Pool Party [Open]

[BRAYLAR FAWN]

(  WITH  ICE  COLD  HANDS  )
WHOA DEATH SOMEONE  WOULD  PRAY  COULD  YOU WAIT TO CALL ME TIL ANOTHER DAY
THE CHILDREN PRAY THE PREACHER PREACHED TIME AND MERCY IS OUT OF YOUR REACH
I`LL FIX YOUR FEET TIL YOU CAN`T WALK I`LL LOCK YOUR JAW TIL YOU CAN`T TALK

This was simply humiliating. She was meant to be out in a big lake or a glorious swamp with lots of water and trees everywhere, ducks and other water fowl swimming around making noises and playing in the water. . . . She was meant to be galloping through the marshes, mane flowing behind her in the most carefree manner. . . .

But here she was, standing knee-deep in a dirty pool, head down and tail flicking flies away.

Things simply had to change. She had been chased out of the forest, run out of the slightly-better recreational hall, and now all she had left was this. . . this thing full of murky water.

Beggars can’t be choosers, she thought bitterly to herself as she leaned her head down to poke at a floating leaf. At least the pool hadn’t been getting its regular treatments of chlorine—that dumb chemical would have surely ruined her coat and made her smell tragic. Not to mention the burning of her eyes every time she submerged her head. . . .

Besides, she continued to think to herself as her black eyes followed a passing inmate, daring them to step a single toe into her pool. With a few weeks of working hard, you might able to get it clean enough to have some dignity.

Braylar’s ears flicked and her head swiveled around as she noted the form of someone walking a little too close to her pool for comfort. With a mighty whinny she lunged forward, hooves clopping loudly against the tile and splashing dirty water everywhere. “Keep walking or I’ll make you my next meal!” she nickered, stomping her front hooves in the shallow end of the pool and bobbing her head threateningly.

If it was the last thing she did, she was going to make sure everyone knew that this pool was hers.

( BUT WHAT IS THIS THAT I CAN'T SEE )
TAGGING: open WORDS: 315 CREDIT: crayola NOTES: my first thread~

[HANAKO TAMURA]

---------The pool. It was one of the less occupied areas in Sangvene. Maybe it was the the lack of purpose but then again the dirt level had to have something to do with it. In any case, Hanako tended to stop by from time to time in the hopes that something of use might be hanging around, primarily food. Any else was bonus. Her footsteps were graceful and light as she moved towards the pool. With a few quick movement she climbed her way to the top of the small building for the pool showers.
---------Looking down at the water her eyes widened. "Waaa! Uma!" she exclaimed and then frowned a bit. 'No. That's not right. What's the English word? Hog? No that's Buta.' "Hmmm..." she sat down and lets her legs dangle over the edge, crossing her arms and began muttering in her native tongue. "Go... That sounds right. Go... ru... su? Gorusu? Un. That's it." She turned her attention to the dark creature in the pool and shouted out in English with on of her hands up by her mouth, "Heey! Gorusu! Can you talk? Because if you're just an animal I'm thinking of eating you!"

ooc|| I don't know if Braylar is telepathic or not, but if she is she still would not understand Hanako's thoughts because she thinks in Japanese. ^_^

[BRAYLAR FAWN]

(  WITH  ICE  COLD  HANDS  )
WHOA DEATH SOMEONE  WOULD  PRAY  COULD  YOU WAIT TO CALL ME TIL ANOTHER DAY
THE CHILDREN PRAY THE PREACHER PREACHED TIME AND MERCY IS OUT OF YOUR REACH
I`LL FIX YOUR FEET TIL YOU CAN`T WALK I`LL LOCK YOUR JAW TIL YOU CAN`T TALK

B raylar stomped her hooves triumphantly as the interloper faded away into the distance, glancing over their shoulder back at her. She watched them with beady black eyes until they ducked around a corner and out of sight. Good. Hopefully they would run off and spread the word: a big mean horse was sitting in the pool, scaring off everyone that passed by. She turned and tossed her head with jubilant whinny and stood in the deep end, head poking out of the water.

“Heey! Gorusu! Can you talk? Because if you're just an animal I'm thinking of eating you!” someone called out, making Braylar’s ears twitch in the general direction. She didn’t know what “gorusu” was or anything, but she glanced around to see who in the world was shouting and making such a big ruckus by yelling!

She spotted a pink-haired little lady sitting atop a rooftop. Braylar’s eyes flashed and she turned her whole body around, lifting her head to look up at the little girl. She looked barely over twelve or thirteen, maybe a little younger, but not so old that her flesh wouldn’t be too tough. . . .

