(2018-09-25) Out of the Norm
Out of the Norm
Summary: Just another non-typical day on the Coral Springs grounds.
Date: 2018-09-25
Related: NA
NPCs: NA
Scene Runner: NA
Players:
besa..buddy..callisto..sydney..

Back Field, Coral Springs
Tue Sep 25, 2018


The back field hasn't seen much use yet. Clearly it will in the future, but at the moment it is a large meadow with tall grass, overgrown shrubs and wildflowers blooming in it during the spring and summer.

It is a fall evening. The weather is warm and clear.

===

The sun is just teetering on the horizon as though it is debating whether or not to try climbing up wards again or fall down below and plunge the land into darkness. Through the growing darkness of the day, the sky is painted with dark and deep purples. It is into this setting sun, that the form of a horse blacker than the sky gallops towards the horizon. The small bits of light remaining causes his coat to shine. Finally, the horse stops its thundering pace and rears back and kicks his forelegs as he whinneys.

<FS3> Callisto rolls Yoga: Success.

Don't mind Callisto, she's just out here on this fine evening pulling some poses and sinking her hastily-spinning mind into some yoga. Nothing fancy here, though her sense of balance is pretty spot-on. She is completely upright, clad in her second skin of black capri tights and a matching dual-colored halter top. Her hair has been cinched into a tidy braid and it hangs down past her head as she balances herself in a stark-upright handstand, her bare feet pointing toward the heavens. The only thing capable of breaking her focus is the arrival of a—-a horse? Her eyes open as she squints from her upside down position, and curving her body forth she regains her footing and crouches, looking toward the source of the unexpected sound. She then sees the black horse.

Callisto's eyes widen as she stares, transfixed.

Besa's still a jackal, although he's hoping that will right itself in the next for or so as it seems a lot of students are finding themselves back to their previous forms. But Besa believes he's cursed, so here he is. A Jackal. He got his fur ruffled earlier when Rainer called him Anubis. So this afternoon after the twins helped him wash his paws (Long story) he went down to the beach to practice runes. He hates to admit it, but having to cast with his paws has made him thing his casting, made him stronger. Out from the woods he and Cocoa come, stopping a distance away form the horse? Why is there a horse? He blinks golden eyes before looking at the person. Callisto's changed back it seems. His tail wags gently, but he'll wait to see what the horse does.

The horse stops its rearing by slamming his forehooves into the ground. He then shakes his head sending his mane flying back and forth. His long tail whips back and forth to keep any bugs away. It is only then, that he turns as though to run in the other direction. Clearly the horse is just having fun; however, he notices Callisto doing something odd with her body. He pauses looking at her for a moment as though deciding what to do. He then slowly starts to trot over in her direction not noticing the jackal yet.

The faerie's quiet evening has become that much more interesting. Keen eyes and hearing pick up on the arrival of two others and she cranes her lithe neck to look upon the arrival of the pretty jackal and pupper. It appears Callisto is just apart from Besa and Cocoa and in the opposite direction, the strange black horse. Who (what) does she approach first? She continues to watch Besa and seeing the wagging tail she surmises that he sees her. One hand moves to wave him over to join her if they (he and Cocoa) are so inclined. Then she turns her head back to the horse, silver-white hair quivering in the breeze.

The horse approaches!? A little thrill of amusement — carefully concealed — quivers in Callisto's belly. Fact: she loves horses. Call it an old hobby. She stands slowly and watches, waits, hands lax at her sides. Will the horse come right to her?

Besa and cocoa start to approach Callisto, but slow when the horse approaches as well. Neither canine wishes to be trampled. Instead gives a yip, maybe it's just a passing greeting, before he looks to Cocoa and quiet communication happens between them.

The horse does keep walking towards Callisto. There is something about her posture, her hair, and her eyes that seem to be a draw to the horse. His eyes have a faint blue tint to the right eye and a faint green tint on the left; however, in the growing darkness, that might be difficult to see. When there is a yip from behind him, the horse bolts purely on instinct. It runs right past Callisto making sure to pass by enough to not hit her but close enough that the breeze of his passing probably can be felt.

Gah!! Before Callisto can really gather that the horse has bi-colored eyes, the arrival of the canids startles it into galloping past. Her hair flutters in the breeze created by the beast's body and she turns on a heel to observe it's flight. She's not about to chase after it or otherwise be further cause for nerves, but if the horse looks back he will see the willowy elfish girl yet watching him with that open, patient gaze. She turns to Besa and Cocoa as they communicate silently; she kneels slowly to speak outward to the two canids, knowing that the jackal will understand her. "Is this typical? Do you think this creature to be a victim of the flu? I've not bore witness to such as this before." Said, as if talking to a jackal is perfectly normal.

