ES 6 -Lemons!

The first week of Dawson’s life as a fake shifter he spent as a receptionist in the archive with Shrapnel. It gave him access to vast amounts of shifter knowledge. Occasionally he had to search for some piece of information on the request of shifters that visited the archives, but mostly the archives were empty. So far no one had questioned him in anyway, though interactions had been short and limited.
“Hi, what can I help you with?” he said without looking up. He had figured it was easier not to stare if you didn’t look at people.
“I’m looking for the whereabouts of a person, you mind looking him up in the archive for me?”
“Sure, what’s the name?”
“Try Vitriol, can’t be that many with that name.”
“V, I, T, R, I…” And then Dawson realized where he’d seen the name before. He looked up from the computer and into the face of a woman with pale yellow irises and bright red sclera. He was pretty sure her hair was made of feathers.
“Something’s wrong?” she asked with her red lips forming a bit too broad smile.
“Why are you looking for him?” Dawson asked with a frown.
“Why?”
“Can’t give out information without a reason.”
The woman gave up an amused laughter.
“What is your name? And our element, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Inaida… I am… my element is sodium hydrogen carbonate.” Dawson was definitely getting nervous by this strange woman.
“Aren’t you cute. Could have fooled me if I didn’t know what you were.”
“What do you mean?” By now he was sweating under the heavy robes.
“I mean you are a hairless monkey trying to pretend to be a demon.”
Dawson threw himself away from the desk but the woman was quicker, she caught him and lifted him off the floor with one hand. Despite her slender build she was surprisingly strong.
“Shrapnel!!” Dawson cried in despair.
From inside the archive complex Shrapnel came rushing when he heard Dawson. Seeing the scene before him he tossed away the books he was holding, speeded up and started shouting.
“What the hell do you think you are doing?! Let him go at once!”
With a disappointed face the woman dropped Dawson.
“What is going on here?” Shrapnel asked.
“She says she is looking for you.”
“What? Do I know you?”
“My, my, so you are Shrapnel?” the woman looked amused again. “I’m Life. I came into town since Chemical asked me for a favor, he sent me to see you.”
“I’ve never heard of you.”
“I usually spend my time in the wilderness, haven’t been in town for centuries. But there seems to be a lot of interesting things going on, so I might stick around.”
“What do you want?” Shrapnel said in a not at all friendly tone
“As I said, Chemical sent me. He is worried about your pet’s disguise.”
“As you can see it’s fine.”
“It’s a bit to perfect for baking soda, don’t you think? Not that it matter. In five or ten years everyone is going to notice he is a human.”
“So?”
“Do you wanna keep him after the job is done?”
“What kind of question is that?”
Dawson got the feeling that once again Shrapnel was bargaining for his life.
“Of course we are gonna ‘keep him’. I didn’t do this on a whim.” Shrapnel continued.
“It’s settled then.” Life said. “What was the animal you picked? Sheep, right?”
Dawson could only nod weakly.
“And sheep have horns.” she said thoughtfully. “What else? Aging of course.”
She fell silent for a moment, lost in thought.
“Hm, ok, got it. Give me your hand.” She said to Dawson. There was something ominous about Life’s outreached hand. “Don’t fret. Just give me your hand or I might as well kill you right here and now.”.
Reluctantly Dawson held out his hand and Life took it. At first nothing happened, then Dawson felt a hot and stinging sensation spreading in his hand. He tried to let go but Life held him firmly. The feeling speed fast like a shockwave in his body and then disappeared. It was all over in seconds. Life let him go.
“It’s gonna show in a day or two. You can consider this a gift from Chemical for your long years of service.” Then she turned and left with a smile. “I’ll be seeing you, Shrapnel.”
Dawson stared after her and then looked at Shrapnel who was already checking the name Life on the computer.
“What did she do?” Dawson asked worried.
Shrapnel had found her act and according to it Life was one of the oldest shifters he had met. She wasn’t very strong but the thing that stood out was her element; deoxyribonucleic acid. DNA, the buildingblocks of life.
“I think she might have given you horns…” Shrapnel said.