This was the first “little girl” she’d seen since coming here.

Body moving fluidly through the water, Braylar trotted into the more shallow end of the pool and tilted her head up to look at the pink-haired little girl and nodded her head a few times. “I can assure you that I do speak and am quite sentient, little one,” she replied sweetly, ears flicking water away. Her eyes glimmered with mischief. If she could charm this little girl. . . . “But I cannot imagine someone as such as you consuming me in any way, shape, or form, even if I was just a beast.”

Yes, yes! This could be what I have been lacking for the past few months! She’s no toddler, but she will do! Braylar thought. Had she been in any other form than her water horse, she might have licked her lips in anticipation.

( BUT WHAT IS THIS THAT I CAN'T SEE )
TAGGING: open WORDS: 342 CREDIT: crayola NOTES: yay thanks for joining!

[HANAKO TAMURA]

---------The look the creature was giving her made Hanako feel a bit uneasy. It was hard to tell on an unhumanoid face, but her eyes seemed mischievous and almost hungry. Her worries quickly faded with her second statement. "Hey!" she said, offended. "'I'm not that weak. Why does everyone think they can kill me so easily?" She crossed her arms and glared down. "Is that a challenge? Because I'm all for it if it is, even if you are a gorusu."
---------One thing about Hanako that never changed was her need to prove her strength. From when she was small she was always picking fights with the Hogo-sha boys just to prove she wasn't the helpless girl she appeared to be. The pink hair did not help much in her efforts but she was not about to dye it for such a trivial purpose. To the Shizen Hogo, ones hair was ones ancestral pride. It was also a projection of emotions and so if one were to dye their hair, they were looked down upon for being secretive. Though she was no longer in the forests of Japan, Hanako still felt the family pride and wanted to prove here at Sangvene that her people were not so easy to fool and kill.

[BRAYLAR FAWN]

(  WITH  ICE  COLD  HANDS  )
WHOA DEATH SOMEONE  WOULD  PRAY  COULD  YOU WAIT TO CALL ME TIL ANOTHER DAY
THE CHILDREN PRAY THE PREACHER PREACHED TIME AND MERCY IS OUT OF YOUR REACH
I`LL FIX YOUR FEET TIL YOU CAN`T WALK I`LL LOCK YOUR JAW TIL YOU CAN`T TALK

Amusement brought a little shake to Braylar’s head and she pranced in place, a little nicker slipping past her teeth. How strange of this little creature to challenge her to a fight! She seemed genuinely insulted by what she had said, but Braylar wasn’t looking for a fight.

No, the kelpie was looking for her next meal.

“Little one, I meant no disrespect to your strength!” she assured the girl, titling her head from side to side to get a better view of the girl—having eyes so close to the sides of your head sure made things a bit difficult at times. She almost preferred her false human form when it came down to seeing in general, but this would do for now. . . little girls loved ponies, after all.

Braylar continued. “I merely meant that horses do not allow themselves to be caught so easily by those they don’t trust. And I surely do not mean to kill you!” She managed to sound appalled by the very idea. Inside she was snickering at her own cunning—yes, she had gotten quite decent in the art of charming.

“Tell me what this ‘goruso’ is that you keep calling me. . . is it ‘horse’ in another language, or should I be insulted?” Braylar asked in an amused tone, titling her head to the other side and turning her body with a couple unnecessary movements of her hooves. All she had to do was win this little girl over, maybe offer to take her for a lovely ride around the compound. . . . Little girls were always the easiest. . . they loved horses and could never pass up a ride, even if it was a talking horse. . . .

She looked up at the girl. “It’s terribly uncomfortable having to look up to talk to you. . . could you come down here so I don’t have to strain my neck so?”

( BUT WHAT IS THIS THAT I CAN'T SEE )
TAGGING: open WORDS: 326 CREDIT: crayola NOTES: and so begins the conniving plan. . . .

[HANAKO TAMURA]

---------Hanako was a bit disappointed that the being did not wish to fight, even on friendly terms. Recently even her sparring mates in the gang were in a pacifistic mood. 'Horse? Huh. Is that what it's called?' She mused at the correction of her English. Though fairly fluent, from time to time a word escaped her. How she missed having others who knew her native tongue around. She had her sister for a while but then... well she wasn't around anymore and all the other inmates seemed to be mono or bilingual but never in Japanese.
---------When the horse-creature asked for her to come down from the roof, Hanako frowned and crossed her arms. "No," she said. "No, I think up here is more comfortable. And I wasn't completely convinced by your saying you won't kill me, so deal with it." The horse sounded far to trusting for Hanako's liking. People who were this trusting on sight and not due to naivety were usually the last ones you wanted to trust.