Both canines tense, ready to bolt themselves if the horse comes near. But it seems to run away instead so Besa walks over to Calli. And then does the only communication he can. He shrugs as he comes close to the elf. And then whines and yips softly, trying to communicate something. Cocoa follows and also gets close to Calli. Maybe they're flanking her incase the horse comes back?

After it has gone a safe distance, the horse stops and turns his long narrow head to look behind him. His nostrils are flaring with the adrenaline from being startled so. He looks down at the two canines first as apparently they were the source of the noise. They weren't coming after him at least. He then looks up at the girl and nickers questioningly. He turns to face them fully now though he doesn't move from his spot.

"It shall be alright. It is moreso fearful of us than we should be of it. We needn't speak horse to understand when it's aggression rises." Callisto says softly to the jackal, and even as Besa comes closer she will not reach out to touch him or scritch ears or do anything to invade his bubble. Instead one slender hand reaches out to Cocoa to see if the pup will accept scritches and if Besa in inclined? Her fingers are there!

Cerulean eyes lift to observe the horse, "You are alright. We shall not harm you." She calls out to the beast.. maybe it is a student who was changed by the sickness. A horse just is not typical here on this island. IT's worth a short to speak to it! She adds next: "Friends."

Besa the jackal and Cocoa are sitting near Callisto looking up at her as she talks. Cocoa leans into her outstretched hand for pets and then after a moment Besa scoots a little closer and leans. It's pretty clear she can touch him, maybe it's because she doggy piled with him when she was a fox. He looks over to the horse as well to try to judge the animal's reaction.

The horse seems very hesitant for some reason especially as he looks down at the canines. However, as Callisto speaks to him, the horse seems to calm down a bit. Either he understands her or is affected somehow by her. Perhaps both. He slowly and hesitantly starts to walk towards her and then pauses again looking at Cocoa. The horse seems really worried about that dog. He stopped just a few steps away from the trio.

There kneels Callisto, looking all Disney princess'ish scritching a doggo with each hand and trying to talk a horse into coming over to see them. All she needs are the singing birds, the bunnies frolicking, maybe a gentle deer carrying a sprig of flowers for good measure—

.. yeah no that's horsesh!t. (no pun intended given the situation) … Callisto is no princess. It's simply on account of the jackal being a friend and by extension Cocoa and this black horse? Cause for concern and a bit out of place here. The horse comes closer and Callisto continues to watch the large creature with that direct, penetrating stare of hers. One hand extends toward the horse, and hangs there. It is up to the great beast to close the distance so as to ease it's nerves.

Sydney isn't a gentle deer. The steel girl does walk with a more relaxed air than she had before shapechanger flu, and certainly seems more comfortable than during the flu. Her look has evolved just a little bit, as though she's either seen the little details she got wrong, or been able to relax a little about absolute accuracy. Or her "real" form grew a bit while she was shapeshifted. One never knows. She looks at the dogs…one's Cocoa, the jackal has to be Besa. She wonders who the horse is. "Hey gang," she says, quietly, as not to spook the horse, in case he really is a horse.

Besa's ears perk, head tilting as he watching the horse approach. A quick glance to Cocoa. The canines aren't sating anything out loud, but they have that 'look', like they know what they other I thinking. Most likely, 'don't get stepped on!' The ancient teen moves to stand , head turning towards Sydney. His butt tells her he's glad to see her, tailing wagging gently. He doesn't move closer, if he's metal again, he doesn't want to hurt her with his curse. Instead he gives a soft whine of greeting.

When Callisto lifts her hand up, the horse seems torn between wanting to step forward and wanting to back away from the canines. He starts to take a step when he hears the voice of someone nearby. He turns his head to look at her and gives her a little whiney as though in a greeting. It seems the horse recognized her or at least acted like he did. Although, he might have just liked the shiny nature of her body. He then looks back to the outstretched hand and takes the smallest amount of steps possible so her hand rests on his head.

Sydney nods at Besa, holds out one palm, pets it, and blows it like a kiss to him. She'll probably have to explain that gesture, but it seemed friendly for a doggo with a human brain that she can't safely pet. She does move toward Cocoa and hold her hand out to the actual dog, to let the dog sniff her hand, and perhaps pet her. She smiles at the horse. "Who's this?" she gestures toward the horse with her free hand as she asks that of Callisto.

