Interlude: The Misadventures of a Moth
"And my name's Sun"
"Good to meet you, Sun. And goodbye."
"W-wait, what?"
Ohm places her paw on the man's back, then pulls it back. The fur near her elbow parts, a fourth finger uncurling and twisting forward, bearing a long, piercing spike. She presses it against his spine, and the heart beyond it. "I'll be taking your heart." The speartip claw is plunged forward, through his spine, through his flesh, impaling his heart. The claws around his throat clamp down, preventing him from screaming. As the organ beats to a final stillness, she pulls her claw free, bringing it to her mouth. her tongue caresses the smooth curves of the claw, lapping up his heart's blood.
Gripping his bloodied tunic, Ohm pulls the fabric off of him and opens her maw wide. No sense in leaving good meat to rot. Or... edible meat, anyway.
-
A few minutes later, Ohm is alone upon the bloodied ground, next to Sun's thoroughly soiled clothes. She grabs the fabric, tugging the half-ruined garments onto her body, and then begins to change. The two limbs extending from her back shrink and then vanish away as her body grows, fur receding and muscles growing. The fabric fills out with Sun's surprisingly well-kept physique, as he straightens up in the darkness, rolling his shoulders, skin newly-minted with glittering silver tattoos. After a moment, these too fade away. What had once been plain, dusty brown hair is now strikingly white, and his muddy eyes have changed to a blazing, intense gold. He seems different in other ways, too, his thuggish slouch replaced by a proud-chested stance that seems to highlight the curves of his waist into his hips and the shape of muscles through his clothes.
Sun leans down, picking up the discarded hatchet. Hmm. Now for the less fun part of the plan.
-
Some time later, Sun crashes into the side of the den's archway, stumbling into the building proper and collapsing, drawn and bloodied hatchet pinging as it strikes the stone. Blood streams from numerous fresh wounds on his bare arms, with growing stains indicating more under his clothes. His eyes are wild with panic. "Ch-Cheng!" he calls out, struggling to his feet and setting out at a stumbling run towards the back door, "I need to speak to Auntie Cheng!"