A Heart To Own

[emilyorion]

Emily led the mare out of the stable, her hand on the mare's neck as she headed out to the prairie. Shadow, as per usual, was right behind her, following out and letting out a happy bark at the familiar sight. It wasn't home, but it was great.

She swung up onto the mare, and Shadow began bounding around the mare's legs, eager to get going. She tangled her fingers in the mare's mane and squeezed her legs, getting the mare to leap into a run. The mare took off, legs stretched to maximum speed, Shadow hot on her tail. Emily let out a whoop and leaned low along the mare's neck, eyes watering from the wind but a big smile on her face.

[emilyorion]

Emily lept from the mare's back, her body transforming in air to land as a galloping horse, feeling the grass beneath her hooves and challenging her mare to a run. She tossed her head, giving a kick, causing her mare to shake her head. Emily grinned. It wasn't her fault she was so... childish? Carefree? Either way she loved the space and the air. She leaped over a small creek running through, feeling almost like she was flying. "I so need to get a bird to morph into," she thought as she felt the rush the jumping gave to her. The air time. She landed in a run on the other side, followed by the mare. Shadow followed, clearing the creek easily. She needed to keep both her forms in shape. Well, all three.

[belnoah]

Jeremy really just needed to let off some steam. He was getting increasingly frustrated with SPECTER's lack of information. It was like watching a show he was really into only to find that new episodes weren't coming out for another four months. Incidentally, he was just as frustrated with Stargate Universe as he was with SPECTER, but SPECTER was forefront in his mind, because they had secrets that could lead him to his parents' murderers. However, he couldn't let himself get too angry, he knew. He needed to get out a little bit.

So, every now and then, when he could find time, he left the apartment on wing and just flew. He had to drop to the ground and demorph every now and then, but it was relaxing. Today, however, he found that he wasn't alone. Far below, in the prairie he'd taken to flying over, there was a girl riding a horse. It was when she leapt off the horse and turned into that same horse that he realized that he was looking at their newest member, the one he hadn't met yet.

He really didn't want to shout out to her, since he was trying to relax, but he felt he ought to at least introduce himself. Reluctantly, he dropped from the sky and flew close to the ground.

<Nice jump,> he said.

[emilyorion]

Emily turned her head, slowing to a slow lope, looking at the bird. <thanks. who are you? I'm Emily> she introduced herself politely, before stopping completely. Sky Song and Shadow came back, Shadow watching the bird with fangs bared and hair on end. She shifted into human form and put a hand on Shadow's head. "Be nice Shadow. The way you're going you'll have more enemies than friends," Emily said reproachfully. Of course, he was overprotective and very possessive. He must have got that from her parents. But even they weren't that bad.

[belnoah]

Jeremy heard the dog before he saw it, so rose slightly higher, to what he hoped was too high for the dog to reach. <I'm Jeremy,> he said. Not that he'd really wondered about it, given that she could morph, but her name confirmed his theory (again, as if morphing didn't). He thought he'd heard Leroy mention her name, but he hadn't been able to remember if it was Emily or Erica. Well now he knew.

<Is the dog going to eat me if I land and demorph?> he asked, trying to keep the worry out of his voice. He did need to demorph, but he didn't want to die yet.

[emilyorion]

Emily laughed at that and nodded. <you'll be fine, Shadow is just over-protective in my parents place> She gestured for Shadow to sit, which he did albeit reluctantly. Sky Song stood next to her, lowering her head slightly to sniff at the bird, then snorted. "The behaving includes you Sky Song," she said reproachfully. Then smiled at the bird. <You're safe to change>. She placed a hand on the mare's neck, and a hand a tad more firmly on the head of Shadow. Someone had to remind them they weren't her parents.

[belnoah]

Jeremy landed nervously. He wasn't even sure if he could really relax once he'd finished demorphing. But then, he wasn't really when to ever relax. After all, that party had been pretty relaxed, and then... He shook off the memory. That was a different matter. Right now, he would have to be content with focusing on someone who could help him serve justice to those who had done the evil act.

He needed to make a good impression. He'd already messed up with Wes, being very untrusting and more than a little cold. Luckily, Wes seemed like the type who would join his fight regardless. He couldn't take that chance anymore, though. He tried to smile (it seemed like forever since he'd done that) and offered a hand to shake. "Nice to meet you face to face."

[emilyorion]

Emily laughed at that last comment, a twinkle of merriment in her eyes. When she laughed, Shadow relaxed, and the Sky Song eyed up the now human being. They were used to Emily's transformations, but then it was just like looking in the mirror, or something they knew. She took Jeremy's hand and shook it, still smiling.