[BRAYLAR FAWN]

(  WITH  ICE  COLD  HANDS  )
WHOA DEATH SOMEONE  WOULD  PRAY  COULD  YOU WAIT TO CALL ME TIL ANOTHER DAY
THE CHILDREN PRAY THE PREACHER PREACHED TIME AND MERCY IS OUT OF YOUR REACH
I`LL FIX YOUR FEET TIL YOU CAN`T WALK I`LL LOCK YOUR JAW TIL YOU CAN`T TALK

So, this girl was going to play hard to get. Well, Braylar could work with that. She was slightly disappointed when the girl didn’t heed to her request immediately, but what had she expected? There was a reason Braylar was in this camp, after all. She was right to be suspicious. Had she been out in the wild, the girl might have complied easier. . . . And if she was ten or younger, she wouldn’t have even cared that Braylar was a talking horse. . . .

No, she was going to have to step up her game here. These people were jaded, she had to be patient and give them a little push now and again.

Her irritation had only started to grow with the unanswered question she had posed, but she brushed it off with a flick of her tail. Children now a days weren’t taught the same kind of manners she was used to out in the country (or rather, the country by the swamps) that she had grown up in. No, you didn’t get to this camp by being nice and polite all the time, Braylar concluded.

Tail flicking behind her, Braylar bobbed her head. “Fine, I suppose our conversation is over, then. And I was about to let you test your strength against me! But if you insist on being be so rude to me,” Braylar nickered, turning her head with contempt and trotting back toward the deep end of the pool. She had gotten quite sour when Braylar had denied her challenge, maybe this would get a rise out of her.

The Kelpie flicked her tail and went back to brooding in the deep end of the pool, back turned to the little girl. Let her brood on that for a little while. If she just left, then fine. She would pick another meal later and get some peace and quiet now.

( BUT WHAT IS THIS THAT I CAN'T SEE )
TAGGING: open WORDS: 319 CREDIT: crayola NOTES: pfft you hurt her feelings. if she has any.

[HANAKO TAMURA]

---------The horse-being was taunting her. It was such an obvious ploy that it made Hanako feel even less inclined to go down and comply. Something about the whole situation did not sit right. The overly friendly attitude, the obvious taunts, and the clear desire for her to come down to ground level for some unknown reason. She was not the brightest girl in Sangvene but she was no idiot and had her share of street smarts. Standing up, she shouted down, "Hey! Horse! What are you after? Huh?" Her previously bright pink hair had turned slightly more red, her frustration showing through.

[BRAYLAR FAWN]

(  WITH  ICE  COLD  HANDS  )
WHOA DEATH SOMEONE  WOULD  PRAY  COULD  YOU WAIT TO CALL ME TIL ANOTHER DAY
THE CHILDREN PRAY THE PREACHER PREACHED TIME AND MERCY IS OUT OF YOUR REACH
I`LL FIX YOUR FEET TIL YOU CAN`T WALK I`LL LOCK YOUR JAW TIL YOU CAN`T TALK

Braylar could be patient. She could do all she needed to do, tell this girl what she wanted to hear. This was her first true test of her skills in a place like this. Outside the walls there was all rainbows and moonbeams so it was easier to charm people. . . in here she would have to be patient. . . .

Her large head turned slightly to glance with one eye at the pink-haired girl—wait, had her hair turned a shade darker? No, she must have been imagining it—and she sighed, bubbles frothing under her nostrils.

She couldn’t expect this girl to trust a talking horse.

The Kelpie’s body shimmered as she dipped into her reserves, conjuring up the familiar glamour of her human form. Black turned to pale skin tone and her hair lengthened into golden locks that stuck wetly to her bare skin. Treading water, Braylar turned slightly and made a few strokes until was against the wall of the pool, arms crossed over the wet tile, chin resting against her forearms. Maybe she would feel better about this form.

“I’m not after anything,” she snapped, turning her head to look over her shoulder at the girl. “I had thought that maybe I could have an intelligent conversation with someone for once. You know, someone who had a head between their shoulders and wasn’t bent on eating someone else or fighting for dominance, but I guess everyone here is the same!”

Irritated, Braylar waved her hand errantly in the air and turned around, pressing her back against the wall and slicking her wet hair back away from her face. “What is it that you’re after, sitting on that ivory tower up there and looking down on me?” she mocked, eyebrows raised.

