Meant to Happen

[Esteban]

From the moment he had seen the vestibule for the first time, he knew that it was meant to happen.

Sadly, circumstances prevented it. During the day, the headmistress was holed up in her office, not to mention people going in and out through the vestibule. At night, there was the uppity clot lurking in his office. Just waiting for something like this.

But now they were both gone.

Esteban was standing in the middle of the upper-floor balcony, breathing deeply through a wide grin. Oh, it would be the most epic feat ever seen within those damned old walls... or not seen, as he had waited until nightfall to minimize the chances of any witnesses stumbling in. Only the fish in the tank would be the silent observers to what he was about to do.

It was on.

With a clatter, his skateboard was thrown to the ground and promptly jumped on, the changeling kicking off furiously to gather speed as he rushed towards the stairs. His heart pounded away in his ears, adrenaline rush making him perceive everything extremely sharply, as if in slow motion. Knees bending slightly. Right foot placed on the tail. Left foot sliding towards the nose. Weight shifted, muscles contracting and releasing. Ollie successful. A brief moment in midair, then the landing on the railing with a satisfying click, arms spreading out to help maintain balance--

And there he was, grinding the rail down at an extreme angle, along the curve of the stairs, speeding through the air as if he was flying, a loud howl of perfect elation escaping him. Screw the confidentiality he was supposed to maintain and the high possibility of death awaiting at the bottom of the stairway.

It was worth it.

[Ndale]

What the hell was that noise?

It sounded like...well, he didn't really know what. Ears twitched and swiveled. He had been up on the first floor, having had fallen asleep in a sitting room earlier that afternoon, and was making his way through the castle. Presumably to find somewhere else to nap until morning and more people were about for him to bother.

It sounded perhaps like...rolling? Then scraping. Something hard against the floor, in any case. The feline, signature black pants wrapped up along his back leg, took off to follow it. He loped into the vestibule not a moment later just in time to see a form swing down the railing of the large staircases. Excitement at something new and interesting bursting in his chest and the cheetah cautiously ventured in a little further to observe the spectacle.

A wide grin stretched his muzzle at the loud noise of triumph. Ah. Skateboard. He'd heard and seen a little about it, but had never really got in to it enough to pay it any particular mind. This boy seemed...good though.

Hmmmm.

Ndale's first impression was well set, and his approval rating would only increase if the boy actually managed to get back off the railing without cracking his skull open. He actually wasn't sure which he would prefer to see more...

[Esteban]

The end of the railing was approaching quickly -- too quickly -- with the rather steep angle Esteban was sliding down. He had to jump off at the precisely right moment... Not yet... Not yet...
Now.

With his teeth clenched in focus, Esteban managed to kick off into the air successfully. The triumphant grin on his face was soon replaced by a look of 'uh-oh' as he felt the skateboard slipping from below his feet. Well. There would be no graceful landing...

Hitting the ground with a thud, the changeling slid across the floor, curled on his side. Once his movement stopped, he started shaking rather violently. It lasted a moment, before he flopped over to his back, and then it became clear he was taken by a fit of breathless laughing. As he raised a hand to wipe a tear from his eye, he saw his ring finger bent at a funky angle, which prompted another burst of laughter, soon turning into wheezing. Oh man, his stomach hurt. He popped the finger back in place casually with a nasty crack, then slowly started pushing himself off the ground, still gasping for breath. "Wow." he wheezed the moment he could. He was so doing it again. As he looked around for where his skateboard had fallen, his gaze slid over his observer-- then he did a double-take, blinking. A spotted... animal thing. What was it?

Esteban got to his feet, staring at the creature. "A leopard, or some crap..." he mumbled, scratching his head, then with a shrug went to pick up the skateboard. Animals were boring.

[Ndale]

Oooo, ouch. Ndale winced as the boy impacted with the floor. Well...he couldn't say he was exactly surprised. The idea was all to smart in the first place. The crack had him giving another discomforted grimace. Ah, well...at least the boy seemed okay? At least, he was getting up...and laughing, though the feline didn't know what that said for his sanity.

And then he was spotted. Ndale blinked at the other, but at the comment, his ears fell back against his head with a flat look. Was he just...dismissed...with a shrug? As a leopard or 'some crap? Easily he hopped into a run. He would not be so wrongly ignored and brushed aside from attention's center. So, he would place himself there, and there seemed to be the skateboard. The feline, if he could get to the board before the other boy, would attempt to push it farther away. And, if the other had already secured a grip on it, well, pushing the boy himself in the back of the knee with a bump of shoulder seemed just as well.

