved that it showed her large canines. I loved looking at her smile as placed her hand inside her pocket and presented me with the once most precious treasure I owned.

“This was the only thing that kept me going when I was in those caves.” She covers her mouth with her closed fist as she paused, “I’m here all thanks to you. Here.”

At this point all I could see was a thick pink filter around the beautiful, muscular lady that said I was the reason she’s alive. I couldn’t see through my imaginary filter, and the tears. She places the ring on the finger next to my pinky and kisses it.

“Heh! Just like old times, right Boen?” She smirks but I hadn’t noticed that I was already leaning for a kiss. I waited for her to reciprocate.

She then held my arms and I waited for us to kiss. But apparently…APPARENTLY! We were leaning to hard that we missed each other! How could two experienced people mess up a kiss like that?! I assumed that the both of us had already kissed a number of people but this was the first time this happened to me!

Maybe, in the end, we were scared of what it would mean if we really started dating, loving each other, falling deeper in love. I was still in a sort of relationship with Isa and she still had baggage that I can’t begin to comprehend. Maybe we deliberately sabotaged the perfect moment to kiss so we’ll have an excuse to distance ourselves. It’s painfully obvious that we like each other though. I bet the pack’s really annoyed at us right now, that’s why they’re trying to get Sana and I to talk.

Look at the situation now. I can see your smug little smile Beige, I’m not an i***t. I know what you’re doing Wolf Were!

Beige flips the page of his note bad and starts writing. Sana passes us but she has to put the elks in storage first and change. We exchange looks and I can’t bear the excitement. I can’t wait to go to the city with her!

“I won’t take long, ‘kay? Be right back.” She says to me.

I give her a cute nod like the love-struck i***t I am.

Beige finishes what he’s writing. He lifts up his notepad to show me,

“It’d be easier if she came along. I don’t want to be writing on my notepad all the time. It’ll be easier for the both of us, right? ♡”

It’ll sure be easier for him. But that would mean that it would require Sana to relay Beige’s words to me, therefore allowing Sana to talk to me more. The situation will definitely be harder for me!

“Dude, why don’t you just start learning sign language now? Here, let me show you the basics! ”

Beige refuses to learn the Holo Sign Language with me. Not giving me an ‘O’ sign or a thumbs up, all X’s for his responses. I give up.

We wait patiently for Sana to come back. The weather’s great in the Inner Forest and everything’s somewhat peaceful. There has been a little conflict with the Cassowary Weres but they prefer to keep it exclusive to them. The soft wind blows all the same, and honestly hard to believe.

There are a few Weres that still despise us for the chaos that I apparently triggered, thus, giving me the Appellation, “The Catalyst”. It’s still a bit unsafe for me to roam around alone. But at least now I have an advantage.

I breathe clean air in, I feel it fill my lungs and I exhale.

After, Magnaldo’s, my grandfather’s, cabin was destroyed by Kaz and some other Weres; Lissana and I survived the Exclusionary which was the Queen’s Airy. That was the last time I saw Soft and the last time I felt whole.

Lissana told me that the Queen talked to her for a bit then showed her several identical me’s as if there was an infinite mirror surrounding us. I think, Lissana chose right in the end, but I can’t help but think that those other me’s were also me too. The little parts of me.

Now I’m lighter, in both weight and how gravity has a grasp on me. In other words, I’ve become something that could float. If I jump right now, I could reach half the length of the giant Inner trees. Just what were the me’s that were lost that day, and why did losing them make me lighter?

There’s probably no one that can answer my question, except the Queen and the moon so I’ve decided to ignore it for now. Besides, me being able to float isn’t really a bad thing. If anything, it’s sort of a blessing. I won’t die if I fall from heights, and I’ll be easier to carry now that I’m feather weight. The only thing that adds to my weight is my metal leg. It grounds me in a literal and metaphorical sense.

I start to crouch down and rip off tips of grass.

“...Isn’t she taking a bit too long? Yeah? Beige?” I ask Beige.

He looks at me, clearly trying to see if I could hear him this time. He doesn’t want to take his notepad out again.

“Alright. We’ll wait.” I reply.

He seems to like this reply, maybe it’s the appropriate answer to what he was saying. I rip a few more grass tips. Unsatisfied, I blow them away so that the wind can have fun with them. Am I doing this because I’m nervous or am I doing this because It’ll distract me from the fact that I can just run away? I continue to blow the blades into the wind.

