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 Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 11:12 am
Fish turned hesitantly back around to look at the other boy. While he clearly detected an air of crocodile tears, and while he was still strongly reminded of a shark, he felt the smallest bit of pity for the other boy.
"You don't really know how to make friends, do you?" he asked, but that didn't mean he was about to give Vox a hug or something. No. Rather, he kept his distance, still ready to run away as fast as he could at any second.
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Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 11:16 am
"I'm a solitary creature by breed. You don't see Kelpies usually traveling around in herds you know, since dominance is something we want by instinct and not nature."
Vox was pleased that Fish had stopped, the look of want on his face quickly fading away before the boy could look back and him. He didn't want to show any signs of weakness at all, not even a small little frown, for if he were to maintain his level of threat he had to act and look the part."
"That's not to say I'm uninterested in companions. Even something like me can have someone to talk to, you know. I'm not entirely a beast."
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Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 11:22 am
"Kelpie," said Fish hesitantly. He shook water out of his hair, trying to buy some time to think. Nothing came to him. "I don't know what that is," he said. He'd just assumed Vox was creepy and liked to bite people - you got all kinds on Gaia.
"Whatever you are, you don't make a very good first impression," he pointed out. "Or a second."
And then, "You're kinda mean."
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Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 9:51 pm
"What? You didn't know that I was one? I though everyone knew, what with me being banned from the grounds where everyone goes all the time. Supposedly I'm too dangerous."
Vox's tone of voice didn't change for even a second as he spoke, a look of disinterest passing his face. The banning had hurt Rit more than it had hurt him, seeing as she was now no longer able to leave him and escape. She was trapped, and he loved it.
"Also, I don't care about my impressions I give off. Why should I be something I'm not when all along we're taught to be true to ourselves? Is companionship really so amazing that you need to lie and pretend to obtain it?"
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Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 5:00 am
Fish frowned, disliking this logic. "I don't think it's lying to be nice, 'cuz no one's forcing you to be mean," he reasoned.
"And it really is a public pool," he added. "You can't attack people just because they try to swim in it. Or else you might get kicked out of here, too."
He was quiet for a little bit, gauging the other boy's response, and then said, "You're not that bad on dry land. But in the water you're scary. And I can't even drown."
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Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 3:42 pm
"I find it amusing that you don't fear me on dry land when I'm just as dangerous. Land or water it doesn't matter to me where I am because of what I am, but I do agree I like it better in the water. Rit says it's because of what I am as well that I enjoy it as much as I do, but I think you're the same way."
Vox took a step closer towards Fish, his arms crossing almost as if to show he had no intentions of trying to do anything to the shorter boy. He was curious more then angry or territorial now, since this person hadn't stayed running even with knowing things.
"You said you can't drown, but you're not like me at all. You're not a fish either, so you're kind of interesting. I like interesting things, it makes me want to know more about them."
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Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 3:57 pm
"I don't know what I am," said Fish blankly. He regarded Vox strangely for a moment.
"You remind me of a shark," he said. "Like you can smell fear. And you're solitary. And you're a predator. You're like a great white shark."
"But they don't usually eat people," he added. "Not when there are other things around for them to eat. I know a lot about the ocean. The whales tell me about it."
He hesitated, certain that that sounded odd but unsure of how to amend it. Like he'd said, he didn't know what he was, but at the very least he could try to tell Vox a bit about himself.
"You must get lonely if everyone's so scared of you," he said, and fell silent again, deep in thought. "I guess I can try to be nicer to you, but you have to promise you won't hurt me."
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Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 6:40 pm
"You talk to whales?"
Vox was going to take a step forward but stopped, one of his eyebrows lifting slightly. It was a change for his usual expressions, disinterest and scarier then hell, and for a moment he did seem like he really did want to know more about Fish and what he was talking about.
"And I'm not a shark, I'm a Kelpie - and Kelpies do eat people, but I haven't yet. It's not time yet."
By time Vox merely meant he wasn't big enough or strong enough to try anything without knowing he would get injured. Soon he would be able to, he could easily go pick off babies now if he wanted, but there was no fun in that. No, the fun would be from taking someone with pride off their horse and onto this horse.
He continued to think until Fish stopped and said the word 'lonely', something he'd heard once or twice on television, and he frowned.
"I'm not lonely, and I don't make promises. I'm content and I make deals, and I already know I can't drown you so there's no point in me trying to hurt you. Sound fair?"
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Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 7:02 pm
"So you only hurt things you can drown?" asked Fish, and then shook his head. "I guess that's okay. As long as I know you won't hurt me, then I won't be scared of you."
He still felt some lingering hesitancy, and hoped that the kelpie boy would keep his word.
"How do I know you're not lying?" he asked, not sharply enough to be offensive but still more than a normal question.
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Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 7:37 pm
". . . .You're being annoying, but granted I can see why you're paranoid."
Vox uncrossed his arms and tapped his chin with the fingers of his left hand, pausing for a moment to let one rest on his lips. He seemed to be deep in thought when suddenly something flashed across his face and he reached up and into his hair, fishing around for something.
"Here, take this. All Kelpies have reeds in our hair, it's another way to tell we're not human. You can have this one as a sign I won't hurt you, since if you keep it on you you'll smell like me anyway."
In Vox's hand he held a small river reed, one almost as long as his forearm, and one would wonder how it had stayed hidden in his mass of hair on his head without sticking up or sticking out. It was thin and slightly blackish red in hue, an odd color.
"If you take this, I won't do anything."
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Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 7:53 pm
Fish took the reed, as good a peace offering as he was ever going to get, and tucked it into the pocket of his shorts. "Thank you," he said. He inclined his head towards the gate.
"I think I'm gonna go home," he said. "But it was, er, good talking to you."
He managed a very weak smile for the kelpie, modestly friendly but somewhat strained, and continued his retreat.
"I'll see you soon, I guess," he said. "It's a long summer."
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Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 8:14 pm
Vox watched and smiled, his thin grin, as Fish walked away and called something back to him. He'd managed to get this far, he was slightly impressed.
"I'm sure you will see me again. I'm certain of it."
Because now. . . things would happen. Many different things, but that would all come later. For now Vox would stay at the pool and reclaim his throne for a while, waiting for someone else to come along.
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