Chapter Text
This tree is tall as fuck, Beef thinks, and then shortly after, that it's a good thing she isn't wearing a skirt today. Carlos squeaks anxiously, hopping in place unstably, and Beef winces as the branch he's sitting atop trembles - the growing crowd gives a murmur of apprehension, but Beef does her best to ignore them, focusing on grabbing at the closest branch sticking out of the tree and hoisting herself higher up.
“How did you even get up here,” Beef mumbles to herself, squinting up at Carlos. The seal, of course, doesn't respond, only honking at her and wobbling around again in an effort to edge closer to the tree trunk. Beef tenses as the branch wavers again, a faint breeze rustling through the leaves, but Carlos doesn't fall, despite his terrified squeak, and Beef redoubles her efforts to ascend the almost comically tall tree.
“Hang on,” she calls, somewhat uselessly. She hooks her leg over the wider branch under Carlos, locking herself in place and stretching her arms out - but her fingers miss the seal by just a hair’s breadth, Beef frowning. The branch creaks in warning, probably not accustomed to so much weight, and Beef pushes herself up unsteadily, balancing on a knee. Her fingers brush against Carlos’ slippery fur, Carlos honking at her again as he shifts closer - and then with a sound like thunder rending the sky, the branch breaks.
In a stroke of divine luck, Carlos falls directly into her arms - and then the misfortune catches up barely a second later, because the weight of him knocks Beef clean out of the tree and sends her plummeting to the ground below. Someone in the crowd shouts, and a wave of people rush forwards - Beef folds Carlos close to her chest, working around his slippery fur to keep him securely cushioned and praying that something, or at least someone, will break her fall. The ground rushes closer, people hovering around near the base of the tree in an effort to catch her, and Beef crashes into a tangle of limbs and a low, quiet “ow”. Pain snaps through her leg, though it quickly dulls into a pounding ache, but Carlos squeaks again in her arms, unharmed, so Beef counts it as a successful rescue mission. She exhales softly, relieved as she lets Carlos down to the soft grass where he hops away swiftly to Skycrab’s waiting hands, where the other girl is waiting to coo over him and check him over for injuries - and then she hears a questioning “um” from under her.
Oh my god I'm sitting on someone, Beef abruptly remembers, whirling around with a thankful apology on her tongue, but all her words die away as she meets a stunning pair of azure blue eyes, half hidden behind a wave of straight, two-toned bangs. The girl frowns at her for a moment, Beef scrambling off her - say something, say something - but though her mouth opens, she can't summon her voice, just watching the other girl dust off her uniform in a daze.
She's captivatingly beautiful. Her hair frames her narrow face perfectly, rippling down her shoulders in a waterfall of chestnut and dark chocolate, her big, pretty eyes slowly lidding. Her eyelashes are long too, Beef thinks faintly, though it doesn't look like she's wearing mascara - and she runs a hand through her hair, pushing herself awkwardly to her feet.
“Uh,” she says, and Beef thinks people must describe her voice as pure, molten gold - all low and quiet, warm like the early morning sun and soft like feathers. Beef closes her mouth, flushing, and the other girl stretches her hand out. “Are you okay?”
“Um,” Beef breathes, fingers slipping into the other girl's palm. Her hands are soft, Beef thinks faintly, doing her best not to let her touch linger as the girl helps her upwards. “Yes, I- I'm ok. I'm… uh, Beef. Beefsalad. Sorry about that.”
“It's alright,” the girl says, gentle and kind, and Beef swallows. “Uh… Vstrid. That's a crazy seal. How'd it even get up there?”
“I have no idea,” Beef replies weakly. Vstrid. Her eyes flit to Skycrab - Carlos is cooing at her happily, letting the people gathered around him give him pats as they ooh and aah. “Uh, I'll… keep a better eye on him next time.”
“That’s your seal?” Vstrid asks, confused, and Beef offers her a sheepish smile, a little embarrassed. “Uh… Why'd you bring him?”
“Oh, uh,” Beef says awkwardly. “Skycrab wanted to see him. We, uh, know each other, so… anyway, I didn't think he'd climb a tree.”
Vstrid opens her mouth to reply, amusement tugging at the corner of her lips, but the shrill ring of the bell has her pausing, reaching down to scoop her satchel off the ground and dust it off. Beef looks over at Skycrab, too - she’s shooing the thinning crowd off to class, catching Beef’s eyes and lifting Carlos with a raised eyebrow. Carlos yips delightedly, his big eyes adorably shiny and bright, and Beef raises a hand to bid Vstrid farewell, but when she turns back around Vstrid is already leaving, turned on her heel and running off across the lawn.
Wait, Beef wants to call, I haven't even gotten your number - but she's momentarily entranced by the way Vstrid’s hair drifts in the wind in a rippling sheet of silk, and by the time she gets a hold of herself the moment has passed and Vstrid’s anyway disappearing into the main building.
“So,” Skycrab says dryly, padding over and dropping Carlos into her arms - Carlos squeaks at her happily, resting flat against her and wriggling a little like an eel. “You're late for class? And you're gonna be bringing in a huge seal with you?”
“I don't have anything in first period,” Beef says after a pause, a little breathless. If only Vstrid didn't have anything then either. “Uh, can I still drop him off in the clubroom? You mentioned the big tank?”
“Yep,” Skycrab sighs, pointing at the door. “It’s almost like I don't have a class - but I was probably skipping anyway. Let's go before your seal climbs some other weird structure.”