#vulp ben

Oh no, he has the vulp glow.

Stips concept art.

When Stips was around fourteen, he caught the altered version of the transfer virus (as compared to the other -en showed, who had caught an older strain). At that point, little had been known about how the transfer virus would interact with the Vulpimancer sample— other than that those who contracted seemed to be weirdly giddy and clingy for a good week afterwards. This change of behavior became referred to as the “Glow Up” because those with it would emit unexplained light from a spot on their chest and their nape. See also my Vulpimancer design.

They eventually figured out that the strange, needy enthusiasm that comes with Glow Ups was comparable to how young Vulpimancers react when creating packs; it's a hormonal reaction that occurs during imprinting or reunions with lost pack members. Stips here imprinted on the techs he'd been interning for (one of whom being the four armed fellow above).