[Open] It's always darkest before the dawn.

[starryeyed_cass]

Cassie Riddle was having a rather good day. Well as good as she could be, considering everything that's happened lately. She was just enjoying a walk in the park in the autumn sunshine when suddenly, the Rift decided it would be a very good idea to give her deer antlers. And then… they got a little itchy, and she had the instinct to go and rub them

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[isaywe_party]

Buffy is on her way back to the Kashtta from school, and really has no interest in patrolling. Which is good, considering Cassie isn't the one getting chased by a monster today. She does seem pretty stuck, though, and Buffy sympathizes. Somehow.

Granted, she's never had antlers and gotten herself attached to a tree, but she did go caveman once. That should count for something.

Adjusting her bag on her shoulder, she starts to make her way closer, looking over the situation before trying to meet Cassie's eyes. "Need a hand?"

[starryeyed_cass]

Her neck's starting to ache by the time Buffy comes along. She wishes she would stop making deer noises, but it's almost like the antlers are sinking into her brain and making her think more like a deer.

Cassie's startled at first, making a high-pitched shriek and trying to back away. The deer in her shouting: Human! Human! Run away! Flee! But the Human side of her brain fights for control to calm down and she blinks, grunting, fed up.

She recognizes Buffy from school, although she's not had a chance to talk to her yet. Part of her wishes it would have been a time when she didn't have antlers, but oh well.

With a sigh, she tries to nod her head. "Please," she pulls her head, but it's no use - she can't free herself, "I'd appreciate it,"

[isaywe_party]

"No problem," she says, placing her bag down as she gets closer and peering at the way the girl has herself tangled. It takes a bit of twisting, but a few broken branches later, the girl is freed -- covered in leaves, but free.

"There. No harm done -- well, except to the tree."

[starryeyed_cass]

Cassie snorts and shakes to rid the leaves from her before tilting her head to retrieve a small twig hanging from her antlers. She sighs, she would like to stop acting like a deer now. Well, if she's going to be stuck with these antlers, she might as well keep them clear.

She stomps the floor cautiously, "Thanks, I'm pretty sure the tree'll survive," she says with an awkward smile, rubbing her neck, "That was seriously starting to do my neck in,"

Fighting any urge to rub herself against the bark again, she smiles a little more brightly, "I've seen you around school, Looney High? You're the new Guidance Councillor, right?"

[isaywe_party]

"That's me!" she says with a smile as she reaches out to extend a hand. The fact that she's being recognized as the guidance counselor and not the Slayer? Already a step in the right direction.

"Buffy Summers. You work at the school?"

[starryeyed_cass]

Cassie makes a small deer-call in delight and puts her hand to her mouth. Oh, bother. "Sorry, this is getting a tad annoying. I think I have a deer-brain,"

She laughs anyway and takes the offered hand, shaking it warmly. "Nice to meet you, Buffy!" she says brightly, "Yes, I do! I'm Cassie Riddle, the new music teacher,"

[isaywe_party]

"Oh! I like music! I'm not any good at it, but I do like it," she grins, and waves a hand. "And don't worry about the deer brain. I have seen way worse in my time."

[starryeyed_cass]

Cassie grins brightly, "Oh, you don't have to be good at it. Having an interest, liking it and stuff is really the main thing," she tells her. "Not all of my students can play or sing, but as long as they have an interest in music and they enjoy it - I'm pretty happy,"

She stomps the ground, her antlers feel itchy again. "Well, that's comforting, I suppose," she says and groans, "Okay, the sooner these things go away the better. I'm going to end up sparring at this rate,"

[isaywe_party]

"That is a very good plan," she says with a nod. "I can get on board with that plan."

And she can. If she just has to like and enjoy something, then she can do a lot of things. She can't help it, though -- she laughs a little when Cassie gets frustrated with the antlers.

"At least it's a non-people eating animal. I had this incident with friends of mine getting hyena brains -- they did some things that they can never get back."

[starryeyed_cass]

Cassie grins brightly, "Excellent! That's brilliant!"

She makes a face at the whole not being part animal that will eat people. Yes, that is definitely a good thing. She's not entirely sure what she'd do if that had happened. She wouldn't forgive herself, for one.

"If I start eating the grass, stop me," she mumbles. He face falls a little at the hyena-brain thing. "Oh God! Dare I ask what they did?"

She probably does not want to know, oh God.

[isaywe_party]

Buffy shakes her head. No, Cassie doesn't want to know. But she could be vague. Maybe.

"Well, they started with the poor school mascot -- who was a pig, so -- not so weird except they bypassed the cooking part?"

There is a beat.

"And then they ... moved on to the principal."

[starryeyed_cass]

.... No, she definitely did not want to know at all.

She puts a hand to her mouth, positively horrified. Okay, eating the school mascot is a little unsettling. And she is trying very hard not to get mental images of that. But... They ate the principal?!

That is more than sickening. It's like something out of a horror film.

"Oh my god, that's just... that's awful!" she says, "But they changed back to normal, right?"

[isaywe_party]

"Yup. We exorcised the hyena spirits, and they were good as gold," Buffy nods, before taking a breath. "And sadly, that was not the strangest event that year. That's what comes with living on a Hellmouth, unfortunately."

[starryeyed_cass]

"Oh, that's good," Cassie says with a small smile, nodding her head. And as she tilts her head to the side to listen, she finds herself frowning.

"A Hellmouth?" she can practically hear the capital 'h' there, "... is that exactly what it sounds like it is?"

Seriously?

[isaywe_party]

"Pretty much, yup," she says with a smile. "It's not so bad once you get used to the whole ... vampires and demons thing. And to go with it's name, Sunnydale was quite sunny."