The fey looks up briefly at the arrival of yet another, eyes darkening and ponderous as the evening sun wanes. Sydney is noted with the slightest bowing of her head, moonpale hair — hanks of it that escaped her practical braid — quivering around her face. A quick glance to Besa and Cocoa, then immediately back to the horse as it avails it's dark head to her. IT's hard to tell with Callisto, her poker face is that well-practiced.. but inwardly? She's thrilled. Though the horse's response to the steel girl is intriguing.. might the beast know Sydney, then?

To Sydney, Callisto shrugs lithely. "I know naught. I suspect it may be a… an affected student?" A beat, "How are you feeling, Sydney?"

Besa blinks, he knows the gesture, but with everything going on, kissy faces are confusing form anyone, especially in jackal form! His ears perk up and he blinks golden eyes at Sydney before nodding. He knows what to look for, so the horse is glanced at again and he then yips a few times, like he can communicate what he knows to the girls. He's not heard that Buddy was stuck, but maybe eh is? Didn't the boy say something about being stuck before as an animal? Cocoa is much more lenient about getting pets while Besa's a jackal, she walks over and sniffs Syd's hand.

The horse never moves his head as Callisto is petting his head; however, he does move his eyes first to Sydney as she asks her question and then back to Callisto as she asks hers. The horse seems to have difficulty trying to answer them. Finally, his lips start to move as though he is trying to say something but nothing comes out. His eyes flick down to Cocoa again and then back to Callisto. The yips from the canine again causes him to tense up. It seems that only Callisto's hand on his head is keeping him there. Finally, those lips move again and a garbled word emerges. "Buhhhddy."

Sydney says, "Ahh. Buddy. Hey hon." She pets Cocoa enthusiastically. "How am I feeling? More like myself than I did when I was flesh, to be honest. Enlightened, maybe a little. Kind of embarrassed for some of the drama that went on… Glad I'm over it, anyway. And I'm hoping I'm immune, so I don't turn into a walrus or something. Goo Goo Kachoo.""

And well, the fey has since caught on to her attention proving to be a reassuring thing to the black creature. Her hands move in a practiced manner which speaks of a girl who knows precisely how best to touch and scritch those of the equine variety, where the best 'itchy' spots are to lend the most attention to. She listens, however, to those assembled. "It appears that, bit by bit, people are coming back into themselves. I grew weary of being a fox, though there was fun to be had." There, a truly kind smile to Besa. Grateful. She looks to the horse's eyes then and now, despite shadows, the proximity reveals to her the bi-colored eyes. "Well now." A whisper. This is definitely no naturally occurring horse!

Back to Sydney, "I pray it is drama that can be rectified or sorted out." Said simply.. she can only imagine what went down. It seems the whole school was tilted upon it's axis. "I have been myself for a couple of days now, and nothing strange otherwise… I do hope we've an immunity." Said as she scritches the horse's jaw and finds herself knowing a name—-blink. "Buddy!?" Asked incredulously. "I knew it.. what a mess this has been."

Besa get's that reference, strangely enough. I am the walrus! The Promethean sits down with a huff, fully agreeing with Callisto's assessment of the time as an animal. He's not been a fan. At the smile though he doggy smiles back, his tail wagging. Chasing birds was fun. He tilts his head, listening to the girls talk. SO much drama!

The Buddy-horse whimpered a bit when Callisto said that it was a mess. He immediately took it as though he did something wrong and backed up from her petting hand. Up 'till that moment, the large beast was practically puddy in her hands. He starts shaking his large head as though trying to deny involvement in whatever she is talking about. His ears are straight back clearly in a position of fear or anxiety.

Sydney says, "Easy, Buddy. Easy." She thinks over what was said. Been doing that a lot lately. "The mess isn't your fault. It's a mess that people have been shapeshifted. Especially those that don't normally do it." She looks at Callisto. "I'm told you made an adorable fox. Word to the wise. Ness is shifted, and she's pretty damn sloppy with keeping her voice controller on, so look out for that. I dunno what's going on with her, to be honest. It's like she became someone else, almost.""

"Nay," Haha.. neigh. Nay. Get it? Callisto's player is a comedic GENIUS. But as the horse backs away the fae girl reads between the lines and will reach forth carefully to rest her fingertips beneath Buddy!horse's 'chin' and give his velvetty snout the lightest of caresses with her palm. "T'is not you. Pray, do not take it that way. I mean the whole situation with whatever has befallen the students here." She echoes Sydney, and looks down at Besa. "You must be so very ready to be yourself again too, Besa." Says the willowy girl a touch sadly. "And—"

The metal girl's words, re: Ness, causes Callisto to look up abruptly. There is a sharpness to her gaze then; a look of deep concern and fear. She would have remarked on her being an 'adorable' fox but talk of Ness grips her. "I need to have words with Ness, then… for she has taken the form of my kind. One of my sisters, in fact.. and she is not taking it well."

