The return to school brought about a repeat of many of the same things that had always been part of going to school for Abby Brown, even after she became an Animalian. There was getting used to classes again, potentially helping new students get around through WSA's hallways, and other things that came up that went along with being in school again. Some things were a bit easier, as know that WSA had had a full year as an integrated school district between Lyre and Animalia, the school's Human students weren't quite as lost as they were the previous year. Mostly as now they'd been able to put in place specialized orientations to give new students tours of the building, thus letting them know where things were. It avoided the scenes of people getting lost that happened a bit the previous year.
There was also some time to catch up with some friends other than the core group of Animalia Ambassadoria, whom Abby remained closest to. Animalia Ambassadoria's "broadcast" schedule and the increased reporting responsibilities had generally limited the time during the summer to catch up with some of the others that Abby had met and befriended, particularly after Animalia got started. With the IAC the previous summer that was even more of an issue. School in that sense let her catch up with other friends that she'd made.
"Okay, what's that smirk for?" came one voice from across the hall as Abby came out her first period class.
Abby turned to see Marcy coming up the hall. The Polar Bear Animalian wore some light and loose clothing that was supposedly supposed to help one stay cool, though clothing wasn't exactly what Marcy was talking about, as she'd also noted a small smirk on Abby's equine muzzle. That had to mean that something was up beyond clothes or something that happened in class.
"Oh... just thinking back on something that happened the other day," Abby answered as the two turned to head up a flight of stairs that would take them to their second period class.
"This wouldn't happen to be some new position that you and Samson have figured out, would it?" Marcy asked, "if it works..."
"It's nothing quite of that nature," Abby answered, "do you remember what happened during the IAC with that "Seven on Four Night?" The group of prostitutes that somehow managed to convince some sales delegate at Horizon that they could self administer it... resulting in a bunch of new Animalians and a wrecked hotel room?"
"I believe so... it's meant that Horizon won't accept online orders any more," Marcy commented, "thankfully they were at least responsible enough with the shots to avoid getting into water systems or anything like that."
Abby nodded, "Well... one of them, named Sylvia became a Bavarian Warmblood Animalian and to pay off her part of the damage that party did in Las Vegas... she's been tasked to help out at the farm. Which has lead to its own adventures and disciplinary action because of them..."
"Didn't you say on an Animalia Ambassadoria episode that she was flirting with Samson?" Marcy asked, wondering if this was a jealousy sort of thing. She remembered Abby having to deal with a mare or two that had been jealous of her regarding the attention she got from Samson back in their Freshman year, but she also figured that Abby knew that Samson was very loyal to her and wouldn't cheat on her.
"Not just Samson... but ANY stallion that she perceived as single that either came to help or came to buy apples," Abby answered, "and it wasn't so much jealousy as she was letting flirtation get in the way of actual work. This general time of year is when the workload to harvest the apples goes up... and if Samson and I weren't here... we'd probably be out helping. However, Sylvia seemed more interested in flirtation than work, and since she's there as a sort of community service thing..."
"She doesn't get the "I'm an Animalian" excuse," Marcy surmised.
Abby nodded and began to relay what happened.
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"I must say... a barn isn't the normal place where I would do this sort of work," the man commented as finished plugging in some extension cords to handle the job that was required. "I mean... I though you Animalians didn't like tattoos."
"Generally no... often because one who is single dosed might have the tattoo removed when they get their second does as a result of the unique properties of the Animalia Virus," Martin brown as he stood beside his wife with Abby and Samson nearby watching as the tattoo artist checked his equipment for the moment, "and with others there is the issue that those with thick fur or feathers might have the tattoo covered in a way that it'd be difficult to see."
"The latter issue might be a bit difficult to avoid," the tattoo artist commented, "the ink I use MIGHT dye the fur and hair as it regrows... but it will need to be shaved before I can apply it."
"That we can handle," Martin commented, pointing to a old and large straight razor and a can of shaving gel sitting on a table that was brought in and set near by, "for this won't be a typical "branding" as it were... but it will hopefully get things in line."
