“Sam, Sam dear. Wake up hun.” A voice called out to me gently. I could also feel a hand lightly touch my shoulder. The sound of crackling wood in the background and the kind voice that was still trying to get my attention brought me peacefully back to waking.
My eyes slowly inched open and blinked away the tiredness of a dreamless sleep for a moment. Looking around, I saw Liz standing on the other side of the coffee table. She averted her gaze hastily when she noticed I was looking at her. There was someone else too. Someone standing between myself and the warmth of the fire. I couldn’t quite make out much detail since she was silhouetted by the flickering light behind her, and I was pretty sure I didn’t know her. For some reason though, she felt safe. I don’t know what would make me think that, but I believed it.
“So, did you enjoy your nap? I’m sure that you must have been exhausted after all you’ve been through recently.” The motherly voice spoke to me and helped me get my senses back on track.
I sat up on the couch while still hugging the pillow I was holding, reaching a hand up to rub the sleep from my eyes. After my eyes adjusted to the light, I could make out more detail of the person standing beside the couch where I sat. She wore a kind smile that reached up to her eyes, which were a familiar amber. Not the same as Liz’s, but quite similar. Her skin was a deep tan, probably some kind of mediterranean-ish tone. Her hair was black and neatly curled into ringlets that dropped down to her chest. She really bore a striking resemblance to Liz. She seemed to be around the same age, maybe a few years older I would guess as well. Maybe she was Liz’s sister?
Oh, right I was supposed to reply, but instead I was sitting here staring at her all sleepy-like. “Yeah, I think I was more tired than I thought I was. Are you Liz’s sister?” Oh, I don’t think I actually meant to ask that. That was supposed to stay an inside thought. Oops.
The woman in front of me laughed with a hand to her mouth. I tilted my head to the side questioningly. “No, I do get that a lot though.” She stepped past me and sat down next to me on the couch. “It is nice to meet you. My name is Delilah Damascus Douglass. I am mother to Liz, and wife to Damian.”
My eyes squinted as I puzzled through her words and tried to respond at the same time. “Um, nice to meet you Delilah. I’m Samantha, though most people call me Sam.” I felt a little strange introducing myself so formally, but the mood seemed right for it at least. Just as well, I was rather distracted by how Delilah’s introduction seemed to disagree with what I was seeing.
Now illuminated by the firelight, Delilah’s features were more clearly visible to me. She definitely resembled Liz, but she also looked no older than I was. Her face didn’t have a single wrinkle or blemish on it, and still bore a youthful glow. She may have been a couple years off, but there is no way that someone in their twenties could have a daughter that is also in their twenties like Liz. She did dress rather maturely with a modest green blouse and darker green business slacks with brown, low-heeled pumps. Her height seemed to also be a bit different from Liz. While I sat messily on the couch next to her with my legs curled under myself, she sat up straight and only met my height as it was. She was likely a couple inches shorter than me, around maybe five foot eight-ish? No, the more I thought about it the more I was sure that there was no way that she could be anyone’s mother who was older than primary school age.
Delilah laughed to herself once more, seemingly delighted by my confusion. “Oh my, I can see the questions written all over your face. I’ll refrain from teasing you too much since you have been through such ordeals recently and simply tell you. Do you remember when Damian said that a Were could change their appearance in their human form?”
I nodded my head to her question. I recalled our conversation earlier where Damian had said that it was strange that I could have changed so early. That implied that it was normal to be able to change, given enough time. Did that mean-
“Yes, I can see that you have put it together now. I am indeed also a Were. That means that my appearance does not necessarily reflect my true age. Nor does Damian’s. He simply likes to look the part of a sophisticated old man, just as I enjoy the way that I appear before you now.” She smiled genuinely, seemingly enjoying my curiosity.
Well, that made sense. If you could shapeshift, then you could look however old you wanted to. That did beg the question though, how old was Liz? I glanced in her direction. At some point she had sat down on the opposite couch, arms crossed tightly under her chest, while I was focused on Delilah. She appeared to have been looking at me until she saw me turn towards her. It was clear from the swift movement I saw of her head turning away that she didn’t want me to catch her staring, but the action had no hint of subtlety.
Since I was properly awake now, I was able to see that she had done something with her hair. Before it had been left bedraggled from sleep, but now most of her hair was up in a messy ponytail and the rest was left loose to frame her face. It really suited her, and made me feel rather conflicted. There was surely a strained dynamic between us at this moment, which I didn’t really know what to do with. I still hadn’t really had enough time to decide how I felt about this whole situation.