[Esteban]

As he strolled over and bent down to grab his faithful vehicle, it was too late that he registered the sound of claws clicking against the floor. Fingers were barely touching the board when the animal sent it rolling across the floor, nudging Esteban's leg along the way. He hissed under his breath in place of a curse, waving his arms as to not lose his balance.

"Th'ell yo doin'?!" he yelled after the leopard. Jeez, this place was not just full of crazy folk, also full of crazy beasts. From closer up, the creature appeared to be bigger than before... Esteban was reminded of a trip to a zoo long ago, in elementary school, perhaps. The most memorable bit being throwing rocks at penguins when the teacher and guide weren't looking, then being ratted on by another kid... what a loser. Anyway...

"I'ma skin ya fo' dis." he growled, reaching into his pocket for his knife as he started running after the cat.

[Ndale]

Well, that worked. He had his attention. He found it ironic that the common insult toward him was skinning...I mean, really...why skinning? It was gross, and cruelly ironic.

As Ndale pushed the skateboard, he grinned. Now, how did one ride this thing? Hardly going at his fastest, Ndale smacked a paw against the back side of the board to turn it a little hazardously. Dipping his head, the side of the wood clicked against his teeth as he took it up. The feline might have tried to ride it, and he did want to, but not when he had absolutely no idea how and when its angry owner was on his tail.

He ran only a bit farther before his pace dropped into a loping trot and he turned to watch the oncoming said owner, board still captive. The white tuft on the edge of his tail flicked back and forth. His gaze was nearly expectant, and it was clear he wasn't really trying to get away from the other or was even that scared like a normal animal might have been. His pace was bouncing, like a dog playing keep away, helped by how he bobbed his head to bring attention to his hostage.

[Esteban]

With those long legs it had and the pace it maintained so easily, chasing after the animal didn't seem such a great idea anymore. Esteban needed a different strategy. But... wait, what was it doing?

He stopped in place, staring with eyebrows raised at the leopard who was now in possession of his board. Oh. It was... provoking him. Holey crap, just what he needed, some freaky animal finding him a suitable subject of a midnight dose of teasing. Now, Esteban couldn't very well risk it running off and getting lost who knows where, so a change in plan was even more necessary... hm.

Slowly, his face twisted into some sort of a contorted sneer that poorly pretended to be a friendly smile. Squatting down, he felt around his pockets for something he could lure it with, but bubblegum hardly seemed like it would do the trick, so it was an empty hand he outstretched in the panther's direction. "'Eeere, kitty, kitty..." he cooed through his teeth. "C'mere, kitty... yo spotty little mutated fartstain, kitty, kitty..."

Behind his back, in the other hand, a flick-knife was opened with a quiet click.

[Ndale]

Ndale watched the other as he crouch and held out a hand. At first, his ears turned forwards, but immediately snapped back at what was actually said. His gaze was absolutely and positively flatly, unimpressed. Really? Like he was going to come when being called a fartstain... Pft.

The click though, had his ears again turning forward and him dancing a few steps back. Amber darted around, he didn't like that noise. His look was resettled on the other boy and he dipped his head just enough to rest the board on the ground to talk around it.

"Here, boy, herreee boy. You freakish, green little humanoid. C'mere boy."

The feline's tone, though voice raspy and lined with a natural huskiness, was obviously mocking of what had just been said to him.

[Esteban]

Esteban wasn't particularly well-versed in the art of reading exotic animals' body language, but the look the cat had on its face was impossible to misinterpret. It wasn't going to come closer... rather the opposite. The changeling's eyes widened slightly in panic. But then, the animal seemed about to put the board down-- maybe its jaw got tired-- he found himself repeating 'pleasepleaseplease' in his thoughts--

And then it spoke.

Eyes almost popping out of their orbits, Esteban found himself flinching back, losing balance and falling onto his butt, armed hand moving to his side just in time to not sit on the knife.

"You's alive!" was the first thing out of his mouth in a tone too high-pitched out of shock. Which probably wasn't the smartest thing to say, as it had quite obviously been just as alive moments before, but right now the concept of talking animals existing was throwing Esteban's mind into such a loop that all he could do was stare dumbfoundedly at the cat with mouth slightly agape. With how still he was, it seemed that he would be sitting so for a while.

