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Unlike some others, Leilani and Echo were frequent visitors to the pool... not that the legal guardian cared much for the wet water. No, it was a common event for Leilani herself. The child found herself awkward among the other kids. Not only was she an ugly olice with wart green splotches and bright lips that just seemed... odd. But perhaps the biggest reason they were there was because Leilani was not comfortable with walking or running.

In fact, she depended heavily on Echo for mobility, and the event made the girl even more self-conscious and shy - as if that were possible.

So, that day, Echo was sitting in her designated pool chair out of the light an contently reading a book. Unbeknowest to most, she still kept an eye on the fishy child in a lonely corner of the deep end. Silently, she was a little upset, having hoped that being in her "element" would have opened her up more. That didn't seem to be the case.

If only she took off that horrible t-shirt, at least in the water!

Leilani was unaware of her guardian's thoughts. She truly was enjoying herself in her corner. People left her alone, and there were less stares and horrified glances. The child was playing with her water-rings, practicing diving and catching, and so forth.

Her own thoughts were interrupted by talking on the shallow end. It was a slower day at the pool, so she did look up to see any newcomers when the arrived.

Leilani's crudely chopped hair wetly clung to her face, and she peeked over through the strands. The girl was curious to see the little green girl with... something... on her arms... but the feebas child was too shy to go near.

Leilani watched the other girl, and very carefully moved as best she could away. The green one would float (for she was doing no justice to actual swimming) nearby, and Leilani would smoothly tread further away. It was mostly children in the pool, and not many of them were allowed to venture to the deep end - hense the girl's lonely sanctuary.

But... then something happened, and the girl that had somehow managed to get into the deep-end dropped somethig, and it was sinking ever so slowly away. Not that Leilani could see what it was until she dunk her head under the water and looked. When she did, it appeared to be a beaded necklace, and it was falling a part as it sank to the ground.

The girl resurfaced jjust a little closer to see what the green one would do. Still, she was just staring down at the water in despair. Why didn't she do anything? Granted, it was obvious she wasn't a very good swimmer, but Leilani couldn't fathom why just just... stayed there.

Indecisions wracked the shy girl's mind. For, she didn't want to make a sense; nor did she actually want to.... socialize. It was obvious that the other girl was nothing like her, and might point out her flaws, as any truthfully-honest child ever did.

Finally, her sympathy (and a hint of pity) won out.

With a flick of her tail, Leilani dove to the pool floor and then elegantly (for swimming was the one thing she could do well) grabbed the necklace. Carefully, she collected some of the stray beads as well.

The girl looked around the pool floor, trying to see if she could find any others that might have escaped her ritual. Nope. There were no more that she could see.

When she was done - which wasn't long at all, Leilani again broke the water's surface and was this time right next to the green girl. Without saying a word, she opened up her hands -for it had taken them both- and displayed the contents of the necklace and beads that had fallen. A shiny quarter had also found its way there. It wasn't a part of the collection, but Leilani liked shinies and she didn't have anywhere to stash given the time. You never knew if someone else would brave the deepend and take it... or how much longer it would take for the coin to end up in the filter.

Meanwhile, Echo had put her book down the minute Leilani had dove down for so long. By her own worried calculations, she wasn't sure if the young child could hold her breath so long. Even though she didn't have a swimsuit or extra clothes, she had prepared herself to jump in after her girl if she didn't come up soon.

But she did. Echo lifted the book again, but didn't read. Instead she kept an eye on Leilani and the stricken green girl that was now right by her.

Leilani was so shocked by the strength and pitch of the other girl's voice that the poor thing flinched, and almost scattered the necklace and beads once again. That would have been slightly embarrassing.

And then, the green girl kept... talking. Talk talk talk. It was almost painful on Leilani's ears. Couldn't the girl just say thanks and leave it at that? But... she wasn't mean, that was good.

But really, most of the was just that, talking, and it really ended in only one question. That was probably better, for Leilani would have forgotten the other questions if there were too many. She didn't really bother smiling, though, as the whole situation was getting awkward. She would like to hand Echo the quarter, and then continue on playing by herself... but while she was socially awkward, she wasn't rude. So Leilani stayed, and would until things either for really bad or if she was dismissed in some way.

"Uh..." the girl chewed over her response. "No? Looks fine to me?" Her voice was soft and sweet, so unlike her appearance.

Echo had a smile on her face, behind the book. Success! The girl was meeting someone!

Again, Leilani drew back when Tyra leaned in, her eyes wide in the surprise and her little hand clutched at the quarter she still held.

When the other girl made her comment on the water, the fish girl shifted nervously. She opened her mouth and then closed it again, as if she had something to say, but that green child just continued again. So, she waited for the opportunity to speak. "Water always, is like that. Under is clearer," well, except for when currents come around but... she didn't want to add that as well.