Reading the question from the room, Delilah answered confidently, “Liz is the exception in our family. Her age is what it appears to be. She will be turning twenty-four this winter.”
Liz quickly looked at Delilah with a blush spreading across her cheeks and an appalled look on her face. “Mom!” I didn’t really get what she was worried about. Delilah only mentioned her age. It was actually kinda funny though. The ultra-strong, really hot wolf girl was almost two years younger than me. I felt a flutter in my chest as my mind began to wander.
A teasing smile drew my attention back to Delilah. “Liz dear, you don’t need to feel embarrassed. You have a rather unique set of circumstances. There is nothing to be ashamed of, staying under the wing, or tail, of your parents for a little longer.” Delilah smiled widely, enjoying the age old pastime of tormenting your child as only a parent can. I had a better idea now at least why Liz might be blushing as she was.
Wow, she was really cute right now though. She could be really bashful when caught off guard like this. Delilah caught me staring, I could see the smirk on her face out of the corner of my eye. I not-so-subtely looked away from Liz and towards Delilah again, a blush of my own lightly flushing my cheeks.
“Oh, how I wish I could keep up the fun. However, important matters need to be addressed before much longer.” Delilah paused, looking back and forth between myself and Liz with a much more serious expression. “So, as you have heard before, our intent is to send you back home so that you can continue living your life somewhat normally. Yet, the luxury of mundane existence is out of your reach for the time being. You will need to learn and grow strong enough to defend yourself from the others in this world that would seek to do you harm. You may have guessed at this point, but there are many creatures and people that go beyond what an average person might consider ‘normal.’ As such, you will need someone to teach you, as well as protect you until you can care for yourself.”
Delilah closed her eyes and bowed her head to me, shocking me a bit. “It is the fault of our family that you have been forcibly thrust into this new life, and we intend to take full responsibility. You also have been dealt a very unusual hand, which we are entirely in the dark on. We couldn’t possibly ask you to forgive us, but know that we as a family are deeply sorrowful for what we have caused you. We will do everything in our power to offer you our support to help you grow strong enough to live whatever life you wish to live without fear or threat from common foes.”
This was the second time today that I’ve been apologized to so profusely. Never in my life had I had someone apologize so seriously until today, and then it happened twice. They don’t even expect that I will forgive them based on what they’ve all said so far. I really… didn’t understand it. Alright, it was possible that it hadn’t all set in yet. I was still processing my earlier realizations about what happened to me, though they weighed on me less now than they had a little bit ago. The problems that they are implying are affecting me or will affect me just feel too distant right now. Even with Liz.
I turned my head just enough to put Liz in my field of view. She had uncrossed her arms and rested her hands on her legs as her head pointed down at her lap. Her knuckles were white from clenching her fists so hard.
A deep sigh lightened the load on my shoulders. I just couldn’t see Liz as someone who’s done anything bad to me. I couldn’t ignore the fact that I wasn’t entirely willing during the encounter last night for either the sexual part or the ‘awakening’ part. Doing so would be a kind of injustice in my book. Still, it may have been Liz’s body that had acted, but I put faith in Damian’s word that it was not Liz who had any control over it. I couldn’t place the blame on Liz then, and it also didn’t seem right to blame Damian for losing control of a being capable of deadlifting two-thousand pounds and then throwing it dozens of feet away without much real effort. I don’t know what kind of power was common for a Were to have, but the strength that I saw was ridiculous enough that I would believe it to be difficult to contain at best. I don’t even know how Delilah may have been involved in any of this.
Yeah, these people I’ve met seem genuine. Something in my gut firmly believes them. I don’t feel threatened or endangered, and they are committed to taking responsibility for what happened. For better or worse, I got a miracle transition to some ideal version of myself. The sexual part of last night was even enjoyable enough that I don’t really have any bad memories associated with it besides how scared I was at the start. That didn’t even feel real for some reason either, like it was some typical scare at a haunted house or something. How that holds up in the long-run is yet to be seen, but for right now most of the negative thoughts centered on last night are all in retrospect. I was willing to move past those in favor of trying to make the best out of a double-edged situation.
I resolved myself and looked confidently at Delilah. “Thank you.” This seemed to catch her off guard. She raised her head to meet my eyes with a quizzical expression on her face. “I won’t say that it’s okay, because honestly there are some parts of what happened that are really bad.” Delilah’s expression fell to that of sad understanding, but I wasn’t done yet. “There really were some things that I don’t think are forgivable, but those aren’t the things that are at the forefront of my mind.”