[Ndale]

As the boy's butt hit the floor with such a silly exclamation, the cheetah couldn't help but burst out a laugh. His shoulders shook as air gusted through large lungs.

"What? D'ya think I was stuffed or something?" Amber eyes danced with a glittering amusement. Shocking people never grew old. Letting go of the board completely, Ndale stepped over it delicately. With a stroll that had shoulder blades and hips rolling smoothly beneath furry skin, he slunk closer towards the other, one ear tilted forward with head tilted curiously.

He took advantage of the other's still state and closer proximity to get a better look and a better appraisal. It was obvious how the cheetah's eyes flicked over his form and face, and a small hum came from his chest. Well...not bad...

"You shouldn't be out so late here, cutie. Especially doing something that draws so much attention, no?" The corner of his mouth pulled up to stretch a smirk across the feline's muzzle. White tip of a flicking tail flashed behind him.

[Esteban]

The cat's laughter, while also an unusual sight, helped Esteban get over the initial shock. Talking animals existed, well, so what? They were all over the media, maybe it was only natural that it had a basis in reality. With all sorts of magic, fairies, zombies, dragons and vampires walking around, he was beginning to suspect that the only thing that didn't actually exist was fiction.

Slowly, as the leopard talked and came closer, Esteban's surprised look faded into a sort of a disbelieving scowl. Was it... checking him out? Huh.

Extending his arms behind him, he leaned back a bit and gave the animal a challenging smirk. "Or wot?" He tilted his head. "De wolfs will git me?"

[Ndale]

At least he seemed to adjust well. But, the feline couldn't help but chuckle a bit and shake his head.

"No. People's curiosity will." And that was so much worse, wasn't it? So much more dangerous. Especially here. He inclined his head slightly. "Though, you're already doing something so stupid and foolishly reckless as riding around on such a contraption as this like that, soo..." The cheetah's tongue lolled out in a playful manner, the silver stud piercing clicking against a pointed canine and he danced back a couple of steps to the skateboard again more cheerfully.

"So show me." He eyed it with such a sharp curiosity. "How do I ride it? It looks fun."

[Esteban]

He couldn't help but roll his eyes pointedly at both the animal's vocabulary and what it was saying. Was it some sort of a resident grandpa pet...? Though, its voice didn't give off a particularly elderly vibe. Before he could reply, the leopard was backing off, and Esteban's gaze flickered defensively between it and the skateboard, the only possession he actually cared about. Feigning casualness, he stretched out and slowly stood up. "Ya'd need less legs fer dat." Eyebrows sloping with a mock-apologetic frown, he shrugged in a 'what to do?' manner. "Soz, mon."

With that, he started in the board's direction in a decisive manner, intending to retrieve it.

[Ndale]

Ears flickered as he turned his attention again to the other boy. His muzzle stretched into a grin. Less legs, okay, easy. Done.

The way in which he moved, it was like the feline just stood up. It was in a fluid manner that the fur receded and muscles adjusted bones to a new order of function. Ndale was now standing just a small bit taller than the other boy as he took a step to intercept the other's determined path. He wouldn't be letting the other off so easily. Tail still flicked behind him, pants tied around his calf, and feline ears were still turning forward in interest. The grin was more suited to this face, too wide to be anything kind or innocent while accompanied with sharp eyes.

"No'rries, cutie" He purred out in a drawl, grin baring canines and eyes narrowing.

[Esteban]

It was literally with choking on his breath that Esteban reacted to the sudden form-change of the creature before him. He stopped in his tracks, rooted to the spot, and stared at the other with a dumbstruck expression. But only for a second.

The next, he was stepping forward and half-rising to his tip-toes as he brought his armed hand up to the other's face, the knife giving a malicious glint, and the furious sneer twisting Esteban's lips and scrunching up his nose was anything but cute.

"Do that again," he breathed through his teeth, "'an'I'munna cut chu up."

Whether the guy caught that by 'that' he meant shocking him and not just the stupid metamorphosis, he really couldn't care less, he wouldn't mind not seeing that again either. Skinning him didn't seem like such an appealing option anymore, though. As he took a step back, he let his gaze flicker over the ex-leopard as he tilted his head, checking him out like he had done earlier. "Yea." he hummed, a smirk slowly seeping onto his face. "Migh' teach yo now."

