Sneplink
I was out at NFC last week, and then I had this idea about snow leopard twinning TF, and to my surprise I wrote and finished this story fairly soon after. Enjoy. :D <3
It was a cold morning, and surprisingly difficult finding the snow leopard out in the reserve, with its huge open area to scour. This was what the tracking collar was supposed to help with, and why Teak was out here with tools and a tranquilliser rifle: the collar on this particular guest was malfunctioning. A routine job for a routine day. Sometimes Teak had a direction to go, other times just static. It made for slow progress, as the off-roader wandered along the dirt track. Right now, the tracker was working, with a beep that was slowly speeding up.
The rumour was that this particular snow leopard used to be human. Felt kinda weird then to have brought out the rifle, but it was the protocol. Besides, it was only a rumour, and even if true, the creature wasn't human now; Teak had no idea if more feline instincts were going to kick in when they got closer. Sometimes folks had to be snow leopards, that's just how it was.
The bleep from the little radio unit in the dashboard changed to a higher tone, and Teak brought the off-roader to a stop. That change suggested it was very close indeed, and if they were lucky, they'd be able to see it from here. Carefully they looked out through the side and front windows for any sign of the creature, and slowly they crept the vehicle ahead in the direction shown on the unit.
Ah, there it was! The snow leopard was minding its own business near the base of a lone tree, head scanning about lazily. Grey white fur, fluffy black rosettes, thick collar, long tail flicking. Maybe it had heard the off-roader, as otherwise it was very quiet out here. Through the sight of the tranquilliser, the eyes of the big cat seemed to pause in their direction, before Teak pointed the crosshairs at its side and pulled the trigger. There was a flash of red, before the snow leopard flinched and hopped up onto its paws, with a new fluffy bauble attached. Were those accusatory eyes, looking down the barrel? Rather than running in surprise, the feline started to blithely walk towards the vehicle. Teak could see why there were rumours.
Good thing too, as the bleeping stopped. Chasing the snow leopard now would have been less than ideal, but thankfully Teak wouldn't have to. They'd still have to wait a while, making sure the sedative did its work, as the animal's gait gradually started to sway side to side. It eventually took the hint, sliding down onto its belly, before rolling onto its side moments later. After some minutes had passed, the keeper opened their door, grabbed their tools and went out to meet their newest friend.
For a big cat, the snow leopard wasn't all that big. Although groggy, it was still awake, and Teak gave it deep scritches behind the ears as they reached down to examine the collar. It seemed intact, and Teak opened the magnetised clasp to take it off and get a closer look. In the meantime, they replaced it with a spare collar which they knew was working. If the feline did decide to wander away, then at least there'd be something to follow.
"What."
Opening the collar, Teak found themself very confused. The radio unit was one thing, with a loose wire that was a quick fix. The other circuitry was a mystery that they'd never seen before, with a few black boxes and a couple of blunted contacts that sat back inside the collar–
Zap.
An arc of warmth shot through their body, making their legs numb and causing Teak to find themselves lying in the dirt, head spinning and eyes bleary.
Moments seemed to have drifted by, had they passed out? That was quite the shock, then. Maybe the snow leopard had an older collar? Perhaps this one needed to go back to camp, then. Where was it, anyway?
Oh. It was now around their neck, that must have happened when they fell. The clasp had fixed in place, too, and Teak was thankful whatever short-circuit had happened was no longer an issue. Still, they didn't want a misbehaving collar anywhere near them, and the keeper reached for the collar magnet once more. However, their big fluffy paws couldn't grab onto the tool, slipping against the box ineffectively.
Wait. Hold up. Back a step. At the ends of their arms, where hands should be, they now had big fluffy paws. White fingers with a hint of grey. Short claws. Spreading fur. Not very human at all.
Frantic paws tried to grab the collar and yank it off, but Teak's higher reasoning quickly caught up: that wasn't going to work. Why were they turning into a snow leopard? You couldn't fit that kind of technology onto a collar, could you? Regardless, itchy sensations crept up their arms, closely followed by warmth that they assumed to be fur. Digits wiggled as their arms shrunk back into forelegs, bunching up the fabric of their shirt. Teak popped off all of their buttons with their new claws, revealing the rapid progression of fur down their body, and feeling it reach up their neck towards their head.
Seeing and feeling the change on their body was one thing, but Teak's breathing grew quicker at the tingle of new fur on their cheeks. Down there, it could almost have been happening to someone else. Up here, every change felt magnified and so much more severe. That was their face, their eyes and ears, with clicks and cracks felt as much as heard. Feral ears, animal nose, feline whiskers. Richer scents and sounds to overwhelm the changing snow leopard. A whole new appearance, but it was hard to focus with so much of the change fighting for attention, and thoughts going by so quickly. Who'd recognise them? What could they do? Paws grabbed their ears, as Teak tried to ball themself up, their new feline nose full of their own furry scent. Sometimes you turned into a snow leopard; that's just how it was.
