The Hippyland tourist destination was almost complete, the only thing left to do was hook up some of the farms to a storage system. Grian, Impulse, and Ren have just finished cleaning the lands of shulker boxes left mostly by Grian when Doc sent out a message saying that energy readings are coming from the meteor and to be a little cautious and to tell himself or Xisuma as soon as something starts happening.
"So, um, anyone feeling weird," Impulse asks awkwardly.
"Nope, all fine over here," Ren says from across the campfire. "Nothing strange at all,"
"I'm good," Grian answers from one of the ungodly shulker fields.
The Hippies continue to talk and eventually turn in for the night. As the moon rose high in the sky the meteor's effect Grew stronger causing one hermit to huddle closer into himself as the night progressed.
.....................
Grian bolts out of his bed when the screaming starts. Stumbling out of his camper still in his pajamas he rushes into Rens van with Impulse right behind him. "What happened?"
Ren stops screaming and opens his mouth showing the others the fangs that had replaced his canines. "I wake up and find this, I don't know what's happening,"
"I'm going to call Doc," Impulse says as he steps out of the camper. Ren nods and takes out a mirror and starts poking at the fangs.
"Does anything else feel weird?" Grian asks. "I know Mumbo felt really weird until we figured everything out,"
"Well, the top of my head feels pretty weird and my back is killing me," He mumbles through clenched teeth. "The pains getting worse," He gasps after a few moments of silence.
"Ok, let's get you out of here it's too cramped to do much," Ren nods his head and allows Grian to help move him outside.
"Doc's on his way, he'll be here in a few minutes," Impulse says as Grian helps Ren out of the camper.
"Good... Ren? Ren, you still with me?" Grian asks Ren whose face was contorted with pain.
Ren gasps for breath, trying to stay standing. "I-I can't, It hurts, so bad."
"Can you drink these?" Impulse asks handing Ren a potion of healing and regeneration. Ren nods his head and drinks each of the potions slowly choking them down.
........
"Doc's here," Grian says to Ren who was lying on his stomach in the grass. Then clears out giving them some space.
"Hey Ren, how are you doing?" Doc asks quietly sitting on the ground next to his friend. When Ren's only response was a low sad sounding growl Doc moves back a little and says "Impulse and Grian told me about your teeth and your back,"
"Doc?" Ren asks as he slowly sits up.
"I'm right here," Doc answers putting an arm around Ren. "Can you explain what's going on?"
"When I woke up my teeth had Sharpened Into fangs, after that my lower back started hurting bad and the top of my head feels really weird,"
"Anything else?"
"No"
"Ren, you growled at me,"
Ren's eyes widened in surprise. "I did?"
"You did," Doc confirms.
"I'm sorry about that,"
"It's fine. How does your back feel?"
"Beter, they gave me a regeneration and healing potion,"
They continue talking for a while until Doc declares, "I'll be back tomorrow, it's the full moon and I have to go witch proof Area 77 with Scar, They won't stop trying to get in, much like some hippies I know of,"
"I'm sure I don't know what you mean,"
Doc rolls his eye the cyborg one remaining still. "I'm sure you don't. I'll see you later,"
"Have fun, I'll just be here, plotting another brake in,"
"Please don't," Doc says as he leaves hippy land.
.............
As Doc said that night was the full moon and the hippy community was once again woken by the sound of screaming echoing off the campers. Grian rushes to Ren's camper flings the door open rushing to Ren's side. Upon reaching Ren who had gained dog ears and a tail he sits down next to him and slowly starts petting his ears. Having his ears pet calms Ren down enough for him to go back to sleep, Impulse quietly enters telling them that he called Doc and he would be arriving soon.
As Doc arrives the moon reaches its peak in the sky. Ren's body begins to change shape going from bipedal to quadrupedal, begins growing soft brown fur, his mouth stretches out into a muzzle. The entire process only took seconds but to those watching those seconds stretched on.
When the transformation was completed Ren was a rather large brown wolf. "Ren? Are ok?" Grian asks his friend who is struggling to get up on all fours.
Ren lets out a whimpering sound in response then eyes Grian with a look that says what do you think.
Doc takes a few steps forward and reaches his metal hand slowly towards Rens head, Ren sniffs at the hand a bit then recolls backing into the corner. "Is that still you, Ren?" Doc asks as he moves his arm away from Ren.
Ren nods his head then takes a few experimental steps forward and nudges Docs leg with his head to grab his attention. When Doc looks down at Ren he backs up a little but pokes at the door and looking up at the three exhausted men standing in his home, Impulse was the first to realize that he wanted to go outside and presses the button that opens the door. Ren rushes outside tripping over his own feet.
"Impulse? Why'd you let him out?" Grian asks turning towards the open door where you could see Ren running around the campers.
