Meteor Effect

Well That Got A Bit Too Literal 2:

By the next morning, Beef has mostly adjusted to having the horns and tail. His ears are a bit more sensitive than normal, so he just turns the volume of his communicator down.

Xisuma is going to meet Beef in a bit so he's sticking around his town. Instead of working on his maps like he thought he would be doing.

After he arrives he pulls Beef into one of the homes to privately explain what species of cattle he is, just in case he doesn't want everyone knowing, "Last night Exy was able to figure out that you're a Brown Swiss cattle. He also said something about steers? I don't really know what he's talking about."

Beef nods then shrugs, "Not sure. What else do you think is going to happen?"

Xisuma hums, "Good question, I really have no idea. You could get different legs or something. You'll probably get some sort of different behavior."

Beef winces as his tail suddenly flicks and smacks into a wall. Xisuma grins sympathetically and flicks his tail towards the door, "Etho's busy today do you want to come over and help me and Exy?"

"Um, sure," Beef answers, a bit taken aback by the sudden request.

"Come on then," Xisuma exclaims as he starts walking towards his towers.

The pair walk through Keralis' city and walk along the road. As they enter the jungle Beef starts looking a bit nervous. As he looks up at the towering trees he balks away slightly.

"Beef? You alright?"

"Um, Kinda? I don't know why I'm getting nervous."

"It might be the air pressure? I was able to turn it into a more void friendly area."

"I don't think so, it's more like the trees and buildings are cutting me off."

Xisuma tugs off his helmet and clips it to his belt. rubbing his face he tries to explain, " I think Exy said something about cattle not really liking unfamiliar places with tall things."

Beef muses silently to himself, "That does it sound like what's happening. Also, why does he know so much about cows?"

"He had this phase when we were kids, he was completely obsessed with all things cow-related," Xisuma laughs as he pushes a door open and ushers Beef inside using his tail, "Oh, do you want some food?"

"Um, sure," Beef replies, wincing as he hits his horn on the door frame.

Xisuma rubs his horns in sympathy and shows Beef to his dining area. He pulls out a shulker of food and passes it over to Beef who takes an apple and some bread. Taking the box back Xisuma grabs a few fish and sits down across from Beef, "You didn't get any meat? Does it just not seem appetizing?"

"Hm, yeah. Something tells me it's not going to be good," Beef mumbles as he eats his bread.

As they finish eating, Exy walks in handing Xisuma some papers, "Here, somethings happening with the nether. I took your communicator and told everyone to stay out of it for the time being."

Xisuma squints at the papers, "I should check this out. Beef, I'll have to cut our meeting short, Exy can you finish off for me?"

"Yeah," Exy says waving after his brother.

Beef stands awkwardly in the hall for a few moments before Exy pulls him down the hall into his area of the towers, "I gave him everything he was explaining anyways. I guess I have to follow his question sheet though. What have you noticed changing so far," He drawls, clearly enunciating each word.

"Horns, ears, and tail," He starts, flicking them softly, "um, I get nervous in new places with tall buildings and I don't like meat."

"Anything involving," At this, he gestures to his ears.

"I guess my hearing has improved, oh, I don't like sudden noises."

Exy nods as he pulls out a book then drops it slamming it to the floor, "Like that?"

Beef startles backing into a corner and twitches slightly.

"I'll take that as a yes," Looking over he sighs, "I'm sorry."

"It's ok, don't know why I reacted like that."

"Cows are skittish."

..........

A few hours later Xisuma gathers everyone in the shopping district for a few announcements and an important discussion about something that had suddenly and unexpectedly changed in the world, "Everyone, I need your attention."

The hermits start to fall silent, Zedaph bleats softly when Tango accidentally smacks him with his tail. In response to the bleat, Beef makes a slight below in the back of his throat.

No one save for Doc seems to notice. Their attention is fixed on the void twins one of which is behind the other mimicking along with what he's saying. Xisuma is speaking his tail flicking anxiously, "Something has happened to the nether. It's different, I don't really know how this happened, but you should take a look."

Xisuma leads the crowd of hermits into the portal and to a blue forest. Tango is instantly drawn to one of the glowing lights inside the trees. He flies up and experimentally pokes at it. Grian flutters up next to him grabbing onto the strange tree with his talons.

Scar has taken up residence on Stress's head and is looking around fascinated by all the new blocks. Ren has his ears laid flat against his head as he stares at a large boar-like creature in the distance. Keralis is slowly backing towards the portal; it's messing with his eyes and he isn't able to properly process what he's seeing. Jevin and Iskall are standing by the portal as the extreme heat of the nether makes them get all squishy and the portals are a lot cooler. Xisuma is down on all fours his tail flicking as he watches a blobby creature walk around on top of the lava.

As the hermits spread out over the area Doc pulls Beef away to ask him something, "How are you doing?"

"With this?" Beef replies, gesturing wildly to his horns, at Doc's nod he slumps against a wall and slides to the ground, "I don't know, it feels like my head is being invaded and I'm getting all mixed up."

Doc nods and sits down next to him, "I know how you feel, it's not fun having you brain changing if you don't want it to."

The pair talk for a while longer before they go out and explore, they stick with Bdubs and Etho. They wander off heading east and before too long they come across an old stone remnant of some Lang forgotten race. As they enter they start to notice something odd. Not with the bastion but with Beef.

He isn't walking quite right, he keeps drifting over to the side and walking tight against a wall and rubbing his head against it.

"Dude, what are you doing?" Etho asks as he pulls Beef away from the corner he almost smashed his horn into.

"I can't help it!" He grumbles, "I just feel like that's what I'm supposed to do."

Bdubs suddenly pulls his communicator out, " Exy sent me this randomly a few hours ago, it's something about how cattle will rub up against stuff they're stressed out. Are you stressed right now?"

"We are in what is basically a new dimension, of course, I'm stressed out," Beef wails as a gast appears and floats by without spotting the quartet.

Doc looks thoughtful for a moment before nodding, "Let's head back to the overworld, it'll probably be less stressful for Beef."

So the four make their way back to the shopping district nether portal. Once they make it through they see team ZIT sitting on the steps of the town hall. Tango had his wings splayed out laying across the stairs. Impulse and Zedaph and quietly talking, they look up as the NHO arrives.

Beef bids farewell and starts heading back to his base, Etho calls after him saying he'll stop by to check on him as he goes home.