"Leilani," she said quietly, as if saying her name too loud would alert the world to her existence - which is what she didn't want. "I am...," the girl struggled for the term. Echo had said it once, during one of Leilani's unusual outbreaks on the unfairness of being born so ugly, but it escaped her for a moment.

The girl chewed her lip, thinking carefully. What was it? Finally, it came to her, "Feebas. I am a feebas.... and ugly fish." Leilani said the last part so quietly even a whisper was a shout in comparison.

As they went to the edge - Leilani a bit reluctant to follow, the girl moved her death-grip to her shirt. She twisted and curled it, coin in the middle and creating a distraction from her reaction to swim away as far and fast as she could. In a pool, though, that was not an option.

So, to not be inconsiderate, the girl found herself near Tyra once again, this time a bead was at the bottom of the pool. While tentacled-girl stayed at the edge, Leilani dove down again without a word.

Under the water, Leilani felt a bit more sure of herself. As she went further down, she unwrapped her hand not around the coin out of her shirt and then reached for the single shining bead. Her diving rings were still around, and the girl hesitated to leave. But, there was someone waiting for her... so she slowly went back to the surface and the loud Tyra. Her head broke from the water and the feebas girl placed the bead back on the ledge, as far as she could reach so it wouldn't roll into the water again.

Leilani jerked back from the clapping. Tyra's loud talking was bad, but the sound of wet skin hitting wet skin was downright painful (to her ears, maybe to the other girl as well?). Her instinct to swim away and hide returned, and while she eyes the green child skeptically Leilani also fought to keep herself there.

"Uh..." she paused, looking at the bright floaties on Tyra's arm. She chewed her lip, while her underwater hand fiddled with the coin to keep her mind off of fleeing. "Um... yeah... sounds like. Good idea, you'd sink and... may not come up." The whole time, Leilani was watching ever move she made.

"I 'unno. I always had a tail, and always.... could swim." She could have bragged about her ability, but Leilani's modest attitude and fear of the current situation made her reluctant to describe how talented she was in the water.... then again, the other girl could definately walk faster than her.

While Tyra pulled off a necklace, Leilani's eyes widened in apprehension, not know what was going to happen. For the moment, the beaded jewelry reminded her of a net, which was her own natural predator. Once time, someone left a pool volleyball net, and when they left it got unhooked.... and Leilani had been trapped in it for a long time - until Echo came to her rescure.

But when it was offered, Leilani's fear turned into confusion and curiosity. "Friend?" she had never heard the term before, or at least not applied to her. Echo kept telling her she needed friends, but the girl wasn't sure what that meant or entailed. Now that she was confronted with it... she had no idea. "But... I don't have anything...." Leilani was about to say she had nothing to give, but she realized her other hand was still toying with the coin.

With a slightly shaking hand, Leilani extended her hand with the coin; now associating 'friend' with 'trade'.

Leilani fingered the beads on the necklace and then eyed Tyra very carefully, just to make sure she wouldn't demand the necklace back. And... to be certain.... the girl had watched how the necklace was taken off, so quickly put it over her head and pulled it down, but the stubborn jewelry pinched Leilani's snarled locks.

With a sharp gasp, the girl tugged more to get them further on, to no avail. Leilani became frustrated, and tried harder to get them on. Because of her issues, she missed the comment about the quarter but she looked up in time to hear about coming over.

Her eyes started to tear up, her vision blurred. "Ummm......." with a final tug, the necklace came free (without breaking, wooo!) and flopped ungracefully onto her over-sized shirt. "I'd have to ask Ma...." Leilani looked over at Echo, who was inconspicously reading a book and pretending not to pay attention to the voices of the girls at the other end of the pool.

"...but...." she continued after awhile, "I would like that." Her voice was low as she tread water with her tail after the floating Tyra.

Leilani was relieved Tyra didn't help her put the necklace. The young girl preferred to do things for herself, one reason having to always be carried is so hard for her.

She blushed when Tyra clapped, for even the little attention was more than she wanted. What if someone else looked while the green child made more noise? She might have to dive down and hide for a little bit.

"..." Leilani opened her mouth to respond, but it then closed audibly. She wasn't sure if they should bother Echo right now, she was reading. But Tyra was determined. So, to help out, the girl went up to her, "Alriiiiight.... here," Leilani took a hold of Tyra's hand and swam them both to the edge to where Echo waited.

Echo was playing it cool, her ears listened while her eyes 'pretended' to read the book. In fact, she was watching, and while she couldn't hear what the girls were saying, she noticed they were coming over.