This post's authors have general content warnings that might apply to the current post.
View Flat HTML
View Metadata
Search Post
On Monday, Bella arrives at school completely and stably human shaped, with everything she has learned about critters (except for her own species, which she isn't liable to forget) written down as margin notes on a page reminding her to ask Darren about D&D and filler decoy notes about that. She's probably going to have invent an actual cipher alphabet or something eventually but for the time being she thinks this will probably do for casual inspection.
She sits next to Darren in English.
shesepankh
shesepankh
"Yes, Dad. I know, Dad. No, I agree, that would both be a terrible idea and not especially helpful in the known use case. We're maybe going to do pre-made spell scrolls. Are you sure? Okay - no, not me, I'm barely, I got a fleck of glass in my paw but it's not even worth a band-aid, I'm fine, but Darren's spell hit him too, he didn't have time to get out of the way. But it turns out I have magic healing powers so Darren is now completely one hundred percent okay and all I had to do was panic and then faint for a quarter-hour, which I assure you I'll be working on skipping those steps in case. Yeah, I'd just have rolled up paper with symbols and bits of Spanish on it. Yeah, Spanish, it's a thing, I'll explain it if you want when I get home. I did a lot of flying and my wings kind of hurt so I'm sort of hoping Mrs. Adams drove here and will be able to drive us back."
castmyown
Mrs. Adams nods. "I drove most of the way here. I do hope Mr. Swan will not give me a speeding ticket, because I was not following the speed limit. At all."
Darren snorts.
Darren snorts.
shesepankh
"She says she drove here and please don't give her a speeding ticket." Pause. "He says he didn't see anything, Mrs. Adams."
shesepankh
"Darren's dad is going to be here soon," Bella tells Charlie. "Mrs. Adams says so. Yeah, found out this morning when she was a substitute. Bugbear, they do - finding and stuff. More like a bear, as far as I can tell. I'll call you again when I'm back at Darren's, okay, Dad? And then you can come get me."
steppingup
And there is Vernon, coming through the trees, walking very quickly. He waves at Mrs. Adams, gives Bella a nod, but they are not his priority. He scoops Darren up into a hug.
"Are you okay?"
"Are you okay?"
castmyown
"Fine, dad," says Darren. "I'm fine, I was a bit banged up but Bella has healing. My wings are a bit sore, and I'm exhausted but I'm fine."
shesepankh
"I don't know how much credit I can take for - being a fairy princess critter - I don't know how I did it," mumbles Bella. Belatedly, an attempt at politeness: "But you're welcome." Pause. "Even though the monster was after me in the first place..."
steppingup
"Right," coughs Vernon, releasing Darren from the required Dad Hugs. "Bella, your dad's coming to pick you up at our house?"
steppingup
"Then let's not keep him waiting much longer." Expedition to the car! "Lynn? You've got cleanup?"
"Oh, sure, leave me with the fun job," replies Mrs. Adams archly. "My, do try to hold yourself back from making too many self-sacrifices, it's bad for your health."
"Thanks, Lynn!" Vernon says brightly.
Mrs. Adams snorts.
"Oh, sure, leave me with the fun job," replies Mrs. Adams archly. "My, do try to hold yourself back from making too many self-sacrifices, it's bad for your health."
"Thanks, Lynn!" Vernon says brightly.
Mrs. Adams snorts.
shesepankh
"Thank you, Mrs. Adams," says Bella soberly. She hauls herself to her feet to follow Vernon and Darren.
castmyown
"You're welcome," she says. "Don't worry about it, you have enough on your mind."
She shifts to fullform bugbear - now that Bella's conscious, she can appropriately judge what she looks like. She's not mistakable as a normal bear, but the resemblance is certainly there, especially in the face and body structure. Her arms are too long to be a bear's, though that's subtle in comparison to what's attached to them. Her claws are nearly a foot long, each one, sharp and bone-white. Mrs. Adams gets to picking up cooling chunks of lava monster, and unceremoniously flinging them into the ocean.
"I'll start getting started on scroll ideas when I'm home," promises Darren.
She shifts to fullform bugbear - now that Bella's conscious, she can appropriately judge what she looks like. She's not mistakable as a normal bear, but the resemblance is certainly there, especially in the face and body structure. Her arms are too long to be a bear's, though that's subtle in comparison to what's attached to them. Her claws are nearly a foot long, each one, sharp and bone-white. Mrs. Adams gets to picking up cooling chunks of lava monster, and unceremoniously flinging them into the ocean.
"I'll start getting started on scroll ideas when I'm home," promises Darren.
shesepankh
"All-purpose-emergency things," recommends Bella. "And supply me an English translation so I can Spanishify them and not horribly botch the pronunciation trying to use your French." She stumbles en route to the car.
castmyown
"Yeah," he agrees, moving to assist her. "It will take a bit to set up, I need to think of spells that will work whenever and not just in certain conditions, like the tidal wave one."
castmyown
"Extremely, ludicrously un-doable. Maybe it's possible, but I have absolutely no clue how. Sorry, it sucks."