Welcome to Gaia! ::

Thom had already toyed with the idea that Taro was some kind of hedgehog type thing, but he had finally been forced to decide against that thought. Emelyn's spines seemed more like hair. These seemed...more like thorns, really. He blinked. Alec had bark and leaves. What's to say Taro wasn't a plant-something as well? ...Ha ha, served him right.

"I'm sure they will," Thom assured the teen, dipping his hand back in the water and setting about caking the welts with mud. "Probably just 'aven't been able to find you. Need t' make it more clear that you live 'ere."

"Why not?" he countered dryly, lifting his hand clear of the water with a big glob of bank mud held in his palm. It wasn't the most hygenic way to deal with the welts, but it certainly felt good. Which spreading the muck out over his hand, he replied, "I'm sure you'll think of somethin'. I'd offer to 'elp, but I like my bed. I'm sure you understand."

He grinned in response, but remained in the river, quite content to enjoy to water. In the water he was still normal, still whole. It was only when he attempted to climb out that he would have to retrieve his crutch, and he prefered to avoid that moment for as long as possible. "If not, there's not much I can do about it. So no rush. Unless I'm pesterin' you?"

"Tch. If you insist." He laughed and ducked beneath the water, resurfacing after only a beat and pulling himself onto the bank. Turning, he sat with his legs still in the water and glanced down the bank where his crutch lay a short distance away. After a pause, he decided ignoring the crutch was the best policy and instead returned his attention to the river. "Changed m' mind. There's no rush. You'll live."

"I'm always right," he assured the shark man, smirking faintly. He fell into easy silence, surprising considering his last meeting with the teen. But major upsets had a way of making minor disagreements seem trifle and unimportant. Being kicked out and left to fend for oneself in the wild was enough to make any company seem welcome, Thom though wryly. Good to know he got along with people so well. "So, what'd y' do exactly? T' get kicked out?"

Thom grimaced as the tirade began, realizing he had asked perhaps the worse question possible given the present situation. He raised both hands as if to ward Alec away, shaking his head slowly. "Easy now, lad. I wasn't blamin' you. Just curious, alright? Calm down."

He could understand Alec's anger, but he was also well aware that with animal instincts in the mix, anger often went much farther than bitter words. As difficult as it was for him to even stand, he was a sitting duck should Alec lash out.

Thom relaxed only when he was positive Alec had calmed down, mirroring the shark man and turning his gave back towards the river. "They won't let y' starve," he assured the teen, shrugging. After a pause, he added, "Per'aps if y' stay out of trouble, they'll let y' back after a while. Best behavior an' all that."

Thom graced the river with a kick of his own, chuckling bitterly at the mismatched splashes from his asymmetrical legs. He offered Alec an encouraging slap on the back, then took the liberty of bracing himself against the teen while he climbed to his feet--or foot, rather. His tail took the role of his shortened leg, and he slowly proceeded down the bank to retrieve his crutch, scooping it off the ground and positioning it beneath his arm. "Th' labs did this as punishment. So make th' best of it, don't make it seem like a punishment, an' they'll grow bored an' let you back."