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 Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 2:22 pm
"No offense taken," Thom assured him, waving a hand dismissively. "I am well aware that I look next t' nothin' like I did before. So I'll pardon th' freak remark if you pardon my be'avior at th' bonfire. Minor perk of th' changes is scarin' the 'ell out of new arrivals." He flashed a toothy grin, then, with some effort, climbed to his feet, using his tail as a substitute for his short leg.
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 2:33 pm
Oz fidgeted nervously, even more so as Thom stood up. Well, struggled to stand up. A part of him had to admit the tail thing was cool, but the rest of him just couldn't fathom how he was still sane after changing that much.
"Well...ummm...I have a...fear of snakes, so you...weren't to know, not really your fault," he replied sheepishly.
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 2:55 pm
Thom was silently for a long moment, possibly debating between taking offense and playing the guilt card or just lunging forward and terrifying Oz because he could. Finally, however, he simply seemed to lose interest, dusting sand off of his shorts. "There's a woman 'ere, Cassidy, 'oo's been 'ere longer than I 'ave. Deathly afraid of snakes, an' she's turnin' in to one. I 'aven't seen her in a while," he admitted, looking back up.
After a beat, he shrugged and continued. "You learn to adapt. Or, rather, you adapt or you go mad. You adapt or you make enemies. We're all in th' same boat. Old fears don't matter if you focus on the 'uman."
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 3:12 pm
"You have got to be kidding me...oh bugger!" he began, a semi-frightened voice descending into an exclamation.
What made things worse - he'd told Doctor Duvert that he was afraid of snakes. Things were not looking good for poor Oz.
At Thom's 'advice,' he sighed heavily, his large shoulders slumping even more. He started to feel like a real jerk. It was obvious Thom wasn't a snake in his mind, and looking back to the party, his ations were just the same kind of prank Oz would have pulled on someone else. If he had a scaley tail, that is.
"Heh, I don't think I could get any madder even if a hippo mooned me," he smirked.
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 3:35 pm
"I could argue, but I'll spare you more fears." Being mooned by hippos were the least of his worries. But tales of imprisonment and roaches and rats could wait. Oz had only just arrived, after all. Hopefully he would never need to learn just how far the labs would go. Clearing his throat, Thom nodded back towards the jungle and the village. "I should be 'eadin' back. I'm supposed to meet Natsumi before goin' to 'er duplex."
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 3:49 pm
Oz could also think of a lot worse things than a hippo who was an exhibitionist, but a little bit like Thom, humour could sometimes be a good distraction.
"Natsumi? So snake-man has a sweet-heart," he said, cocking an eyebrow and casting him a cheeky smirk. "It was a pleasure meeting you Thom."
He waved him off, and then pulled his knees up a bit, reclining backwards and just watching the horizon.
"Oh...its a shame how things have turned out...you were really good on the field," he called after Thom, his tone rather sombre.
Thom's name and circumstances had finally made a connection in Oz's thick skull during their conversation, and only now did it feel appropriate to say anything.
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 3:58 pm
"We can pretend, anyway," he replied cryptically, but answered the smirk with a grin of his own. "A pleasure meetin' you as well, Oz."
With a nod of his head, he turned to go, progressing somewhat awkwardly over the shifting sands. However, he paused in step at Oz's call, grip tightening somewhat on his cane. He sent a glare towards his short leg, then, without looking back, lifted a hand in awknowledgement of Oz's words before continuing on his way. "Ta."
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 4:07 pm
Oz gave a great sigh as Thom disappeared into the jungle. He wrapped his arms across his knees and fiddled with his fingers for a moment. Almost as if they had been given a death sentence and he was saying his goodbyes.
He might have to say goodbye to a lot of things really. He just didn't know. And it was that that drove Oz insane. The not-knowing.
He suddenly flopped backwards, arms eagle-spread and legs extended in the warm sand. Amidst the myriad of thoughts, he kept going back to Thom, mostly his sporting background. It brought a small smile to his face to think he would have a British sports buddy...if he could get past the whole scale thing.
Maybe losing my legs would be a good thing - no more pain
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