[013].

[bonnypiperlad]

[Today, there is a great and terrible beastie roaming the snow-covered hills by the Onsen. Well...if by great and terrible, you mean one that's a good four inches under six feet tall. Otherwise, it's beast-like enough, a reddish-orange sort of fellow with knobbly horns that look a bit like drones on bagpipes, a pair of wings jutting from its back and a series of raised bumps covering its arms, torso and back.

It also happens to have a pair of very human-looking brown eyes, should anyone get close enough to see. Right now those eyes are looking a bit frustrated, and there's a certain tenseness in the creature's shoulders, carrying over into the line of its body even as it paces about. It seems, if nothing else, it's not a terribly happy beastie. And maybe, just maybe, it's staying away from the more populated parts of the Plane for a reason...]

((OOC: This particular beastie is Jamie, transformed courtesy of the pollen. And while he can hear and understand what people are saying, he can't currently do anything other than make various incomprehensible noises in return. As a note, anything he says in his current form would come across as growls or roars or things of that nature unless you're a telepath or happen to speak Unhappy Allergic Scottish Beastie - which if you want to do that, go for it! Just let me know in the tag somehow.))

Comments

[oliverplus]

[...that thing is crazy-looking. and, being a Doctor's companion, when Oliver spots a monster in the distance, the first thing he does is investigate. as he crests a hill and gets a good view of the creature, he can only stare] Whoa! What is that thing? It's like Where the Wild Things Are!

[no offense, Jamie. you do look like a wild thing]

[bonnypiperlad]

[Maybe it is a wild thing, because as it hears the noise, it whips its head up and focuses right on Oliver.]

Oliver! Look, something's happened. Ye have to help me!

[Of course that doesn't come out anything like English - or even Gaelic - but that doesn't seem to stop Jamie. Maybe if he can get closer he can get Oliver to realize he's not some terrible beastie after all. However, it probably would help if he didn't start by running towards his friend while looking like this.]

[oliverplus]

[Oliver lets out a cry of shock (and a maybe a little fear, but shh), and he takes off running in the opposite direction, throwing glances over his shoulder every few feet] Hey, I just want to make friends! There's no need to eat me!

[bonnypiperlad]

[The Jamie-beastie looks decidedly upset at that, because that's not what he intended at all. Why does everyone think he's going to eat them? He turns and goes to follow, his wings flaring wide as he does so.]

Hey, wait, come back! I'm not going to eat ye!

[oliverplus]

[that really isn't comforting. as Oliver continues running, he shouts back:] Why can't you ever be vegetarians!?

[at which point he slips on the Plane floor and falls over backwards. he tries to scramble back to his feet, but it's going to take a second to get going again, meaning he's very lucky he isn't running from a real monster. his street cred as a Doctor's companion has just been reduced--but it might give Jamie a chance to catch up]

[bonnypiperlad]

[He's had enough time to get used to his new feet that he can catch up, meaning he's more or less right in Oliver's face as he tries to scramble out of the way, looking at his friend with anxious eyes.]

Oliver! Please, listen! It's me. It's Jamie. Och, I wish ye could understand me...

[oliverplus]

Yikes! I come in peace! I--!

[but he cuts himself off when, for a second, he catches Jamie's gaze and feels that anxiety. still on the ground, he stops scrambling and stares at the creature]

Wait, are you...worried?

[bonnypiperlad]

[Jamie nods - and then realizes what that means. Bless you, Oliver, for having that empathy.]

Aye! I don't know why, but I've changed into this...this beastie.

[There's some frustration, but it's clearly not directed at Oliver - especially not when Jamie goes to sit down on the nearest rock and slumps a little.]

And I don't know what to do about it.

[oliverplus]

You can understand me!? [Oliver stares at the beast as it apparently sits down to have a pout] Hey... Wait! I'm sorry. I didn't know.

[he gets up a little uncertainly, going over to sit across from it--mainly so that he can make eye contact again] Are you...new here? I thought we could understand anyone, but--

[and then it hits him]

Oh god. This is an experiment, isn't it!? Who are you?

[bonnypiperlad]

[That causes his head to whip up, which is handy - although it means Oliver's getting that frustration again.]

Look, I've told ye already, I'm Jamie!

[But it's clear that Oliver doesn't understand him when he talks, so he's got to come up with another way. He looks around for a moment to try and find some sort of inspiration, lifting a claw to rub at his forehead in thought. There's a faint noise as it hits one of the horns - the ones that look a tiny little bit like the drones of bagpipes.

And then, he has an idea. He taps at the horns again, trying to get Oliver to look at them, then mimes squeezing a bag before looking at Oliver expectantly. Would that be enough, maybe, to get his point across?]