"Nice to meet you too Jeremy. I'm still somewhat new here, so it is always nice to broaden the acquaintance horizen, and friends as well. Granted I'm not so used to humans as I am animals, but my parents always said it was like Sky Song, Shadow and I were as one, and so together we are strong and therefore have no fear." She had caught scent of his distrust, and tried to show she meant no harm. Something she had noticed was people were not much different than animals. You had to feel the emotion as well as express it for the most part. Some could fall for sweet words, but she knew this one wouldn't. Something had happened to him, but she would have to wait to find out.

"So what brought you here?" she asked with interest. Shadow had, at this point, decided that Jeremy had some underlying currents of fear and anguish, and stepped forward, rubbing his head against Jeremy's leg waiting for a pet.

[belnoah]

She was one with her animals? He supposed that was possible, given her morphing abilities. Or maybe she was related to Dr. Doolittle. "Oh, I... I just need to fly sometimes." It was the truth. He needed time when he wasn't thinking about Erde Premier. What was he supposed to do if SPECTER had stopped telling him about them?

The dog was rubbing its head against his leg now. He recoiled at first, but then decided that it clearly wasn't going to bite his leg off. "What brings you out here?" He had a general idea, but she had asked him, so he would return the conversation effort.

[emilyorion]

"I needed to leave the nest, as it were, and I was curious about those people in suits. Don't trust them, but I'm pretty sure if it came down to it I could hold my own if need be." She smiled slightly at Jeremy's recoiling. Couldn't blame him. After all, Shadow's first impression was of an evil maniac dog that would tear you apart. Which of course wasn't true, but he would given the need. He was also a big suck.

Grinning, she turned her attention back to the topic at hand. "Or if you mean out to the prairie, I guess you can say it was a case of home sickness. There is nothing like the feel of dirt and grass beneath your feet, like the freedom of running full out with the wind in your hair and no dangerous obstacles if you have instincts. How about you?" She rubbed Sky Song behind the ears and rubbed the mare's smooth neck.

She probibly shouldn't have mentioned the men in suits, but hey... if someone else knew about them, maybe they could tell about what the heck was going on. She pushed a lock of hair out of her face and smiled in a carefree manner. She was born unafraid, and she would go out the same way. And fighting, if need be.

[belnoah]

He felt partially stupid and partially relieved when he realized that her "what brought you here" was referring to Mariposa in general and not the field that they happened to be standing in. On the one hand, he wasn't sure how he'd missed that, but on the other hand, he'd avoided answering the question he so hated without even realizing it. "Yeah, I've done a lot more flying than running. But, I mean, you can run as a human, can't you?"

He couldn't imagine that being a horse was all that different from being a donkey, which he'd done before. He hadn't been that impressed. So why did she seem so enthusiastic about it? Maybe it was some kind of personal connection, like how he listened to his brother's favorite song a lot these days, even though he'd hated it when his brother was alive.

[emilyorion]

Emily laughed at that question. "I do have two legs that work wonderfully. And I am truly in shape to run as a human," she said, amused. He hadn't asked if she could run fast as a human, anyone could run as a human. She couldn't help being entertained by how awkward he was being. Had he never talked to girls before? Or was it just the location?

"Have you ever tried meditating? You seem like you're wound so tight you could be an overwound clock. And they don't work that well," she commented, settling down on the ground with her legs crossed. Shadow lay down next to her, his head resting on his paws, and Sky Song began to graze. She looked up at Jeremy complacently, waiting for him to sit down as well.

[belnoah]

He wasn't much of a meditater, and he really didn't want to be sitting anywhere near the black monstrocity she called a dog, but something made him sit down. He crossed his legs as she had. He hoped he wouldn't fall asleep; he'd been staying up hunting around on the internet for clues about Erde Premier. Nothing had come up, though. No doubt that was partially because SPECTER was probably watching him somewhere and blocking his efforts.

He'd heard some things about meditating. He knew it was easiest with closed eyes, he knew it would involve clearing his mind, which he was moderately good at anyway. He wasn't sure beyond that.

[emilyorion]

Emily started laughing again, though she felt somewhat bad for doing so. He acted like he was a mouse, and she a snake luring him into a false sense of security before attacking. Or maybe it was Shadow he was scared of. Or both made him tense.

"The key point in meditating is becoming one with oneself and the environment. I know my words mean little to you, as we are strangers, but I give you my word I am harmless," she said softly, smiling. Animals had never been scared of her, but here in this place where people like her were supposed to be common, she was viewed as a freak. And, it seems, even those like her thought so too. Maybe she should read up on this Spectre. Seems they were the cause of most stress.

[belnoah]

Become one with oneself? With the environment? Jeremy had hoped she wouldn't talk like that. He had a hard time taking people like that seriously. He closed his eyes. This meant that he at least couldn't see Shadow, and even though he knew the dog was still there, he felt more calm.

He tried not to think about anything at all. This was harder than he'd thought it would be. There were so many things going on in his head. Eventually, he wasn't thinking about anything, though.