I straightened my posture and continued, “For better or worse, I was given a body that I could have only dreamt of. The usual means of transitioning can only do so much, especially when they can be so expensive. Now, I have a form that I’m much more happy with and I want to enjoy that. Even if there are going to be dangers that I can’t comprehend right now, I trust that you’ll do what you can to help me.” I held my hand up over my heart. “Something in me tells me that I can trust you. I couldn’t tell you what it is, but I’ve never been more sure of anything.” The effect of my speech may have been impacted by the fact that I still clutched a throw pillow firmly against my body, but I’m pretty sure the feeling came across anyway.
Delilah stared at me with disbelief written all over her face. She blinked a few times, perhaps unsure what to say. Liz ended up being the next person to speak, much to my surprise. “So… you’re happy with this?” Her voice wavered with uncertainty.
Meeting eyes with Liz again finally, I was entranced by those amber pools. I wanted to be clear with her, but I also wanted to make sure that it didn’t come across as all sunshine and rainbows. “Not entirely. Like I said, there were some truly bad things that happened last night. That, and I am sure that there are going to be some really alarming or scary things that I am likely to learn about the world soon with the door open to the things I thought before to only exist in fiction.” Liz’s shoulders slumped and her hands unclenched, the rest of her body visibly slackened. I aimed a sincere smile at her, which seemed to surprise her and cause some tension to build in her again.
I continued in spite of her worry, “But, it’s not all bad. Like I said, I’m really happy with the physical changes that have happened so far. And, call me naive, but I think it is going to be really cool to learn about all of the new stuff that I could have never encountered before!” I was getting a little excited there, so I reeled it back. “Plus um…” My posture slackened a bit and I started fidgeting with my hands together. “It wasn’t really a bad thing, waking up this morning. I felt really safe and comfortable. Last night wasn’t all bad stuff either…” My voice petered out, having entirely lost its steam.
Whyyyyyyyy did I say any of that at the end?! Brain! Why would you betray my feelings like this when I got caught up rambling?! Where were you even trying to reel back to?!
Liz stared at me wide-eyed and slack jawed, red slowly creeping up her entire face. My own face grew hot as I reflected on what I had said. Neither of us were able to break eye contact, stuck in some kind of unfortunate stalemate.
Our salvation as well as our ruin came in the form of Delilah making a choking sound. Both Liz and I turned to face her just in time for Delilah to burst out laughing. She tried to control herself I think, and even tried to start talking a time or two, but could only fall back into an unbridled giggle fit. This served only to prolong and deepen the embarrassment that Liz and I felt, while also causing us to meet eyes once more. Both of us were colored with a similarly questioning aspect along with our embarrassment. Whatever Delilah was laughing at, it had to do with the two of us, so we knew she wouldn’t let us live it down easy. If her earlier teasing was any indication, I would wager that Liz has had a lot of that in her life with a mother like Delilah. I was now bound to this family as well until I could take care of myself. This was gonna be rough.
Getting herself eventually under control, Delilah centered herself back on myself and Liz. “To think, I had gotten all serious and you were able to swing the mood back around so thoroughly. Your resolve and your character are admirable, to look in the face of adversity and change only to tell it how much you fancied waking up in bed with my daughter.”
It was my turn to stare wide eyed and slack jawed. “Oh! I’m sorry! That wasn’t-” Delilah cut me off with a hand in front of my mouth.
“What you do with my daughter is none of my business. You are adults, and I intend to treat you that way.” A sinister smile spread on her lips. “Which means that I don’t have to hold back for the sake of your innocence.”
If my face could spontaneously combust, which very well might be possible with the new supernatural options, it just might. My trust has been betrayed. Delilah was malevolent and evil. She wished to torture me to the very depths of my soul.
Mischief played in Delilah’s eyes. “Just remember, it isn’t wrong to have a little fun after a good training session.”
Delilah was going to kill me. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but with a temperament like this it was inevitable that she would be my doom. No, I was not being overdramatic. Probably…
A refreshed smile donning her face, Delilah seemed to get a little serious. “Well, teasing aside, I am truly glad that you have a positive outlook. I concur that there are some things that you will have to come to terms with. It won’t be something that will happen overnight. In the coming months, years, decades, centuries, and so on you will have to find peace in your own way.”