[oliverplus]

[the frustration is oddly reassuring, as it implies that he's right about the experiment. he watches Jamie's pantomime, frowning] Yeah, I see you've got horns. Wait! Kiran? [but Jamie is already, from Oliver's point of view, pretending to squeeze something, which makes Oliver doubt his conclusion] No. Uh... [he trails off. sorry, Jamie; he doesn't know what to make of that]

[after a moment of thought, though, he gets an idea of his own] Oh! I've got a list! [he digs in his pocket, pulling out his black datapad, and turns it on. he spends a moment fiddling on it, and then he holds it out for Jamie to see]

Look, can you read this? It's a list of all the people I know on the Plane. I'm gonna scroll through it, and you just point when you see your name. Okay?

[he looks at Jamie hopefully before he starts to scroll. it's alphabetical by first name, so it doesn't take too long for Jamie's name to appear]

[bonnypiperlad]

[There's a brief nod at that - he can still read well enough, thankfully. And as his name appears, he points at the datapad with one of those talons of his.]

Look, there, Oliver. That's my name!

[oliverplus]

[Oliver stares at the datapad--and then he gapes at the creature]

Jamie!?

[formervanguard]

[Have a Marta, staaaaaaring from a little ways away, wondering just what manner of being this is... And because she's the kind of person who would poke a sleeping bear in the nose with a twig, she's definitely going to step forward and try to get the beastie's attention!]

Um... Hello?

((OoC: djfklas I am so sorry I'm late))

[bonnypiperlad]

Marta?

[Her name does actually come across as a question, at least in tone. The word, unfortunately, does not - nor do any of the others he's saying.]

It's me, Jamie. Look, something's happened and I don't know what. Can ye help?

((OOC: Pft, there is no late. Hi. c:))

[formervanguard]

Huh?

[She blinks, slowly, when it starts trying to communicate. You know, any other youngster would probably have fled by now, but Marta just has this feeling that it's not necessary. The beastie's eyes, for one thing... something about them makes the creature look a lot less vicious and just... well, beastie-like instead! Plus, its tone... was that a question?]

I... I'm sorry, I can't understand what you're saying. ... Are you okay? Are you lost?

[bonnypiperlad]

[For a moment, there's hope that maybe she'll understand him, but when she doesn't, he looks frustrated - his mouth pulling off to one side in the exact same way it used to when he was human.]

No, I am not! Do I look okay to ye, Marta?

[Suddenly he sighs, his wings drooping and a rather defeated air coming over him.] Och, what's the use? No one can understand me. I might as well get used to being a terrible beastie.

[Which he's going to do by sitting down heavily on the nearest rock and slumping in a very human sort of way.

...okay, so maybe he's not so good at being a terrible beastie.]

[formervanguard]

[That makes her frown. Forget caution at this point, she moves to stand next to the beast, concerned.]

Oh no... something is wrong, isn't it? Oh, I wish I could understand... [She bites her lip, considering...] But... you can understand me, right? Maybe I could ask you questions and you could nod or something? Maybe I can figure it out and help!

[bonnypiperlad]

[He straightens up at that suggestion, something like hope coming into his eyes - and he nods a moment later, fairly enthusiastically.]

Aye...aye, that might work! Alright, let's give that a go.

[And if not, well...he'll think of something. But this seems like a good start, at least.]

[formervanguard]

[She smiles, delighted that it seems to work!]

Great! Okay. Um... are you new to the Plane?

((OoC: I swear I'm alive! ;; ;; ))

[bonnypiperlad]

[There's a shake of his head at that, a simple denial, although he winds up speaking again as well, just to try and help get the point across.]

No, I'm not.

((ooc: ah, no worries. Whenever you can get to things is fine!))

[formervanguard]

You’re not? Oh! Then... have we met before? [! Oh!] Is this an experiment?

[bonnypiperlad]

[This time he nods...but then there's a shrug as well.]

Aye! We have. I don't know, though. I suppose it must be.

[He thinks for a moment, then scuffs up a bit of the ground below him with his foot. Crouching down, he tries to do a sketch with one of his talons. It's a stick figure, because he's no artist, but a stick figure with mop-like hair, wearing what looks like a plaid skirt. He looks up at Marta, hopefully. Does she recognize the figure?]

[formervanguard]

[They've met before? Huh... then who could...?

Before she can think of a way to ask, she watches the beastie start drawing in the ground. She crouches as well, for a better look. The hair, the skirt...

Wait, that's not a skirt, it's a kilt! And that means...]

Jamie! [She looks up at him with wide eyes and a bit of a smile!] Oh my goddess, Jamie, it's you!

[bonnypiperlad]

[If he wasn't stuck as a beastie, he might have smiled back out of sheer relief, but right now that would involve a whole lot of pointy teeth - and even though it seems Marta recognises him, he'd rather not risk that right now. He does still somehow managed to look relieved, nodding again, this time quite rapidly.]

Ye recognise me! Och, that's a relief.

[He starts to sketch in the dirt again, this time a taller stick figure with a mass of spiky hair and a trenchcoat, then he puts a question mark next to it.]

I don't suppose you've seen the Doctor, have ye? I could use a wee bit of help.