Callisto has the grace to look deeply pained. "So she has lost control of herself, then. I need to find her."

Besa tenses up, taking a small step away from Buddy. A nervous large animal is dangerous. He an Cocoa get out of his way. But Besa's still listening, nodding his head to Calli before his head turning to look at Syd as she talks about Ness. That sounds…not good.

<FS3> Buddy rolls Transform: Good Success.

The Buddy-horse seems to relax at the reassurance from both Sydney and Callisto. When Callisto mentions needing to find Ness, Buddy-horse takes a step back and rears up again; however, he rears way too far back but shifts during that moment so he ends up standing as a boy. "I can help you look for her. I'm good at finding people. Just watch!" Then, without another word, he goes running off. A few steps away, he jumps into the air and shifts into a bird. It is a golden eagle that takes flight and soars into the night sky with a solitary call.

Sydney stares at Buddy as he goes. "I thought you were…" and then he's gone. "Stuck. She shrugs broadly to Callisto, Besa, and Cocoa. "He's a nice kid, but… sometimes a little flighty." Either her deadpan is perfect or she hasn't realized she made a dreadful pun. Yet.

The fey watches the horse make a fluid series of shifts, only to rise into the air as a great bird. Callisto observes this, a touch wistfully… "Were I to be an eagle instead of a fox, t'would have been most interesting. I should like to try flying of my own volition like that." Remarked mostly to herself to counter the deep-down nasty feeling in her guts at the predicament with Ness. Callisto looks skyward with a sigh, lashes fluttering closed briefly as she lowers herself to sit lotus-style in the grass. "Ness has stopped taking her medications, also, so that.. paired with being fey… is not good. Please, Sydney, know that she is for certain not herself. She is not."

Besa just blinks as Buddy goes from horse to boy to bird. That just looks tiring. He caught the pun from Syd and groans softly. But he sobers up at talk of Ness. The jackal walks over nd sits next to Calli, a clear worried expression on his face. He whimpers, pawing the ground.

Sydney nods. "Yeah… neither was I, exactly." Syd wraps her arms around herself a moment. "I've always said, ever since I went metal, that I was still me, still the same old girl…but seeing that face in the mirror brought it all back, how I really was. And God. I am so happy to be me again. Steel and all." She looks at the groaning jackal. "What did I… oh crap. Flighty." She laughs softly. "Totally an accident…"

A hand moves to scritch Besa's ears gently.. tentatively of course, as if seeking permission. Callisto knows that there is nothing she can do now in this moment but tomorrow, hopefully, she will seek out and find the other girl. What if.. what if she is still fey? How strange will it be to see Naesala's face and know it's Ness.. while she (Callisto) is herself…? Ugh. So much drama. Between this and what happened with her own clusterf'k of a family and what they're doing to Important People in her life…

The mentalist looks up at Syd with a light smile, "I am pleased to see you back to yourself. Forgiveness for not visiting while you were in the flesh.. t'was hard to get around as a fox, and harder to communicate." Is admitted as she looks down at Besa. "T'was easier to 'talk' to other canines."

Besa glances between the two girls. He thinks that maybe he was lucky, as he's not changed any, just his body. Although he completely betrays that thought when Callisto scratches his ears and he groans, leaning into the touch.

Sydney blinks. "Canids can talk to each other? Even a vulpine to canids?" She goes on petting Cocoa. "Have you been talking to your human?"

"T'is.. hard to explain." Callisto admits. "The easiest part was understanding body language… everything Besa had done, a part of me just knew what it meant. As for vocalizations.. it's… it just made sense. But I far prefer talking. I choose not to… impose myself mentally upon others, fox or fey." Said with one final scritching of the jackal's ears.. especially when Besa leans in for the good stuff! Callisto can't help it; her darkening of mood improves at the jackal's response. Finally though, as the darkness encroaches, the chill in the air is notable and even Callisto — formerly of the North — must stand and take note.

"I grow cold.. I must head indoors. I need tea." A thought, she looks down at Besa. "I can make you some and place it in a bowl, if you desire." Hey, she can't help but offer!

A gentle bow to the two, and with her head and heart heavy with what she must do, Callisto starts to pad gracefully toward the courtyard.

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