auroraexpress | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

Who: The Glitter Criminal
When: Day 42, Morning
Where: The Jackal Express

[Hey, Aurora. Do you hear that? A slight whining noise, barely audible over the noises of the train itself?

Well, early in the morning of day 42, that whine becomes a loud POP.

And now all the public cars and all of Senna is literally covered in glitter. Glitter rains from the vents. Shoots out from under seats. Glitter big enough to come in funny shapes. Tiny iridescent glitter that you're never going to get out of your clothes coats the windows, making the scenery glimmer. Glitter everywhere in every shape, size and color.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Wait]

[Talking]

[Well, talking certainly lessens the 'ABOUT TO BE EATEN' instincts, but she keeps her fists on the blanket as her gaze focuses on Naeva.]

[Someone who looks like whatever...whatever SHE is.]

[And now that the blind panic has faded, the fear of whatever she is, is back, and she's real good at acting with fear.]

[Mostly by getting angry.]

What did you do to me?!

I did nothing. I was asleep.

[SHE IS NOT HAPPY ABOUT THIS ALARM CLOCK NO MA'AM.]

If you would direct your attention to your Chain--a device like this--[She holds hers up for visual confirmation.] Which you have probably knocked to the floor, it provides a summary of what has brought you here. That will be the best place to start. If you've complaints about your arrival, direct them to Prince Cardamom, the next time he appears.

[She looks at the Chain and there's. Confusion.] A phone.... [But that's. How does.]

[But then she looks at Naeva suspiciously.] So I'm just supposed to believe you had nothing to do with making me look....look....like whatever freak of nature you are?!

[She's a winner at first impressions.]

What even are you? Some kind of hairless monkey? You don't even have a tail!

...

[She doesn't say anything, but pops her jackal ears and tail out. JOKES ON YOU I'M A KEMONOMIMI.]

...okay, at what point proving you can shapeshift NOT prove you didn't change me?

Are you a Changeling? A relative of the catpeople?

Oh hayseed, am I in the badlands? I know things get weird, but there should be documentation of stuff like this!

Edited 2019-09-16 05:32 (UTC)

Alright, point one, I know who my parents are, I am not a changeling, and what part of any of this looks feline to you?

[SHE IS DEEPLY OFFENDED BY THIS. SHE IS A JACKAL HOW RUDE!!!]

Why in the hells would I change you? Explain to me exactly how I benefit by being harangued by a madwoman.

They're a sentient, walking form of animals that are usually pets, why nto also a dog subset?

Or....dog monkey. [Looking at her hands with another look of mild horror.]

[She glares up at her.] Got rid of my horn pretty good.

If you could kindly stop insulting me for thirty seconds and actually look at your godsdamned chain.

[She growls--low and feral, displaying some very, very pointy teeth.]

I am no one's pet. And who are you to keep any sentient being as one?

[She tenses, pulling up the blanket between closed fists again.]

The cat kept as pets aren't. Cats and Catpeople are different. Cats are smaller, only meow, and walk on four legs like most things do. Catpeople are bigger, can talk, and insist on walking on two. Plus, you know, can work with a society and use tools and all that stuff a normal cat doesn't.

Equestria doesn't have slaves. Badlands are the ones who'll pull stuff like that.

[She remains quiet for a time, and hisses out a sigh between her teeth.]

Listen closely, girl. We're no longer in any place you'd know by name. All of us--all of whom are in this human shape, so I'd suggest not going around and calling people freaks--were brought here to rebuild worlds. If your form was changed in the process, I have no idea why or how, and I have no answers for you.

Now, I'm going to go downstairs, and when you feel like being less rude and belligerent, you may want to come find me because I suspect you will find clothing difficult if you've yet to figure out how fingers work.

[And now she's going to turn on her heel to go sulk in senna's lounge because she's hangry and not good with mornings. Surely this cannot lead to further shenanigan.]

[Sunset just glares back as she talks, angry, hostile. And very tense, looking ready to bolt at the slightest sign of active danger.]