If this girl didn’t respond to someone actually being nice for once, then fine. Braylar would turn on “Bitch mode” and see if that got her anywhere. If it didn’t, she’d just chase the obnoxious little Asian away from her pool and try again on someone worth her time.

( BUT WHAT IS THIS THAT I CAN'T SEE )
TAGGING: open WORDS: 346 CREDIT: crayola NOTES: nothing to say

[HANAKO TAMURA]

---------Hanako's bright teal eyes widened in wonder as the dark horse transformed into a rather beautiful woman right before her eyes. Despite the muck and grime of the neglected pool, something about the image seemed mystical, like something out of a story book. It was no horrific like the vampires or werewolves. She was like a shapeshifter, but at the same time there was something different about her that made that identification not ring true. And then there was that bit of her monologue about having a head between her shoulders. Didn't everyone? Maybe it was an English term of phrase.
---------Hanako settled back down to sit on the edge, letting her feet dangle again. "I've been here for about two years and learned to be cautious," she explained. This girl was obviously new. Nobody who had been in the camp for more than a month was so trusting, even of someone who looked weak or cute. "Even a vampire seems sweet, kind, and welcoming before they drink your blood. So basically, I still don't trust you not to eat me. But if its conversation you want, I see no problem with our current positioning, Horse-lady." She paused a moment and then grinned. "Do you have a name? I'm Tamur-" She caught herself short, remembering the proper order for names in this language. "Hanako Tamura."

[BRAYLAR FAWN]

(  WITH  ICE  COLD  HANDS  )
WHOA DEATH SOMEONE  WOULD  PRAY  COULD  YOU WAIT TO CALL ME TIL ANOTHER DAY
THE CHILDREN PRAY THE PREACHER PREACHED TIME AND MERCY IS OUT OF YOUR REACH
I`LL FIX YOUR FEET TIL YOU CAN`T WALK I`LL LOCK YOUR JAW TIL YOU CAN`T TALK

Thing started to fall into place, but very slowly. Braylar floated across the pool to the other side, closest to where the pink-haired girl was sitting and leaned against the lip of the pool there, hoisting herself up so she was perched just above her bare chest, arms keeping her propped up and legs kicking in the water behind her to relieve some of the stress off her arms.

She sighed with frustration and puffed out her chest. “Well, for one I don’t like yelling up to you and would rather talk to you. You don’t have to come to the pool if you’re so terrified of me, just a little closer so I don’t have to strain to hear you,” she called impatiently.

Braylar was going to break this girl down, no matter how long it would take. Well, no, that was a lie. She would give it about a half an hour before she got bored and started ignoring the girl.

The Kelpie let herself fall back into the water so her neck was submerged and rested her cheek against the cool, damp tile. “Braylar Fawn,” she responded, seeing no reason to make up a name. She was stuck here in the camp for who knew how long, so why make up a fake alias she was going to have to maintain for the next few years? “I’ve only been here for a few weeks. Mostly keep to myself.”

Her words caught in her throat when she caught a glimpse of someone walking by. She turned sharply in the water, eyes narrowed until the person walked around the corner. Just someone passing by. She watched the spot for a second then turned back to Hanako. “Hanako. That’s a pretty name. Where are you from, Hanoko?”

Yes, make small talk. . . . Act harmless.

( BUT WHAT IS THIS THAT I CAN'T SEE )
TAGGING: hanako WORDS: 306 CREDIT: crayola NOTES: nothing to say

[HANAKO TAMURA]

---------Hanako looked around for a lower ledge, hoping to comply with the horse-woman's requests, with little success. She scooted over along the edge so that she was closer to the woman and then repositioned herself so that she was laying on her stomach and looking down. It was this somewhat uncomfortable distance or go down to her level, the latter of which being something Hanako was not willing to do at this point.
---------Hanako grinned upon being asked about her home. "I'm from Japan. My people live in a national park but we're away from all the paths so humans rarely came across our homes. I suppose the nearest landmark on a human map would be Mt. Kenashi and the closest city Momonai." Thinking about her home made Hanako feel somewhat nostalgic. Though she tried pretend otherwise, she missed Japan. She missed her family. She missed her sister, her beloved sister who disappeared... she did not wish to think about it and shoved the memories and thought back. "What about your home, Braylar?" she asked.