Teak rolled onto their back, panting and fidgeting as the assault on their senses seemed to stop. Decidedly animalistic noises came from their mouth. Words didn't seem to work, instead replaced by meows, yowls, chuffs. During the distraction, their body had broadened out, along with shoulders and haunches. All that seemed to be left of their human body were two now unwieldy legs, and the change would make short work of those. They shrank as feet grew into new paws, shredding socks, with trousers falling off to reveal a blossoming tail. So many rosette patterns, Teak wanted to count them. Being an animal wasn't at all what they had in mind, but having such a lovely pelt was a nice bonus.
Then, other than a dull ache throughout their body, the change was done. Only their shirt might suggest they'd ever been anything other than an animal, and that fluttered in the small breeze, only held in place by the thick fluff on their forelegs. It wouldn't last long, and then they'd just be a snow leopard with a collar. Teak felt anxious, masked by curiosity: what did he look like now? As though it'd give them some reference, their eyes finally went over to where the other feline had been half-asleep, but now it was no longer there. Time had passed. Uh oh.
Sniff. Sniff sniff. Nose against their fur. The other snow leopard hadn't gone far at all, and it sleepily explored the fur of this newcomer who smelled almost the same as it did. Teak noticed it too, with their unpracticed nose: they both had the same scent. Likely the same appearance, too, right down to the details. It was like looking in a mirror. Snow leopard and snow leopard. Mow? Mow!
Like a big kitten, the other feline playfully hopped onto the prone Teak and got comfy. Tails nudged together, paws pinned paws, and noses touched. Gosh, that really was like a mirror, and they gazed up into the face that they were certain they now shared. Big green eyes, patterned fur, long whiskers. Identical. Each of their collars gave a little chime, before Teak's vision glossed over with colour, and they couldn't look away from the patterns and changing colours suddenly in the other snow leopard's eyes.
Strangely, it was relaxing. It was information, from snep to snep, flowing out of the creature's eyes and right into Teak's thoughts. It was everything a snow leopard knew and did, everything it needed to share with an identical copy. It wasn't overwriting Teak, but it was very compelling to slip into that mindset. Very easy to think like a snep while being a snep. Each of them made soft chirps that grew closer the more information they shared. For a few sweet moments, they moved together and made sounds together, as the link closed and their eyes returned to normal, and as Teak took a breath.
Someone needed to know about this at some point. However, Teak didn't feel there was any rush, and was coming to really enjoy the chance of spending some time here first with their new twin. They leaned up to lick at the little red spot on its flank, where a lifetime ago a human keeper had fired a sleepy dart, but it was fine. All fine. No need to be moving around right away, but soon it'd be time for a pair of snow leopards to get going. Teak had all the memories, but knew everything it did would secretly be for the first time. So exciting! Can't wait!
* * *
It was a cold morning, and surprisingly difficult finding the snow leopard out in the reserve, with its huge open area to scour. This was what the tracking collar was supposed to help with, and why Teak was out here with tools and a tranquilliser rifle: the collar on this particular guest was malfunctioning. A routine job for a routine day. Sometimes Teak had a direction to go, other times just static. It made for slow progress, as the off-roader wandered along the dirt track. Right now, the tracker was working, with a beep that was slowly speeding up.
The rumour was that this particular snow leopard used to be human. Felt kinda weird then to have brought out the rifle, but it was the protocol. Besides, it was only a rumour, and even if true, the creature wasn't human now; Teak had no idea if more feline instincts were going to kick in when they got closer. Sometimes folks had to be snow leopards, that's just how it was.
The bleep from the little radio unit in the dashboard changed to a higher tone, and Teak brought the off-roader to a stop. That change suggested it was very close indeed, and if they were lucky, they'd be able to see it from here. Carefully they looked out through the side and front windows for any sign of the creature, and slowly they crept the vehicle ahead in the direction shown on the unit.
Ah, there it was! The snow leopard was minding its own business near the base of a lone tree, head scanning about lazily. Grey white fur, fluffy black rosettes, thick collar, long tail flicking. Maybe it had heard the off-roader, as otherwise it was very quiet out here. Through the sight of the tranquilliser, the eyes of the big cat seemed to pause in their direction, before Teak pointed the crosshairs at its side and pulled the trigger. There was a flash of red, before the snow leopard flinched and hopped up onto its paws, with a new fluffy bauble attached. Were those accusatory eyes, looking down the barrel? Rather than running in surprise, the feline started to blithely walk towards the vehicle. Teak could see why there were rumours.
Good thing too, as the bleeping stopped. Chasing the snow leopard now would have been less than ideal, but thankfully Teak wouldn't have to. They'd still have to wait a while, making sure the sedative did its work, as the animal's gait gradually started to sway side to side. It eventually took the hint, sliding down onto its belly, before rolling onto its side moments later. After some minutes had passed, the keeper opened their door, grabbed their tools and went out to meet their newest friend.
For a big cat, the snow leopard wasn't all that big. Although groggy, it was still awake, and Teak gave it deep scritches behind the ears as they reached down to examine the collar. It seemed intact, and Teak opened the magnetised clasp to take it off and get a closer look. In the meantime, they replaced it with a spare collar which they knew was working. If the feline did decide to wander away, then at least there'd be something to follow.