Martin heard a few snorts of approval and watched as both Josephine and Abby shook their heads. Samson nodded slightly, but he also looked a bit uncomfortable, which Martin understood. Sylvia was there to work the farm and essentially help make some things easier for Samson and Abby with the school year coming. However, Martin had noticed that Sylvia seemed more attentive to the Animalian stallions that came to help out from time to time. Delilah and Calamity had transferred into a online program that was helping them earn nursing degrees along with interning at Horizon Light and were doing fairly well there, but their mates Thunder and Red Cloud did help out with the farm work from harvesting apples to helping control potential insect pests. Not to mention carrying pails for when any Animalian female needed to be "milked" and didn't have a mate to deal with that in private. It was something that among the various chores that were part of the work running the Brown Farm.
However, Sylvia was often found shamelessly flirting with almost any stallion that she came across, regardless of whether it was Samson, Red Cloud, or Thunder. Privately, Martin even wondered if the Bavarian Warmblood Mare might even flirt with him if he didn't have Josephine nearby. It was something that got in the way and slowed work down, particularly when Sylvia was not one to back down and once even offered the idea of a threesome between herself, Calamity, and Thunder. Thus, Martin and Josephine came up with the tattoo branding idea as a "punishment."
Typically, in the ranching business used branding as a means of identifying ownership. It helped ranchers on the open range tell who owned what animals, and while the use of open range wasn't as big as it was in earlier eras, the Browns did use it as well before Animalia. Typically the process involved using a hot iron and placing it against the rear flank of cattle or horses, and best done when the animal was young so that way it could be better controlled. The branding wouldn't necessarily remove fur, but the scar tissue coming from the resulting burn would be permanent enough that mark would be forever present, like a surgical scar. However, after Animalia got started, it was found that the uplifted cattle and horses that the Browns owned had lost their brands, likely fully healed as a result of their uplifting, and it was figured that placing a hot iron on an Animalian would be "cruel and unusual" and would go beyond what was even tolerated with other Animalians or Humans.
The tattoo, however, would be different. As Humans went to tattoo artists all the time to have images put into their skin, thus it wouldn't be cruel to use it, and if it worked as imagined, the ink would then dye new hair and fur as it grew through the inked area and thus would show through. The plan was that Sylvia would be marked with the words: ein kokettes Bayerisches Warmblut, which when translated from German would read: a flirty Bavarian Warmblood and would essentially be a reminder to Sylvia on her behavior. Oddly enough though, when Martin and Josephine had given their displeasure with Sylvia's shameless flirtation and stated the idea for this "branding" as punishment, Sylvia had seemed more than okay with it and even offered design alterations to have little hearts to dot the "i"s in "ein" and "Bayerisches." Odd... but if things showed through her fur, it would be noticed by anyone she was intimate with in the future.
"Okay... I think I'm ready," the tattoo artist commented, "bring her in and get her shaved."
Martin nodded and moved to the barn door, where he found Sylvia waiting with a smile and holding her pants over her shoulder and displaying that the pink panties she was wearing were a bit small for her.
"Okay... I'm ready..." Sylvia said with a smile and glanced to see that Samson was also present. Finding out that he was spoken for was a bit depressing, but she figured since it wasn't a formal marriage, it wouldn't hurt to try. And a part of her was even up for including Abby in the fun too, but given the Brown parents protectiveness of Abby, Sylvia figured it best not to try and push anything there.
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"So... wait she was onboard with it?" Marcy blinked.
"Yes," Abby nodded, "partially because I think she thought she would get something kinky out of it. But I'm not sure she was fully prepared for just how deep the tattoo needle would go to be permanent… Thus she was a bit sore when everything was written out."
"And how did the ink come out?" Marcy wondered.
"It isn't perfect as her fur is pretty dark... but the ink did dye the hair follicles too," Abby answered, "meaning... even when her fur is back to its full length, the tattoo SHOULD be visible. And should she find lasting romance... she will have to explain why she has a tattoo on her butt that essentially marks her as a shameless flirt."
"It may mean increased work for you and Samson until she recovers," Marcy commented.
"That wouldn't be anything that we aren't used to," Abby shrugged, "and besides... she's already drug her hooves with all the flirting that she's done already. If she has to rest a few days to let her butt get better... it'll be easier on Samson, Red Cloud, and Thunder. And with some of the others of her group coming here to school... it won't be like she'll be able fall back on old habits."