“Hey! Sorry to keep you guys waiting! I had to wash off the blood and I couldn’t find any decent clothes!” Lissana screams.

She’s still at Train’s entrance waving her left hand at us. She just wearing these cool finger-less gloves along with a dark red flannel short sleeve shirt, a white tank top, and black baggy pants. Her brown leather shoulder bag hangs in front of her chest though I doubt that there’s anything inside.

She’s so cool I think it could kill me. Her black hair’s still a mess but it adds to her charm. She’s glorious, I don’t want her to come any closer or I’ll explode.

“Alright, Beige I’m coming! Shut up, I’m coming!” Sana screams again, as if to an imaginary friend.

Without even having time to blink, Lissana’s in front of me and she smells incredibly good. Not her usual good smell but an additional smell. She’s wearing a cologne; it smells like bread and paint, if that makes any sense.

“You smell nice.” I manage to say. I couldn’t look her in the eyes.

“Ah, oh yeah! It’s special cologne, just in case the city stench over powers us. You put on some too, Beige?”

Sana unzips the front zipper of her sling shoulder bag, “ What you didn’t? You should you dumbass!” she says as she tosses the small bottle of cologne to Beige.

I really wish I can hear what he’s saying. It makes Lissana sound like a sociopath otherwise. I bet Beige has a cool manly voice. I bet he does.

He tosses the bottle back to Sana and she catches it flawlessly. She puts the bottle back inside the opened compartment and zips it when she’s done. She flicks her fingers after closing up the whole compartment. Her eyes glints and we make eye contact. Both of us look away like losers.

“Uhh, Beige says we don’t got all day so let’s go.”

I nod and we start to walk towards the exit annoyingly slowly.

“...I can’t transform wearing these clothes so Beige will have to carry us to your car today. ” She blushes. I guess she doesn’t want to rip her clothes apart…I…rip…her….in any case, Beige seems comfortable with his clothes since it’s basically his Inner Market ones.

“Beige says alright, Boen. You hop on to him first. He’s a little bit smaller than the rest of us but that doesn’t make a difference to you doesn’t it?” I look up to spy on her face as she’s looking completely forward.

Her side profile’s smile has me enamored. An unparalleled side-view.

“Boen?” She repeats my name.

“Yeah, it don’t mind. I’d argue that even some of you are too big. Then again none of you are bigger than Kaz.”

Lissana laughs at my remark, “Those Hawks are freaks of Luna! Sure they’re uptight but their strength’s something we all respect. Alright hop on.”

Sana helps me on Beige. He’s certainly smaller than Imus and Sana but he’s still the size of a car so…

I hop on and find a comfortable place to sit. I grab on to Beige’s fur tightly. Lissana hops on behind me but the i***t’s facing the other way. Her back’s on mine.

“Alright, Beige we’re all set!” Sana signals and Beige starts to run.

He’s smaller but he’s definitely a little bit faster than the two. I wonder how their forms are determined. Makes me want to think about how or what my form would look like. There’s so many possibilities! Even just being a Wolf Were isn’t the limit, I could be any Were I want!

I distract myself with fantasies as Beige runs through the forest at top speed and as I feel Lissana’s warm back against mine. It’s such a large and sturdy back. I wonder what scars she’s hiding under there. I wonder if she’d show me someday…

“/////...!!!!”

“B-Boen! You’re gripping Beige’s fur too hard! Can’t you hear him?! What are you doing?!”

“Ah! Sorry! Sorry! I was distracted!” I loosen my grip.

“Distracted by what? I can’t even see s**t but leaves and branches!”

“It doesn’t matter! J-just focus on the road!” I say stupidly as I don’t want to admit that I was thinking about her bare back.

The whole journey from The Train to my car’s garage lasted for only 20 minutes. It felt longer than that to me but my watch begs to differ.

My car still miraculously works after having been left for two months and a few days. I like to think that someone started it for me for a bit then left. Or maybe my car just has the best battery in all of Abalone.

“I still can’t believe we found my keys. I didn’t want to buy new ones. Everyone strapped in and ready?” I ask my cute passengers.

Sana decided to sit in the backseat and Beige didn’t want to ride shotgun, so it’s just me in front. They nod and Lissana replies with a “Yeah.”

I start the car and we’re finally now off to the city.