"What."
Opening the collar, Teak found themself very confused. The radio unit was one thing, with a loose wire that was a quick fix. The other circuitry was a mystery that they'd never seen before, with a few black boxes and a couple of blunted contacts that sat back inside the collar–
Zap.
An arc of warmth shot through their body, making their legs numb and causing Teak to find themselves lying in the dirt, head spinning and eyes bleary.
Moments seemed to have drifted by, had they passed out? That was quite the shock, then. Maybe the snow leopard had an older collar? Perhaps this one needed to go back to camp, then. Where was it, anyway?
Oh. It was now around their neck, that must have happened when they fell. The clasp had fixed in place, too, and Teak was thankful whatever short-circuit had happened was no longer an issue. Still, they didn't want a misbehaving collar anywhere near them, and the keeper reached for the collar magnet once more. However, their big fluffy paws couldn't grab onto the tool, slipping against the box ineffectively.
Wait. Hold up. Back a step. At the ends of their arms, where hands should be, they now had big fluffy paws. White fingers with a hint of grey. Short claws. Spreading fur. Not very human at all.
Frantic paws tried to grab the collar and yank it off, but Teak's higher reasoning quickly caught up: that wasn't going to work. Why were they turning into a snow leopard? You couldn't fit that kind of technology onto a collar, could you? Regardless, itchy sensations crept up their arms, closely followed by warmth that they assumed to be fur. Digits wiggled as their arms shrunk back into forelegs, bunching up the fabric of their shirt. Teak popped off all of their buttons with their new claws, revealing the rapid progression of fur down their body, and feeling it reach up their neck towards their head.
Seeing and feeling the change on their body was one thing, but Teak's breathing grew quicker at the tingle of new fur on their cheeks. Down there, it could almost have been happening to someone else. Up here, every change felt magnified and so much more severe. That was their face, their eyes and ears, with clicks and cracks felt as much as heard. Feral ears, animal nose, feline whiskers. Richer scents and sounds to overwhelm the changing snow leopard. A whole new appearance, but it was hard to focus with so much of the change fighting for attention, and thoughts going by so quickly. Who'd recognise them? What could they do? Paws grabbed their ears, as Teak tried to ball themself up, their new feline nose full of their own furry scent. Sometimes you turned into a snow leopard; that's just how it was.
Teak rolled onto their back, panting and fidgeting as the assault on their senses seemed to stop. Decidedly animalistic noises came from their mouth. Words didn't seem to work, instead replaced by meows, yowls, chuffs. During the distraction, their body had broadened out, along with shoulders and haunches. All that seemed to be left of their human body were two now unwieldy legs, and the change would make short work of those. They shrank as feet grew into new paws, shredding socks, with trousers falling off to reveal a blossoming tail. So many rosette patterns, Teak wanted to count them. Being an animal wasn't at all what they had in mind, but having such a lovely pelt was a nice bonus.
Then, other than a dull ache throughout their body, the change was done. Only their shirt might suggest they'd ever been anything other than an animal, and that fluttered in the small breeze, only held in place by the thick fluff on their forelegs. It wouldn't last long, and then they'd just be a snow leopard with a collar. Teak felt anxious, masked by curiosity: what did he look like now? As though it'd give them some reference, their eyes finally went over to where the other feline had been half-asleep, but now it was no longer there. Time had passed. Uh oh.
Sniff. Sniff sniff. Nose against their fur. The other snow leopard hadn't gone far at all, and it sleepily explored the fur of this newcomer who smelled almost the same as it did. Teak noticed it too, with their unpracticed nose: they both had the same scent. Likely the same appearance, too, right down to the details. It was like looking in a mirror. Snow leopard and snow leopard. Mow? Mow!
Like a big kitten, the other feline playfully hopped onto the prone Teak and got comfy. Tails nudged together, paws pinned paws, and noses touched. Gosh, that really was like a mirror, and they gazed up into the face that they were certain they now shared. Big green eyes, patterned fur, long whiskers. Identical. Each of their collars gave a little chime, before Teak's vision glossed over with colour, and they couldn't look away from the patterns and changing colours suddenly in the other snow leopard's eyes.
Strangely, it was relaxing. It was information, from snep to snep, flowing out of the creature's eyes and right into Teak's thoughts. It was everything a snow leopard knew and did, everything it needed to share with an identical copy. It wasn't overwriting Teak, but it was very compelling to slip into that mindset. Very easy to think like a snep while being a snep. Each of them made soft chirps that grew closer the more information they shared. For a few sweet moments, they moved together and made sounds together, as the link closed and their eyes returned to normal, and as Teak took a breath.
Someone needed to know about this at some point. However, Teak didn't feel there was any rush, and was coming to really enjoy the chance of spending some time here first with their new twin. They leaned up to lick at the little red spot on its flank, where a lifetime ago a human keeper had fired a sleepy dart, but it was fine. All fine. No need to be moving around right away, but soon it'd be time for a pair of snow leopards to get going. Teak had all the memories, but knew everything it did would secretly be for the first time. So exciting! Can't wait!
* * *