The edge of the campgrounds, early Thursday morning

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah had left a message for Priestly, and was now warming up and stretching on the edge of the campground-- and trying not to squee too loudly about the moose. A tiny little stampede of them was rushing across the path.

Maybe they could race them through the preserve? Moose running?



[ooc: for the running partner, but open before he gets here]

Comments

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"They are!" Dinah's glee echoed his with an icon as much like anime as possible. "The hats are just. Awesome. Mountie moose!"

[lovemykilt]

"Can we keep them?"

Priestly sounded all of five.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"I wish!" Dinah got a scheming look on her face. "Professor Atreides got to keep her hat by telling it that it could stay...."

[lovemykilt]

Priestly took a couple careful steps closer and held out his hand, asking for permission to pet them.

And was promptly swarmed by friendly moose.

"You all get to stay!"

Hey, it was worth a shot, right?

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"All of you!" Dinah immediately jumped on the bandwagon. "You can hang out with the teal deer!"

[lovemykilt]

"And come to campfires and eat s'mores!"

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Ooo!" Dinah said, pointing at Priestly. "Good one! Oh, hey, do we give them political asylum?"

[lovemykilt]

"It'd be easier than trying to get them green cards."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Anything's easier than green cards." Dinah looked at all the moose and said, "You guys are political fugitives! Or something. Welcome to America!"

The mooses milled around, blinking, and one of them raised their hat to her, long eyelashes fluttering in surprise.

"Did you see that??"

[lovemykilt]

"How'd it do that without hands? Dude, you are mad talented. I'm gonna name you . . ." Damn, all the Canadian singers he could think of off the top of his head were sort of vaguely lame. ". . . Pierre."

Uncreative, but better than naming it "Celine".

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"And you're-- mmm, Renee," Dinah told one of the others, then paused. "I hope you're a girl." She turned back to Priestly, grinning. "Think they can pace us on our run?"

[lovemykilt]

"Do girl mooses have antlers?" Priestly shrugged. "Dude. Running of the mooses. We should totally get 'em to chase us through town while someone plays dramatic trumpet music."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"I don't actually know. Something else to look up on wikipedia." Dinah grinned. "We could sing as we go? Or do one of those marine marches?" She bounced on her toes, ready to go.

[lovemykilt]

". . . Shouldn't we save our breath for the running?"

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah paused, looking a little regretful. "Yeeeah. Point. Do you really want to run these guys through town?" The idea now had almost irresistible appeal.

[lovemykilt]

"Absolutely! It'd be awesome!"

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Ready! Set!" Dinah looked around at all the alert little be-hatted moose, and windmilled her arms at them. "This way, guys! Go!" And took off down the path to town.

Either they understood English, or some atavistic instinct played Olympic music to the moose, and after a second, they were galloping and thundering along at their heels.

"Woo!"

[lovemykilt]

Priestly launched himself after Dinah, giving an excited shout of his own, moose clopping about his ankles.

"Chaaaaaaaaaaaaarge!"

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Some of the moose bugled, startling Dinah into almost falling over, then giggled as she hurried to get in front of the pack.

"To Chilly Boulder and back!"

[lovemykilt]

"It's a race!" Priestly called, "I'm going to wiiiin!" putting on a burst of speed. "Loser is a Scandinavian elk!"

What? It was a totally clever insult, shut up. The moose seemed excited by it. Or, well, possibly just by Priestly making loud happy noises.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah hooted with laughter, and almost collided with Priestly, before picking up the pace, hair streaming behind her. "C'mon, then! Stampeeeeeeeede!" Trees whipped by as they reached the main road, and then it was alllll downhill.

BUGLE!!!

[lovemykilt]

Well, at least any pedestrians would be able to hear them coming.

Since there weren't any "moose crossing" signs in Fandom.

Dinah was winning, but she looked like she was having so much fun that Priestly couldn't bring himself to care. He made sure he kept up with her and ahead of the moose and just let himself run.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Run run run run ruuuuuuuuun!

Honestly, whoever was going to win was probably just lucky not to trip over moose. Who were pulling ahead again, little fuzzy galumphing crowds of moose marathoners.

Clop clop clop clop clop clop clop clop clop!

[lovemykilt]

Sooooooooooooo cute! One of them bumped into Priestly's hip, sending him stumbling off course for a moment, but he kept his feet and charged after it.

Apparently the Canadian moose really didn't want to be labeled as elk.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Almost there!" Dinah yelled as they rounded the corner, waying to a blinking NPC passerby. She put on a burst of speed, just as they got there.

For the record, moose do not corner well. A small pile-up had her skidding to a stop and trying to help. "Ooooo, no!"