"Well, he seems to remember everything and he can't get into that much trouble with the tree barrier," Impulse says showing his reasoning by pointing out the window at Ren who had flopped down in front of the campfire and was looking expectantly at his van.
"I suppose it's fine," Doc says as they leave the van and sit near Ren.
After sitting in silence for a few minutes Impulse asks Grian how Mumbo's doing.
"He's doing ok, we did find something out though he can power off, he spilled some water and broke his torch, somehow he didn't notice and he couldn't move until Iskall found him and replaced the torch. Did you see the chat about two weeks ago, that read 'MumboJumbo powered off' he didn't put the torch back and that's what happened," Grian rambles on about Mumbo's condition. "Doc, how is Scar doing,"
"He's taking it surprisingly well. I haven't seen that much of him actually, I think the ConVex are up to something. I've seen them with their masks on almost every time,"
"ConVex? Like ConCorp?" Grian asks confused.
"Right, you weren't there, The ConVex are Cub and Scar, they messed with Vex magic and sometimes get possessed by Vex spirits, who prank literally everyone. When we transferred worlds the Vex spirits stopped showing up as often. The meteor probably woke them," Impulse explains. "They're the ones who made the mustache hall of fame, Scar and Cub can
see what's happening but don't have much control,"
Grian nods in understanding. "I see,"
By this point, Ren had curled up and was falling asleep. The other hermits talk for a while more then one by one they fall asleep.
.............................
"Did that actually happen?" Ren asks the next morning after everyone was awake and eating breakfast.
"Yep," Grian says Popping the p.
"Do you remember everything that happened?" Doc questions as he paces back-and-forth.
"I remember that my ears disappeared then popped back on top of my head-" the aforementioned ears flicked, "That was the craziest thing ever man, my hearing went out and then it came back twice as strong. Then I grew a freaking tail which was painful. That's when Grian showed up." Ren pauses for a moment collecting his thoughts. "I guess I fell asleep after that cause when I woke up I was not expecting to be a freaking dog,"
"You backed away from me several times, do you remember why?" Doc asks as he sits down with everyone else.
"I think, I was because you smelled off, you smelled more earthy and poisonous?" Ren tries to explain.
"Makes sense, creepers even nonexplosive ones like me are really poisonous to dogs and wolves," Doc Says nodding. "So it's probably just instincts telling you to stay away,"
"Oh, crap," Impulse says suddenly standing up and pulling out his sword. "Pillager raid,"
He says this seconds too late as Grian gets shot in the arm, causing the smaller man to stumble back hissing in pain. Ren bares his teeth growing at the pillagers. The Pillagers took Aim once again this time hitting one of the nearby logs. This sent Ren over the edge he lunges forward snarling and growling at the pillagers.
After Ren snapped the fight lasted only three more minutes. As Ren rushed in to fight the pillagers Doc follows with his trident in hand. Impulse stays back helping Grian get the arrow out of his arm.
............
"Ug, what happened?" Ren groans clutching his head.
"You beat the pillagers, then you fainted," Grian says from next to Impulse with his arm wrapped in a bandage.
At Ren's confusion, Doc takes over-explaining what happened. "After you beat them your eyes were glowing you started to walk back over here but fainted after a few steps. I'm pretty sure that it was from exhaustion. If it's ok with you I would like to do some testing, but we'll need to go back to the main island,"
"Ok,"
...........
"Ren, you almost walked into me again," Impulse complains as Ren walked straight in front of him.
"Sorry, man I can't help it,"
"Ren What are you doing with your tail?" Doc asks from his spot at the back of the group walking through the nether.
"Trying to keep it still," Ren answers. "I kept tripping grian by accident,"
"Don't do that you probably need it for balance,"
"Ok," After Ren lets his tail do as it pleases his walking improved greatly.
"Once we get back Xi-sumA vOiD wants everyone in Sahara for a meeting," Grian says after checking his communicator.
.....................
"Some of you may be wondering why I have gathered you here," Xisuma begins waiting for the hermits to stop chatting, once they were all listening he starts explaining what will happen, "I think that for the time being, we should stay on the main island. This is due to what happened to Ren last night."
"What happened to him?" False asks concern for her neighbor lacing her voice.
"The meteor turned him into what we think is a werewolf," Doc says pointing at Ren who was getting his ears scratched by Grian. "His mind remand normal aside from a few instincts that are necessary for survival," A few questions later and the topic shifted to the first thing Xisuma said.
"But, Xisuma I don't have a house over here, neither does Keralis," Bdubs points out. WIth keralis nodding along.
"There are a few inns in the fantasy district that you can stay in," They seem to accept this so Xisuma moves on. "I say we put it up for a vote,"
..................
In the end, it was decided that they would stay on the island for the most part and if you left you would use the buddy system. Doc, however, would be allowed to come and go freely to area 77 and would only need to send a chat message to help ensure his safety.
.................