[Ndale]

The feline flinched back on reflex, eyeing the knife that had suddenly neared a little too close for comfort. But still, his smirk was undaunted. Being around Shae, knifes and their sudden appearances were not so strange. And complied with a strange death wish, well, it was all a fun and dangerous game.

"That'd be a waste." As the boy stepped back, Ndale straightened. Rolling his eyes with a quiet 'tch', he put on a show for the boy's wandering eye. Casually, he stretched, fingers interlocked and arms raised above head. His spine clicked as his back arched a bit. And as he dropped his arms again to relax, his grin was huge.

"You should! That's what friends do, no? Help each other out, and share?" His canines flashed as he barely withheld a chuckle to a little wispy breath through teeth. "We can be friends, right?"

[Esteban]

It was mildly amusing, he thought, how they mirrored each other's actions in turn. With that idea in mind, he let out a tut as well as he turned to walk to the skateboard. "Aye don' do friends." he noted offhandedly, shoulder brushing lightly against the other's as he moved past him.

Stepping onto the board, Esteban pushed himself forward smoothly, gathering some speed before taking a wide turn, making a show of the effortlessness. He raised an eyebrow and smirked lightly as he rolled past, obviously as comfortable as if on stable ground. "Well, Simba," he said as he started to circle the boy, eyeing the black cloth around his leg, "y'migh' won take th' rag off. It'll git in da way."

Kay, so casual nudity it was. If the boy didn't, he would not show any signs of finding it unusual, either.

[Ndale]

Tan shoulder turned with the brush, amber eyes dancing amused as they followed the other boy's path. His excitement grew, he wanted to try so badly.

"Why? Friends can be so beneficial..." It was drawn out on a playful purr. Who wouldn't want friends? It didn't mean you had to keep them forever. Watching the other, he turned a bit more to keep him in sights before standing still for the other to circle, letting him look over for whatever it was he was looking for. His ear and tail flicked unhappily at the nickname.

"Tch. Oi, cheetah. Not leopard, not a lion. Cheetah." The flat irritation at this passed only a moment in the briefest manner before he glanced down at said 'rag'. Oh. Right, humans wore clothes all the time. Ndale frowned.

"Sorry, forgot." He muttered a bit as he crouched to start untying the black pants from around his leg. He stood and shook out the article of clothing before stepping into it. "I still don't quite understand human's definition of decency sometimes." Even as he buttoned it, the skinny cut jeans were loose enough and sat low on hips. Ndale glanced back up with a grin. "Okay. Set."

[Esteban]

"Aye don' care." he said simply. There were a few things that he actually wanted to learn at the Academy, and zoology was not one of them. After circling the boy twice, getting a good look of him all around, he stopped in front and stepped on the skateboard's tail to stand it up. "'Kay. I kin teach ya." Pouting in thought, as if wondering where to begin, he put a hand on his hip and let his gaze wander over the other.

"Well..." he said after a moment. "Ya know the dangly bits 'tween ye legs? Das your no-no parts, an' they shud be covered." His tone was entirely serious, lecturing. "Chicks ain't got danglies... most a' the time, but they gotta hide what they 'ave too. Instead, dey got sum dangly bits 'round 'ere." He waved a hand about his chest. "An' dey gotta cover the thingy in the center. Th' rest is good't go, most'd time."

He gave a shrug.

"Pretty simple."

It was only then that a mischievous grin sneaked onto his face.

[Ndale]

The feline stared at the other, and his ear flicked. He shifted his weight forward, looking entirely intent, as if soaking up this information to cherish and commit it to memory. As if he didn't know already. He nodded a bit, a look of dawning understanding passing his face.

"Ah, okay, I see. That makes sense." He nodded again, and looked over Esteban.

"But, there are apparently exceptions. I mean, look'it you." He gestured a hand towards the other boy's chest. "After all, where are your dangly bits there. By those descriptions, you should have em...Oh! I bet you're one of those types who have nothing at all, then, aren't you?" He raised an eyebrow and appeared truly, innocently curious...if he didn't choose that moment to mirror the other's grin.

[Esteban]

Stifling laughter, Esteban let out a weird snorting noise and shook his head. This guy...! He tutted, jutting out one hip sassily as he wagged a finger. "C'mon. I don' blame ya for gettin' fooled by mah p'fect hou'glass figure an' face to die for, but I in fact ain't a Barbie doll. Tch."

