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Chapter 24 - Chapter 24. Backstage

Ally watches from the shadows, as Mr. Fox sings, "I pray to God you'll make it out alive." As her figure disappears, into a ripple in the foundation's water. Spreading across it. Mr. Fox sighs, straightens his tux, and says, "Ok... that's a wrap. Make sure to send Miss Arletion gets the care she needs. She will be very... confused of her new shadow fox body. But hey, at least she is immortal." Karlen walks towards Mr. Fox, on two legs, humanoid, as he holds a clipboard. "Yes, she is already reforming there as we speak. The foxes there are handling it. Beyond that, the mark on the child, Kane Emmit, is stable." Mr. Fox nods. "Good, prepare plans for a basic educational set for his introduction to this system, and explanation... hmm... in 3 days? Yeah, by then the police should have denied all his claims." Karlen nods. Shadow foxes show up out of the woodwork, metaphorically, as they walk out of the shadows, from their various roles in the performance. A fox with an electric guitar, several drummers step out, drumsticks dissolving. As a music producer with headphones, and a still dissolving EDM board pats the others on the back. As 3 work to manifest a table, and some coffee. While others talk casually, and others talk to Mr. Fox, and Karlen. As they all seem very busy. While Ally... just sits in a corner watching. Feeling unsure. Just sitting on 4 legs. As she sees many shadow foxes shifting poses as they wish, between humanoid, and fox. She remembers how few of them do that out in other areas of the fox realm.

She walks up to Mr. Fox, and asks, "So... that was something. You sure she will handle this?" Mr. Fox sighs, "Eh... she needs to. Or else... my warning was correct. Beyond that, there is some benefits of being a shadow fox. I always considered it as a potential method to help the suffering old folk out there escape death." She looks around, and asks, "How can all... of them shift to walking on two legs so easily." He replies, "Being able to do that... in the fox realm means one thing. You are proud of yourself. Being proud for a shadow fox is a hard thing to do. It's considered... a matter of status, but also kinda rude to do it when a person who can't is nearby. The more... healthy you are the more human, the less, the more animalistic. Walking on two legs is a sign of high stability, control... and imagination I guess." Ally... tries to stand up on two legs, and falls over. She growls slightly, and is about to try again. Mr. Fox sighs, as he stops her. Returning to two legs. "You can't yet. Stop trying, it will just annoy you." She frowns, annoyed, growls. She asks, "Why can't I do it? I am a tether?" Mr. Fox sighs, "The realm still has my imprint baked in from decades of just me as a tether. You think you can so easily bypass what the realm has decided is law?" She looks at him, annoyed, pouting. As Mr. Fox's dapper clothes slowly seem to unravel themselves into nothing. As he walks on all 4's. He turns, and says, "Karlen will take you out of the studio. I will assign his backup to handle the after-intervention activities." Karlen nods, dropping to all 4's. As his clothes, and clipboard unravel. As a different shadow fox shows up. Karlen leads the way to a door, and they exit to the very pretty, Disney forest in open sun that is the 'studio' area in between locations in the realm.

Soon, she exited into the wind, as the door literally turned to dust behind her. The focus, and raw craftsmanship of that area, that aura, faded with the breeze of casual, calm, warmth. She stops for a second. As Karlen says, "You ok?" She turns, and sighs. "I know I am not that stable... but... when did you gain the capacity to stand?" Karlen thinks. His front-right paw turning handlike, as he rubs his chin. "I suppose it was when I stopped hating myself." He sighs, and looks at her with a smile. "I hope to see you walk like that one day. But... it changes nothing about the fact... you are my mate!" He runs up and snuggles with her, licking her ears, and back of her head. As she chuckles, and sighs, "Yeah... I know. I mean... we have grown pretty close here, with our last few dates, and all." He chuckles, "Yeah, did you like the space adventure I brought you on last time? That author is insane. He is planning a sequel already." She sighs, "Of course I did? Who does not enjoy a literal realistic dream, constructed with a plot, storyline, and several endings. Seriously... you guys have nothing better to do I guess." He chuckles, "Yeah, even I dabbled. I mean... what else is there to do!? Beyond help with the interventions, learn science, psychology, and stuff, teach kids. So... what you want to do today? You still have a few hours here?"

She thinks for a moment, sitting, tail thumping... "Hmm... I think some cuddling with you sounds nice." He nods, "Well, the lady knows what she wants. Too bad we can't ever go further... without... well... as Mr. Fox so kindly put it... risking effects on earth." She moves to lick his ears. As he quietly accepts. "It's fine..." She eventually says, "Once things get more stable... perhaps we can see what... furthering this relationship is like." She blushes. Before sighing, "Too bad... everything is changing for me on earth. I mean... I am literally... growing ears. Like... blood-bone ears. The doctors the Avengers hooked me up with said my body is literally reorganizing its own cells unnaturally. I mean... it already removed my periods, and female hormones, replacing them with fox... it's just... scary." He nods. "Yeah... though for me, fox instincts came in the instant I became this way." She nods, "Well... let's go someplace more private." He nods. "I got the perfect spot. I designed it myself, though Mr. Fox stabilized it for long-term use. Come." He begins to suddenly walk, as she follows, and they sprint, and leap with animation.

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