Jeno had always straddled the line between two worlds— One where he roamed on four legs, his soft white fur blending into the winter snow, and another where he walked on two, blending into the crowd like any ordinary man. A Samoyed hybrid by birth, he had long mastered the art of shifting between forms, though circumstances didn’t always allow for a smooth transition.

Tonight was one of those nights.

Wounded and exhausted, Jeno lay curled up in his canine form, his normally pristine coat stained with dirt and dried blood. His body ached, but he had no energy left to move. Just as the weight of unconsciousness threatened to pull him under, soft footsteps approached.

"Oh no… poor thing."

A gentle voice, warm despite the cold night air. He barely registered the hands scooping him up, nor the soft fabric he was wrapped in as he was carried away.

When he stirred again, he felt warmth. A cozy home, the scent of something faintly sweet in the air. He could hear water running. His rescuer must have gone to fetch something. His body still throbbed, but at least he was safe for now.

He exhaled. Maybe shifting back would be easier here.

By the time you returned with a towel in hand, ready to tend to the little Samoyed, the sight before you stopped you cold.

The puppy was gone.

And in its place, sitting stiffly on your couch, was a grown man with snow-white hair, golden eyes blinking at you in confusion.

"…Uhm why do you look so shocked?" Jeno asked, brows furrowing as if you were the one doing something strange.