The Stables, Thursday Morning (10/04)

[comelyhonour.livejournal.com]

Beauty was almost to the stables when she felt the strangest sensation wash over her. And the world skewed in a frightening way, and she found herself stumbling over spindly legs that were certainly not her usual ones. She bolted the rest of the way to the building, leaving her books lying on the ground, and just as she reached Greatheart's stall, she was back to normal.

In a panic, she threw open the stall door and rushed inside, leaning against the bulk of the rather startled gray as she caught her breath.

"Oh God. What was that?"


[ooc: OPEN!]

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[comelyhonour.livejournal.com]

"You came looking for ear scritches," Beauty countered. Okay, not the best defense, since duh, of course he did, he was a puppy. Also, he was a mischievous scoundrel.

"And you nuzzled my cheek! So there!"

Oh. Um, that was perhaps a bit more embarrassing than ear scritches. Beauty blushed quite red.

[by137.livejournal.com]

A.J. bit his lip against a grin; looks like he wouldn't even have to tease Beauty. She'd take car of getting the good response herself.

"It's a very nice cheek," he pointed out. "And you're very good at ear scritches."

[comelyhonour.livejournal.com]

The compliment just made Beauty blush that much harder, but she smiled despite it. "Well, I'm glad I could oblige. You really were a very cute puppy. I was all set to take you home with me and everything."

[by137.livejournal.com]

"Awww." A.J. didn't let a chuckle that slipped out of him deter him from pouting at her. "Now why couldn't I have stayed a puppy for a little longer?"

Actually, it was a good question. It had been maybe a few hours, tops, compared to a whole week last time. It was like there was no rhyme or reason to it. Not that he expected there to be any, it was just something you wonder about.

[comelyhonour.livejournal.com]

"I don't know, I guess you should have tried a little harder. Now you've missed out," Beauty teased. "And you're lucky you didn't show up a little earlier, when I wasn't quite myself. Then you wouldn't have gotten your ear scritches."

She felt somehow a little guilty about not keeping A.J. as a puppy a while longer, as if she could have helped it. A.J. had a very powerful pout!

[by137.livejournal.com]

"What...what you mean, you weren't quite yourself?"

[comelyhonour.livejournal.com]

"Um..." Beauty shrugged one shoulder. "I think I might have very briefly been turned into something else. A deer, actually. Honestly, it's sort of a relief to know that I'm not the only one. Mine didn't last very long, thank goodness."

[by137.livejournal.com]

"You turned into a deer?" A.J.'s eyes lit up a little. "Really?"

[comelyhonour.livejournal.com]

"I think so?" Beauty was blushing a little again. "It's hard to say for sure, it was so quick, and it startled me so much all I could do was run for the stable. And then I was back to myself again, and not very much later a little puppy showed up and distracted me from worrying over it."

[by137.livejournal.com]

Heyyy, he was that puppy! A.J. grinned like a dork, and then his next question was probably a true testament to how he was definitely a comfortable resident of the island by this point.

"Were you teal?"

[comelyhonour.livejournal.com]

And Beauty's puzzled expression was probably all the evidence anyone needed to know that she had definitely not been on the island long enough.

"You mean like the color?"

[by137.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," A.J. said. "The great elusive teal deer. Apparently, there's a ton of 'em that live in the preserve, and sometimes will make appearances on the grounds while everyone's in class."

[comelyhonour.livejournal.com]

Beauty eyed A.J. skeptically. "Deer aren't teal," she said. "You're pulling my leg now. I'm sure I was a normal brown-colored deer like all the rest of them."

Still, she glanced toward the preserve. That would be quite a sight, wouldn't it?

[by137.livejournal.com]

"Beauty," A.J. said, leaning forward a little to implore her with seriousness, "do I need to start listing off all the things I've been right about so far? Today, of all days?"

[comelyhonour.livejournal.com]

A.J. had a very good point. Beauty ducked her head sheepishly. "No, you're right, and I'm sorry. I guess it's just a lot to believe. I go riding the preserve a lot, I wonder if I'll ever see one."

She looked up at grinned a little at A.J. "I'm pretty sure I was just plain old brown, though."

[ooc: Woe! See you tonight!]

[by137.livejournal.com]

"Nothing wrong with just plain old brown," A.J. nodded. "Brown's totally one of my favorite colors."

[comelyhonour.livejournal.com]

"Thank you, A.J." Beauty replied, with a warm smile. "I guess it's ridiculous to complain about being the proper color and animal is supposed to be."

She glanced over at Greatheart, and then cocked her head at A.J. "Would you like to meet him for real, since you're out here already?"

[by137.livejournal.com]

"That would be the logical way to go about things, wouldn't it? You sure he won't mind?"

[comelyhonour.livejournal.com]

"I know he won't. Come on." Beauty stood and held out her hand. "We'll step inside and grab an apple for you to give him, and you'll be friends for life."

[by137.livejournal.com]

A.J. took Beauty's hand and pulled himself up, although he didn't exactly need to take her hand for that. "That's all it takes? An apple? Why didn't I learn that making friends was so easy earlier?"

[comelyhonour.livejournal.com]

"Ice cream works just as well," Beauty remarked, with a grin. "Or least just as well on people, I don't know about giving ice cream to horses." They'd gone just a couple of steps when she felt that strange disorientation wash over her again, and froze in her tracks. "A.J.?"

A second later, there was a roe deer standing where Beauty had been. Standing very very still and shaking just a little.

[by137.livejournal.com]

A.J. bit his lip. "You know," he said, "this whole turning into animals thing makes getting anything accomplished." But his expression turned a little at the shaking, as he wasn't sure if that was Beauty being freaked out or if it was just that deer were shaky creatures (they totally were). "You...you okay?"

[comelyhonour.livejournal.com]

Beauty was very much in agreement with that. In fact, she would not have minded at all if there were no more turning into animals for, oh, ever.

She was, in fact, a little freaked out, but knowing that A.J. had enjoyed himself as puppy and a sense of stubborn pride made her bob her head at the question. And then she took a couple steps closer to him. Just...in case.

[by137.livejournal.com]

A.J. smiled a little as Beauty tentatively stepped in closer; despite himself, he went to go pet her head. He couldn't help it; he'd never been this close to a deer before, and it didn't matter that she was a friend, it was just cool. "So," he asked, "we still going to go meet Greatheart with you like that?"

[comelyhonour.livejournal.com]

The petting didn't bother Beauty one bit. It was kind of reassuring actually, like someone holding your hand when you were scared. She looked up at A.J. with big doe eyes for a moment, and then bobbed her head again.

A couple more steps forward, and then she stumbled as four legs turned back to two again.

"Oof." Beauty said something under her breath that she'd probably picked up from the men around Blue Hill when she and Greatheart had helped haul stumps.