[This is a predator. Whatever she is, whatever 'human shape' means, she's a predator and she has no horn. She can't remember what magic she has done, but she can recall spells, she would have been able to do something if not for the fact she had no conduit.]

[She almost tries to stops her, to demand more answers, but a phone has information, she knows that, and its better to look when she isn't at risk of being eaten.]

[She watches Naeva go and then crawls over to close the door. Once she retrieves the Chain in her mouth, she sits against it and goes about reading. Takes a bit before she finally figures out to grasp it in her fingers, even if she taps through with her knuckles. It all feels weird and wrong and she doesn't know why she recognizes this device because its unlike anything in Equestria. But she pours over the information anyway.]

[Eventually checks out her closet, but there's no winter clothes, so why was there concern about getting dressed???? So just forgoing even trying.]

[Then again, she's taking that information with a grain of salt because it didn't explain what happened to her or what human shape was.]

[...going downstairs feels like admitting defeat and she doesn't see another way down.]

[....so will Naeva check or wait near three hours before stubborn newbie finally tries to crawl downstairs. Which is more rough slide because she tried to crawl downstairs.]

[Three hours is enough time for her to go out and get fed and realize she's been comatose for the better part of a week and a half, so she's just quietly sipping tea. Dignified. Absolutely not covered in so much glitter she looks like a vampire disco ball. No, not at all.

...She does get up when she hears the thumping.]

...By the Night Mother, you've absolutely no idea how to be bipedal at all, do you?

[....listen, being covered in glitter is just a thing that happens, doesn't even reguster as weird compared to so much else.]

[But yeah, newbue is a bit of a heap on the floor, sitting up and rubbing her now bruised side. Still inclined to closed fists.]

Because I'm not. There's no tail for balance and that's begging to actually bash my head into something with a fall.

You don't need a tail for this kind of form, it's developed not to need one.

[She sighs a bit, and waves a hand...it's just redirecting blood flow to ease the bruises, but it probably feels. Funky.]

Tails are for balance, how can two legs not need it?

[That. Is funky. And gets a pause, looking around because that sure does feel like magic, but the predator doesn't have a horn or anything????]

[PRedator is fabulous and glittery goth, she needs no horn!]

Because of the way the spine is constructed. Here, look--

[She stands up--and she has no tail, currently, to demonstrate, carefully, how a humanoid being walks.]

--As you step forward, each step catches your weight and distributes it back. As long as the head stays over the center of mass, the body stays balanced.

[Magic needs a conduit okay! Either items or creatures are channeling it through a specific body part. At least most do.]

[But she does watch. Still suspicious, but tilting her head, tapping her knuckle to her chin.]

Hm. I guess its like certain gears, but that seems highly inefficient in a creature.

Why are human shapes like that?

To free up their hands. [Holding hers up, fingers splayed.]

Humans use tools in almost every aspect of life, they need to be able to have hands free to do so.

I guess it would make talking and using tools while walking easier. [Still skeptical, but.] Or no tail. Or fur or protective scales or feathers. Human shapes are weird.

[She....she may think that's their actual name.]

Just 'human'.

[Why does she keep getting saddled with people like this.]

..Speaking of the lack of fur, you're going to need clothes.

And what IS a human? The only thing I've heard that's even close to looking like this is are monkeys.

[Frowns.] Why? It's not cold and if there's some fancy get together happening, I'd rather pass.

Humans are primates, related to monkeys but I believe quite a bit further down the evolutionary ladder. But they are very weak to the elements.

Which is to say, bluntly, you'll catch hypothermia and, additionally, it's considered rude to walk around naked.

....farther along and they....

You know, I was saying freak of nature because I thought humans weren't a thing that existed. Now I'm thinking it because they went and evolved away important things for their body.

Evolution is always a kind of trade off. And opposable thumbs are kind of a big deal.

[WIGGLING HERS.]

Ponies did just fine without opposable thumbs. And still got to keep their fur.