Sydney sat there, looking at her very human hand, opening and closing it in wonder. As he watched, she picked things up, then put them down, then walked around the room. Clearly, she noticed something was up, when obviously his Mom didn't.
He walked over to her. "Can you understand me?" He asked, hopefully.
She looked down and barked at him, happily. He somehow understood that was a yes. Promising. They were communicating.
"Do you know what's going on?"
She began an enthusiastic collection of canine noises, which Jon's brain translated into meaning. I changed, look at these, she said, holding out her hands. They're so cool. She didn't actually say cool, but that was how Jon interpreted the sentiment. See? They are just like yours. She sounded, to Jon's mind, like a child might. But that was pretty impressive for someone who hadn't been sentient before.
Then she seemed to notice Jon for the first time. You look different too, the dog-girl said.
You noticed that, huh? He thought, a bit bitterly. "Yes. Look. Our bodies are all mixed up. Those are my hands you're playing with."
Hands... she said. They're so much fun...I want to go outside and use these...are these your hind legs too? They make me so far away from the ground. And now you're so close, she said, in a bubbly innocent manner.
"Well, I want them back..." He told her.
Okay, she said agreeably. Nothing happened. And Sydney apparently had the attention span of a...well, dog, so she moved on rather quickly. She moved to examine Jon. I like how you look too. Very pretty. She said. She began to pet the sides of his chest, the way he usually started petting her.
Jon, despite outward appearances, was not a dog...or fully one, and while it wasn't unpleasant, it made him rather uncomfortable. "Stop it."
Okay, she said, agreeably, doing so. She began rubbing her own belly. I can do this myself now... she said.
"Great..." Jon said, still on edge. He needed to get the stone, but it was up on the dresser, hiding in plain sight. "Sydney, fetch me the stone up there..." She did so, holding it out to him. "Put it on the floor." He laid down on top of it, the closest thing he could do to holding it. "I wish that Sydney and I would go back to normal."
Nothing happened. He tried again. "I wish I had something to eat." Nothing. The stone wasn't working. At least for him. Would it work for Sydney? Should he risk suggesting it? "Put it back, Sydney," he told her.
No, she said. Apparently, her period of being agreeable had ended.