Yeah, I’ll have time to work through the ramifications and consequences. I don’t have to-
The sound effect of a record scratch played in my head. Embarrassment suddenly gone, I asked, “Wait, centuries…?”
Solemnly nodding, Delilah replied, “Yes, centuries. One of the main aspects that will color your life as a Were is the fact that you will no longer age. A Were’s body is unaffected by the passage of time in the same way that mundane beings are. You cannot die of old age. You will be immune to practically all diseases, maladies, and ailments. You will also be able to heal from most wounds that would be fatal for a non-Were.”
Delilah closed her eyes and neatly folded her hands on her lap. “I’m sure that you can imagine the ramifications of such conditions.” She took a deep breath and met my eyes once more. “In favor of avoiding the more morbid side of agelessness, I simply wish to let you know that there will be many challenges. There will be opportunities to speak more on this later.”
Woah, the immortality problem. I really don’t think I’m ready to even start reading into that. For Delilah and Damian though, that implies that they might not just be old enough to be Liz’s parents but they could be centuries old. Maybe even millennia... Alright, that’s a little too much to think through as well. I’m really piling up these topics that are too much to really process. At least I apparently have plenty of time to sort through them.
“I can see a lot of thoughts must be rushing through your head right now. Don’t let such thoughts of the future cloud your view of the present. My advice to you is to treat what I just told you as if it doesn’t exist for now. It is very important, but your focus should still be on the present. Nothing matters more than utilizing every moment to its fullest, regardless of how much still lies ahead.” Delilah smiled a caring, sad kind of smile. She spoke like someone with experience, which would make sense if she had gone through this herself.
Come to think of it, she probably had to have a similar discussion with Liz. Her own daughter shares the same situation. That… made things feel a bit weird. Not a bad weird, but weird. She had just sat down with someone who might as well be a complete stranger and helped them- helped me with hugely life-altering guidance as if I was her own. Sure, she and Damian had been saying that they would take responsibility for me, but I get the feeling that most people wouldn’t do it so sincerely. This sense that tells me that they are genuine is the only thing keeping me from doubting this as some sort of manipulation.
I honestly didn’t feel bent out of shape about things right now. There were a lot of knowledge bombs that hit me today. So many things that should each individually cause me a number of problems. But Delilah had read the mood and steered the conversation through difficult topics pretty smoothly. If this was the kind of tutelage that I would be under, then I’ll probably be alright.
A moment of silence had carried on while I thought. Feeling ready, I said, “You’ve given me a lot to think about while also telling me not to think about it… I believe you though, so I’ll take the advice that you’ve given me. So, what do we do now?”
The sadness in Delilah’s smile ebbed away, leaving a bright grin behind. “For now, I think it would be best to inform you of our ideas on how to handle your training for the coming span of time.” Standing up from the couch, Delilah offered me her hand. I stared at it for a moment before I realized that she probably wanted to help me stand up. I reluctantly released the pillow from my iron grip and took her hand that pulled me along to a standing position. “We can do that over lunch. Come, I’ll make us something nice.”
Delilah released my hand and started walking towards the kitchen. She paused briefly, turning around to face Liz who still sat on the couch with her head slumped down. “Liz, come along dear. It’s time to eat.”
Snapping out of whatever was occupying her, Liz stood up. “Yes mom.” She stood there, waiting suspiciously demurely. Liz’s hands were folded and held tightly against her front and still looking downwards.
Her mother turned back around and continued her walk to the kitchen with me behind her. Liz trailed behind the two of us, having started walking when we had. Delilah instructed Liz and I to take a seat at the table we had eaten breakfast at while she passed by to the kitchen where she started pulling things out of the fridge.
I watched her as she worked for a moment, then turned to face Liz. Turns out, she also had picked that moment to look over at me. We stayed staring into each other's eyes for a few moments, just long enough for me to get lost in her breathtaking ambered gaze, then both of our faces flushed in tandem and she looked away. I did as well a second later.
What the hell is this?! Teen angst?!
So Delilah shows up and Damien is no longer in the scene... So they must take turns being the ghost, that's it. For sure.
Coincidence, surely
@MegaSuperKami Yeah sure... I had this theory chapters ago and I guess I was right
Or was I?
@Octocat Who knows? Delilah would only tease you even if you got it right.
You’d never know for sure.
Wait... with the shape-shifting, they could totally be plural, and just, switching the shape of their body to accommodate who's fronting-
Intra-system relationships are apparently a thing, after all...
@GlassRose
That would most certainly be possible within the scope of abilities that exist in this universe