[BRAYLAR FAWN]

(  WITH  ICE  COLD  HANDS  )
WHOA DEATH SOMEONE  WOULD  PRAY  COULD  YOU WAIT TO CALL ME TIL ANOTHER DAY
THE CHILDREN PRAY THE PREACHER PREACHED TIME AND MERCY IS OUT OF YOUR REACH
I`LL FIX YOUR FEET TIL YOU CAN`T WALK I`LL LOCK YOUR JAW TIL YOU CAN`T TALK

The pink-haired girl was moving and for a fleeting moment Braylar thought she had made enough progress to get the girl to come down, but that didn’t seem to be the case. She managed to conceal her disappointment behind an interested expression and shifted herself into a more comfortable position as the hard tile started to make her arms a little sore.

“Japan? I hear that’s a very crowded place,” Braylar commented. This kind of small-talk was terrible taxing, but if it was going to win her a meal in the end she could humor the pink-haired girl her final words. Her head cocked to the side and she got a little wistful as she continued to speak. “But you say you lived in a national park, so I assume that would be quite a bit less crowded than the city. . .and probably more beautiful, too. Living out in the middle of nature and everything.”

Yes. . . how she wished she could be back out in the wild.

She looked back up at the girl and was genuinely nostalgic. “I used to live out in the wild, too. A swamp in Ireland. It was brimming with life, and though you might think ‘ew, a swamp’ it was my home. The water was clean, fish swam freely and it was so relaxing. . . people visited every now and again, but it wasn’t so much that it was hard for me to keep it clean. . . .”

Braylar glanced around the pool she now lived in with disgust. “Not like this dump. One day I’ll clean it. . . make it beautiful like my swamp. . . .”

( BUT WHAT IS THIS THAT I CAN'T SEE )
TAGGING: hanako WORDS: 280 CREDIT: crayola NOTES: oh look, she actually cares about something.

[HANAKO TAMURA]

---------Japan crowded? Hanako thought over that for a moment. She had hardly ever been away from her home but could recall others speaking of the great cities of the humans which were overflowing in cars and people and light. The only way she knew about cities was from books, pictures, and the words of others.
---------She looked over the pool and frowned. It was murky and less clean the even the pond. She began to wonder why the horse-woman was even there. "You know there is a lake and pond? The pool is very dirty because the water is still and it does not drain. Nobody cleans it anymore. You could go to the forest if you want better water." She smiled a bit, turning back to face Braylar. "I can even show you the way if you want," she offered. Hanako was beginning to take a liking to the woman and in her mind she was becoming a new-found friend.

[BRAYLAR FAWN]

(  WITH  ICE  COLD  HANDS  )
WHOA DEATH SOMEONE  WOULD  PRAY  COULD  YOU WAIT TO CALL ME TIL ANOTHER DAY
THE CHILDREN PRAY THE PREACHER PREACHED TIME AND MERCY IS OUT OF YOUR REACH
I`LL FIX YOUR FEET TIL YOU CAN`T WALK I`LL LOCK YOUR JAW TIL YOU CAN`T TALK

A lake? Yes she had figured there would be one out in the forest, but there had been. . . unforeseen complications with the forest. And they had teeth and came in many numbers.

Braylar scoffed and turned her head to the side. “I attempted to find such a lake when I first was dragged to this hell hole, but I was chased off by a bunch of dirty wolves. I would have stood and fought, but there were many of them. I assumed that even if I could find the lake, they would chase me out.”

She glanced in the direction of the recreation center and waved a hand toward it. “It was the same with that building over there. The pool in there is a tad bit nicer than this one, but a bunch of raving lunatics chased me off as well. Screaming insults at me and attacking me like I was some beast!” she ranted, huffing loudly and glowering at a nearby wall. “So I had to take up residence here!”

A thought occurred to her: if she could get to the lake, maybe it would be large enough that she could keep away from the wolves, and maybe even drag them under if they attacked her in small enough groups. . . all they would need to do is jump on her, bite her, get a hold of her and they would be stuck to her, and she would be free to pull them into that water and take their lives. . . . and have a decent meal for weeks to come because of it. . . .

The Kelpie looked up at Hanoko and smiled, eyes gleaming with hope. “You could take me to the lake? And avoid the wolves too?” she asked.

This was too perfect. The girl was finally starting to come around and maybe finally she would be able to get a nice meal, instead of the rats that scurried around or the snacks that she scrounged up when the decrepit kitchen wasn’t occupied. She would let this girl lead her to the lake, then maybe, just maybe, get her to take a ride. . . .

( BUT WHAT IS THIS THAT I CAN'T SEE )
TAGGING: hanako WORDS: 366 CREDIT: crayola NOTES: nothing to say