The Preserve, Friday Noon

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

So, he had breasts and been assured this would go away in due time by Francine. That didn't mean Merlin was going to try looking for something to change things back to normal, damn it.

The book was... less than helpful. But there was something about changing appearance, so he was hunting for herbs to attempt it. So far? Nothing necessary for it was in the preserve.

Damn it all.

[[Open forest is open]]

Comments

[bitten_notshy]

Jack had ventured out of his room and to town, and was on his way back through the preserve when he spotted the young woman poking through the greenery.

"Looking for anything in particular?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin sincerely hoped she was no one he knew normally. That was be... more awkward.

"Um, just a few herbs."

[bitten_notshy]

"That would be one of the things I don't know anything about," Jack admitted. "They sell them in stores, that's as much as I know."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin laughed, shaking his head. Hair... moving... so weird.

"Those are for cooking."

[bitten_notshy]

"And you need them for ... not cooking?" Jack guessed, wondering if he should know this girl. "I don't normally look like this, do you?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Hopefully a way to reverse this," Merlin grumbled. "So, no. Not normally like... this."

[bitten_notshy]

Let's see, magic, accent, ears .... "It's Jack," he supplied, then chanced it. "Merlin?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Jack?" Jack was--very pretty. And didn't really look all that different if you knew who it was. "It's every boy, isn't it?"

And his ears were perfectly normal!

[bitten_notshy]

Well, of course Jack was pretty.

"Everyone I've seen, but I haven't checked in with that many," Jack answered. "I found Arthur to see if he thought it had anything to do with -- yesterday."

[glacial_queen]

Being with the earth, on the land, soothed Karla. She was feeling a little on edge right now and needed to feel the earth beneath her feet. And the garden was too close to the dorms.

She was actually feeling much better when she caught Merlin's psychic scent. His changed psychic scent. She was resigned to seeing him as a female before she actually caught sight of him. Her. Whatever. "Merlin?" she called.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Karla?" How did everyone know?

...other than the ears.

[glacial_queen]

Karla did have an advantage, after all. "Kiss kiss, Merlin," she said with a small sigh. "You make a lovely female."

...You know, if you ignore the part where MERLIN WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MALE, DAMMIT.

He also had better tits than she did, Karla noted sourly.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

But he wasn't even using them! She was welcome to have them if that was possible.

Merlin's ears went red at the compliment. "Thank you, Karla."

[glacial_queen]

If it were possible, Karla would have taken Merlin up on that offer.

As it was, she was too busy going over to give Merlin a hug if he seemed amenable. "You're back," she said. "How was hunting demons?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Exhausting," Merlin admitted, hugging her back. "I blew up a dragon."

[glacial_queen]

"Blew up a dragon?" Karla asked with a smile. "Sounds ambitious. From what I've heard since being here, slaying involves less explodey."

She smiled. "Does the brave demon-slayer want a present from Kaeleer? Or are we too impressive and brave for that?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"It was the best I could do without a sword of my own," Merlin replied with a grin. Nevermind the lack of skill with anything bladed. "With you, Karla, I would never be to brave or impressive."

[glacial_queen]

Karla smiled a little. Merlin was still Merlin, which was nice. She called in his gift.

Unlike the others, it wasn't wrapped. It was impossible. It was a pair of wooden shelves, mounted on top on one another, as long as her arms and tall as her forearm. On the top shelf were five small pots of earth, each with its own seedling. The bottom shelf had pots filled with earth but no plants. "I brought you some Kaeleeran plants," she said. "For you to grow. The bottom are for plants of your own."

[bitten_notshy]

She might glimpse another odd but familiar psychic scent when she left Merlin; she might also just glimpse the blond girl meandering back toward the school with a slight wave.

"Hello, Karla."

[glacial_queen]

"Jack?" Karla asked, surprised though for no good reason. You would think she'd be used to it by this point. "You're back! And okay! I didn't know you guys had gotten back yet."

[bitten_notshy]

"Jack," he confirmed. "I'm glad to see you, too. We got in this morning."

"How did you recognize me?"

[glacial_queen]

"Your psychic scent," Karla answered. "It's still you...though it's a bit different now." She sounded a bit put out by that. "Though I've gotten used to recognizing the change and figuring out who is who by it."

[bitten_notshy]

"I still feel like me," Jack said. "Just ... a bit different. I'll be happy when it passes."

[glacial_queen]

"Me, too, Karla agreed fervently. "This is messing with my head worse that it is some of the other males. Gender doesn't work like this in Kaeleer. It's not so...fluid."

[bitten_notshy]

"Is anyone bisexual?"

It was a subject of some interest to Jack, okay?