Well, that was fun. The guy was fun. Normally, Esteban probably wouldn't want to put in the effort to teach somebody to skate, unless to watch them fail hilariously, but maybe this could be okay. He dropped both the act and the skateboard to the floor. "M'Esteban." He kicked the board to make it roll in Simba's direction as he put his hands into his pockets. "Jus' stand on it and try nat ta break yo neck. We'll go from dere."

[Ndale]

The grin only widened, canines bared in rough amusement as a chuckle slipped through. He liked this kid.

"Good to know. M'not quite into Barbies." His head tilted and gaze dropped to watch the skateboard roll towards him. "Pleasure, Est. I'm Ndale." It rolled lazily off his tongue, Dah-leh, as he carefully placed a bare foot on the board. His ears were forward, curious and reasonably hesitant. This was reckless. He grinned and put weight on the foot.

The board didn’t move too much, so he eased his entire body onto it, lifting his other foot carefully for it to join the first. It wobbled, and his tail lifted, flicking, balance adjusting. He was leaning a bit forward to counteract his tail and it seemed, actually, a very catlike a position. But, as he found himself stable, Ndale straightened and beamed at the other boy with a somewhat triumphant look that he had bested this part of the riding of the wooden board on wheels.

"Perhaps this'll be easy."

[Esteban]

"Ndale." he echoed. "Once I knew a dude named Tuesday."

He chuckled; that was a strange association even for him. Gaze traveled up and down the cheetah, as if to appraise his posture, lingering briefly on the oddly-behaving tail as the desire to tug on it rose within him. He decided not to go that route, though.

At least not yet.

Humming, Esteban folded his hands behind his back and strolled forward, as to get a better look at Ndale from the side, a crease in his brow signifying his professional approach. And then, all of a sudden the serious air was gone as his lips stretched in a slightly malicious grin and Esteban spun around rapidly. "Well done!" he said cheerfully, and continuing the movement he swung a hand at Ndale's back in something that was more of a whack than a pat of approval. It would be painful all by itself, but when the target was standing on unstable ground...

[Ndale]

A black spotted eyebrow rose at that. A guy named Tuesday, huh...Ndale decided not to question it.

Ndale was not shy was Esteban looked over this small victory. Yes, this was a good start, he would be a natural surely-- And so he didn't question when the other came forward, did question when he was praised. He did however, question the necessity of the smack upon his back. Or, not question, really, but was startled by.

The slap echoed on his skin, and of course the cheetah had jerked forward with wide eyes. But, he had leaned too far and his slight jump made the wheels of the skateboard roll slightly. It was just enough to set off his muscles to try and correct the shift in balance. He overcompensated and arms wound up in large circles as tail swung. There was no saving it and the boy had to stumble off the board to keep from an even more embarrassing failure.

His immediate reaction after finding solid ground was to spin on the other. With an obviously displeased expression, the other had no problem taking that step forward into the other's personal space.

"Oi! Totally uncalled for." He glared, expression a mix between pouting from the ruined victory and an irritated snark for the smarting smack itself. "How'd you like it if I smacked you--" Ndale stopped and blinked. Oh, he guess he had smacked Esteban off his skateboard earlier, he scoffed and grinned, leaning in. "Fine. We're even, shorty." The 'don't do it again', went loudly unsaid.

[Esteban]

To avoid being grabbed at or hit, Esteban jumped back the moment the thwack connected, then stopped to watch the results with greedy curiosity. Simba only stumbling was less satisfying than, say, a broken tooth or two would be, but still the changeling found himself pleased enough to chortle.
Suddenly, the cheetah found himself in his face, but Esteban did not back off, tilting his head back slightly to make up for the height difference and stare back into the orange eyes with a defiant smirk. There was no scaring him, wild animal or not.

But upon being called 'shorty', he did lose his composure, blinking dumbly and scoffing. "I thot we's over dis...? Will I 'av to take off my pants too to prove I ain't a girl?" Suddenly, understanding passed through his face, bringing with it a lewd smile. "Isat whatchu wan' me ta do? Yo--" At first, he wanted to suggest that Ndale should have just said so, but as he glanced to the skateboard another idea popped into his mind. "First, yo show me whachu got. Get on da board, champ."

He hooked a thumb over the waistband of his trousers, in jest, threat or promise. Or all at once.

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