The Beast We Become, a vignette of Addergoole Year 6 (@clarekrmiller)

[aldersprig]

To clare_dragonfly's prompt.
Set in Year 6 of the Addergoole School, about halfway through the year.

Aelgifu (Ayla) and Callista (as well as the mentioned others) are Addergoole characters.

"You can't ignore it forever, you know."

When Ioanna said it, she was gentle. Callista hadn't gotten the feeling of being gentle yet, so it came out, like so much of what she said, rough and raspy and cutting right to the bone.

There was no question what Callista thought Aelgifu was ignoring. For one, she was waving at Ayla with all six arms. For another, they'd been talking about this on and off for the six months since they'd crewed up.

"I'm very good at Masking." It wasn't quite an answer, but she didn't want to give an answer.

"Can't Mask your brain, little jackalope."

"Don't call me that."

"Why not?" Callista leaned forward, mid-arms resting on her thighs. "I'm a spider, you're a jackalope, your pretty girlfriend is a face-changer, and your brother is an antelope. It's just the way things are." Her smile twisted into something nasty and fierce. "And Ib is a demon."

"Ib is a demon." There was no argument there. "But a jackalope is a mythical creature."

It was the wrong thing to say, and she knew it before she'd closed her mouth. Callista rattled out another laugh.

"Look around you, sweetheart. We're all mythological here."

Comments

[inventrix]

I bet Ayla gets prey reflexes something fierce. 8D

[aldersprig]

Ha ha probably!!

[kuro_neko00]

Most people don't really realize how much our self-identity means to us. Except those who have unfortunately had it altered against their will, by accident, disease or malice. Even so much as a nasty scar can really mess a person up by disturbing their self-image. The Changes that occur to the students of Addergoole would, with the lack of warning and preparation they're intentionally not given, shatter the psyche of many, and mess virtually all the rest up considerably. That this has never been addressed that I can remember I have always chalked up to the massive mind control being applied to these kids. But it's obviously bothering Ayla here. Is that just bleed over from what little mental freedom the wards give them?

[clare_dragonfly]

Haha, and demons aren't? XD Poor Ayla.

Yngvi is an antelope? Awesome.

[aldersprig]

*nods* He's a ... specific type, but I don't remember at the moment, I'd have to look at Trix's tumblr...

...I love my information management...