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The monster staring back at her had slit pupils, its irises glowing yellow.
All seven of them.
Its skin, where it had any, was marred by scarring. Some of it was from battles, but she could see an incomplete y-scar going from its belly to its chest. If it turned around, she could see similar scars on its back where its wings would come out and where its tail started.
Reminders of its origins.
Its arms, legs, neck, ears and tail were covered in grayish to black fur. The ears were tall, with nicks taken off them. Its tail was stiff and long and it would have had a thick and plush fur. But it had chewed the fur ragged years ago.
The creature touched her face carefully, trying to avoid nicking her with its claws. She could feel its rough pawpads tracing the variety of scars and nicks on her face.
It stood on strange feet. The heel was kept off the ground, yet most of the leg was human. It just stood on its toes.
Was its skin darker or was it just the lighting? She did not know.
Tracing her finger past its navel led her to an area covered in fur she did not dare to explore.
The creature opened its jaws, exposing three canines crowded into its upper row. Luckily, its lower jaw only had one set. Its tongue was long, barely fitting inside its mouth.
What a horrid creature, made only to kill.
She leaned against it, her face against its face, her hands grasping its hands. It felt cold against her skin, like a monster should.
Its image disappeared, leaving her looking at fogged glass.
Fuck.
She dug her claws into the glass, snarling as drool leaked out of her mouth.
She wanted to pretend she was normal. That she was human.
Her tail curled against her leg, its ragged fur feeling stiff.
The sound of her claws digging into the mirror made her ears twitch and pull flat against her skull.
J stood back up, hissing at herself. Monster, that's what she was and would always be.
"J? You okay in there?" Someone asked, and J was halfway into hissing when she stopped herself. It was not worth it.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she let out, her voice thankfully calm.
Whoever was on the other side didn't seem to agree, as the door was shoved open.
J's fur bristled and she had no idea which part of her body to cover with her paws hands. She glared at bright purple eyes.
Of course it was that toaster. Of fucking course.
"You are not okay," Uzi snapped, closing the door behind her. J hissed once more, but the former worker drone did not care, marching to J and grabbed hold of her paws HANDS.
"You spent hours starin' at the mirror and afterwards ya smell of blood," Uzi snapped, lifting up her upper lip to show her own canines.
"I'm a hideous monster, toaster," J shrieked back, ripping her hands from Uzi's hold.
"Look at me! Nothing but an animal. Even like this, I am still ruined," she continued, hugging herself so tightly her claws dug into her arms.
Uzi let out a snort and with zero preamble, threw off her hoodie and undershirt. J would have commented on it, but the purple menace gave her no room.
"What about me, huh? Do you think I- If I was born a human, I'd look like this?" Uzi snapped, pointing at her upper torso.
Purple fur poked out from the middle of her chest and a dorsal mane ran down her back. As Uzi lifted up her arms, J could see a fleshy film between her ribcage and lower arm. Uzi, by whatever Solver magic, noticed her gaze and pulled on the film.
"Look, shitty ass wing membranes. That do nothing. They just sit there gatherin' sweat," the girl snapped, poking her tongue out in a very wolf-like snarl.
And, of course, Uzi was covered in various scars and nicks.
J let out a stressed gagging sound.
"There's no goin' back, corpo. Not fer me, N, V or you. We're all fucked up. But at least we're free now," Uzi spoke, crossing her arms and staring up at J. Her tail was stiffly lashing.
"So just, urgh, get over yourself. At least ya look like a supermodel," she added.
That made J's ears perk up and she looked at the purple batwolfthing.
"You think I'm pretty?" she asked, tilting her head. Uzi didn't blush, but her tail's lashing ceased.
"Objectively yer pretty," she got out, grabbing her shirt and putting it on. J stared at the former toaster, ears tilted to the side.
Until Uzi threw her coat at her face.
"Now get dressed and join the rest. And, I dunno, talk to N or somethin'," the purple menace said, not looking at J.
Despite Uzi's less-than-stellar social skills, J felt a bit better. Less alone, at least.