fandomhigh | The Cryptozoologist's Field Guide, Thursday, Per 2

The Danger Shop had been transformed into a large meadow, complete with many natural pools and ponds. Wandering around that meadow was a large herd of absolutely beautiful horses; tall and proud with long necks, strong legs, and large, gentle eyes.

"The problem with convergent evonlution," Verity said, looking warm and slightly golden from their week in the Philippines, "is that you end up with species that look incredibly close to other species, but with vastly different behaviors, temperaments, and diets. While this is good for many cryptid species, as it provides excellent camouflage, it can be bad for people who are think they're dealing with one animal and end up dealing with another."

One of the horses reared and whinnied, showing a mouthful of wicked teeth that did not belong in the mouth of an herbivore.

"Such is the kelpie," Verity continued. "They are water-horses, which means you will often find them close to large, deep bodies of water. Once you climb onto their backs, you cannot get down again until they choose to release you. Which they will - after they have dragged you down to the bottom of the closest lake or river and drowned you. They only release their magic after you're dead. Specifically, so they can eat you." Cheerful, no?

"Because they are obligate carnivores, their usual prey are animals that come to the water for drinking. When fully submerged, Kelpie are generally hard to see, leaving the unwitting to come and drink from the rive or lake they are residing in, only to be dragged off the shore. These days, their human prey are often caught sunbathing and swimming than by attempting to catch a stray horse."

Verity gestured to the horses in the meadow. "Today, we're going to see how capable you are of spotting the kelpie in a herd of horses. Once you find the safe horse, you can take it for a ride and then you're done with class. If you accidentally pick a kelpie though..." She nodded to one of the ponds in the meadow. "You're going to get dunked. Good luck!"

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Ready for a swim

Oh look! Another species that wants to eat your face!

While there are a number of horses out in the field, they are all one of sex different colors. Funny enough, there are five tests to determine the horse is a real horse or a kelpie. With each test, every horse of a single color can be eliminated; therefore any horse of the final color remaining is safe to ride.

A pile of apples appeared next to the students. "Each of you will have an apple, that's one of the tests. The last test involves another item that I am not providing for you; you're going to have to figure out what it is on your own. Use your senses, but especially common sense - I'm sure with a little thought and reflection you can figure it out."

Edited 2020-03-12 07:28 (UTC)

Some might have white markings on their faces or stockings on their feet, but each horse is mostly black, including mane and hooves. Their coats are also cold and damp to the touch, even though they seem dry.

These horses are reddish brown with a black mane, tail, ear edges, and lower legs. To look and touch, these seem like normal horses, but they smell like salt and seawater.

Ranging from gray to silver and even to near-white, these horses all share one distinct feature - their green hooves and the wet footsteps they leave behind them when they walk.

Awfully hard to spot in the grass, though...

With a bold, vibrant spotting over their coats, these are the quintessential horse of the Wild West. Regardless of where in the field they're located, however, they're all standing close to a body of water.

And if you glance at their reflection in it, you will see the red eyes and fangs of their true forms.

With golden coats and white manes and tails, the palominos are beautiful horses. Better yet, they don't look funny, smell funny, or have any weird tells at all.

Unless they're fed an apple, that is. They'll take a bite and then spit it back out.

Obligate carnivores, after all.

Edited 2020-03-12 07:45 (UTC)

Reddish-brown horses, with red manes and tails, these horses seem safe. Do you dare to ride?

Verity is eating an apple of her own and watching the different tests everyone comes up with to find the right horse.

What a week y'all.

Nina Argentum

You know what?

Nina was super okay with having a bunch of horses and kelpies around today because, like, they provided ample things to look at that weren't Liam ~~if he was there~~ because she was still kind of down and out of sorts and weirdly embarrassed about the whole conversation they'd had yesterday.

So.

Horses.

That could eat her. Okay. Cool.

She would not actually let herself get eaten but Nina definitely considered the idea of being put out of her misery for a moment but, like, it just didn't seem like a suitably dramatic way to go…

Gratuity Tucci

Prince Sidon ~~(*exists*)~~

But they were so pretty...

Nina was super disappointed when she did manage to touch one and, grimacing, wiped her hands on her dress as she surveyed them.

"I'm super disappointed in you," she informed them, in a quiet voice since she wasn't going to make this easy for anyone else either.

These ones were easy to notice--the smell of the sea was distinctive and so Nina just skipped over them entirely.

"Rude!!!!" she protested. "That was a perfectly good apple!!!!!!"

And wasting food was... not her favourite thing.

Grumbling to herself, she stalked away from them.

Just after Verity finished up with the lecture, a rather frazzled-looking Liam made his way into the Danger Shop. Sorry, Nina!

Nell Ingram

Verity looked up at him with a smile, tossing him an apple. "All good?" she asked quietly when he got close.

Liam nodded, his expression smoothing out as soon as he caught her eye- and the apple. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek as thanks. Sorry not sorry for the minor PDA, kids.

“Have I mentioned today that you’re the best?”

They were teenagers, they could handle a bit of kissing. Especially on the cheek.

"Not since before we went to bed last night," Verity told him. "So, clearly, I've been perishing away."

“Well, you are,” he told her. “Sorry for leaving you to handle things solo.” Since it looked like class was well underway and everything.

"No worries," she assured him. Honestly, she was glad for a chance to cover kelpies without reminding Liam of his mom. "You've covered for me."

Her smile was warm. "It's what partners do."

Which he definitely appreciated, especially when she’d been at the forefront of his thoughts the way she had been lately.

He shot a quick glance over at Nina. “Yeah,” he said, fond smile of his own blooming as he turned his attention back to Verity, “it is.”

Verity followed the glance. "What's going on there?"

“Hm?” Liam said absently. “Oh! We had a good talk yesterday, is all.” And while there wasn’t very much he kept from Verity, he wasn’t going to go into detail about what. Nina had trusted him enough to confide in him, and he took that trust seriously.

So ‘good talk’ it was. You know, the kind of ‘good talk’ that left one party studiously avoiding eye contact with the other.

The Cryptozoologist's Field Guide, Thursday, Per 2

Sign In

Listen to the Lecture

That's A Horse Of A Different Color

Black Horses

Bay Horses

Gray Horses

Appaloosas

Palominos

Chestnuts

Talk To Your Teachers

OOC

Re: Sign In

Re: Listen to the Lecture

Re: Sign In

Re: Sign In

Re: Black Horses

Re: Bay Horses

Re: Palominos

Re: Talk To Your Teachers

Re: Sign In

Re: Talk To Your Teachers

Re: Talk To Your Teachers

Re: Talk To Your Teachers

Re: Talk To Your Teachers

Re: Talk To Your Teachers

Re: Talk To Your Teachers

Re: Talk To Your Teachers

Re: Talk To Your Teachers