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One foot in front of the other... toe to heel...

It was a slightly windy early afternoon, and Terpsichore found herself traversing a semi-familiar creek bed in her free time. Well, perhaps it wasn't as free as one would otherwise label it, as the shroomish-girl was busying herself with practice. She had not been in human form very long at all, and she still found herself maintaining her balance at such a tall height. She was used to being almost a foot-and-a-half tall, and now she suddenly found herself towering at over three times that height! She found herself falling prey to dizzy spells because of it, even though there was no change in air quality with the alteration of altitude.

Besides, what kind of actress couldn't keep her balance? Once she got everything down par, Terpsichore would probably continue on with these exercises if nothing more than to maintain grace. That was, indeed, something that was quite prized with female actresses, was it not?

She paced the river bank, back and forth between a stretch of flat ground where the water didn't bend. Her arms were outstretched to continue with the accurate balancing. She was content that the last time she had slipped in her footing, it had been a good ten minutes ago. The water was surely playing a good role in keeping her from falling as well, instigating a feeling of... well, not wanting to fall in.

In all her concentration, Terpsichore didn't even notice the small, scampering footsteps that drew nearer and nearer to the girl, who was much more intent on focusing her attention to her feet. She wobbled slightly as she placed a heel nearly over the toes of the other foot, wiggling the hovering foot slightly forward to avoid squishing the toes into the dampened dirt. Bare feet made these maneuvers that much easier, luckily, but not enough to avoid the inevitable when Kaida came crashing through the water to the other side to greet the transformed shroomish.

"WAH!" she yelped in surprise as she caught sight of the blur of silver in front of her. Her foot had still not touched ground at that moment, causing Terp to pitch backward despite the flailing of her arms. While she didn't fall directly into the creek (she flailed just right to avoid it), she still managed to get a foot in there. It resulted in a small splash that, inevitably, even managed to get her wavy hair wet a bit. It may have caused anyone else to look a bit glum, but once Terpsichore got over the initial shock of the situation, she couldn't help but burst into a fit of laughter.

It didn't help when it came down to the first words to jump out of the little pokémon's mouth, either. That just added to the hilarity of the encounter, and it took a moment or two for Terpsichore to settle down enough to respond properly. "Sorry, sorry, that was just-- ahh," she giggled, wiping some of the water off of her face and away from her eyes. "I'm a pokémon, like you! Ahm... I think. Wow, you're a strange little one, aren't you?" She was rather fascinated by the odd little... eevee? in front of her, but she thought it would be rude to detract the conversation before properly answering. Clearing her throat, she continued, "A shroomish, I'm a shroomish! I just, um... evolved in a strange way, is all. It seems to be happening more frequently these days, actually! What about you? You're a pokémon, I can tell, but you seem... different." She was grinning in anticipation, refusing to stand back up in favor for remaining at eye-level with the mutant eevee.

With the scrutiny the shiny eevee was giving her, Terpsichore silently wondered if she should, perhaps, try to explain herself better. But honestly, how was one suppose to explain this? She found a strange magical star one day, after wishing for so long to be just like this... and it miraculously transformed her! Somehow, she thought that that would just stir up more confusion on the matter.

She was shaken from her thoughts when she noticed the silver eevee almost fall over after smelling her. Oooh, she knew that look! That was the same reaction she had when she first met Margarita! Oh wait... did that mean she stunk? Whoops... The shroomish-girl nodded in response, "Yeeeah, I don't look like your average shroomish anymore, do I? But yes, it is happening a lot more, from the looks of it. As a matter of fact, I've probably run into just as many pokémon like me, all human-y and stuff, as I have pokémon like... um, you, I suppose?" She giggled; okay, perhaps she hadn't of the mutant or shiny variety, but that was beside the point, "And that's only been in the last few months! Crazy, ain't it?"

Her grin turned immediately into that of awe, "Oh wow, really? You were born that way? That's amazing! I didn't think that could happen!" Terpsichore leaned in to get a better look, but she was careful to keep some distance. Living with Endymion taught her that some people liked their personal space, even though this little girl didn't seem as much of a stickler for it. Her smile reappeared as she watched Kaida's twin tails, and only grew wider at the titles that the eevee tacked onto herself, "Hmm, those sound like mighty big shoes to fill. Think you're up for that challenge, do you?" She snickered, "So you're name's Kaida? That's such a pretty name! I'm Terpsichore, and while I don't happen to have quite the extravagant title, I like to think of myself as an aspiring actress. Suppose that makes me pretty good at pretending to have extravagant titles? Heh." Leaning back to take herself further from Kaida's bubble, Terpsichore batted at the air dismissively, "That's quite alright, I was just asking for trouble by not paying attention to what was going on around me. Needed the break anyway! So, is there anything I can help you with, oh Defender of Nature?" It was not meant as any sort of mockery, but sounded more as though she were getting used to using the label.

Terpsichore nodded her head to support her statement, positive of her findings. "I'm lucky, they've all been really nice to me! Then again, that's all the luck of the draw; I mean, they're all as different as any pokémon! Hmm... I suppose as any person, too, huh?" she snickered, finding it cute how excited Kaida was getting; it reminded her of how excited she had been when she found out that turning human was possible in the first place! Blinking, it took a moment to understand Kaida's joke, which only spurred on further giggles, "Really? Even way out here, you don't run into many other pokémon? Well, either way, I'm glad I was one of the... heh, two!" She grinned and held out her hand, as if to shake her acquaintance's in greeting; it didn't seem to bother her that that other 'hand' would be a paw instead.

The shroomish-girl seemed to mime Kaida's actions to a subtle degree, still sitting cross-legged but straightening her own back when the small eevee before her struck a more dignified pose. "Hmm, seems the stars have some grand plan in mind for you, then, doesn't it?" she agreed, sage-like. Her intellectual facade did not last, however, as she clasped her hands together in adoration, "Really, you think it's pretty, too? Hee, it's good that you think that! Fits well with what I want to be, then!" Quickly, though, she shook her head, "No, I'm not an actress yet. I'm not that good! I'm still learning to be human; once I reach that bar, then I can aim better at being an actress! Might be a long way off, but hey, that's my own challenge that I think I can handle, too!" Her proclamation was followed by a stern, single nod. She liked Kaida; she could already see that, although they were quite different in terms of goals, they were not so different in passions.

Pulling herself back forward in a partial roll, as though she were antsy, she had to fought the urge to exclaim in excitement, "Well, I'm sure your acting will turn into a role in no time! You seem to be taking it very seriously, after all." She rolled onto her knees, so that she could peer into the creek better, "I would love to help out, if I could! Hmm... what sort of shinies do you look for? Anything that could be considered 'shiny'? Or something specific?" To Terpsichore, river rocks themselves didn't seem all that shiny; they may look so when wet, but they looked dull and rough as soon as they dried!

Terpsichore mimicked Kaida's nod with one of her own, agreeing with her statements. However, she faltered when the small mutant eevee relayed her own experiences, "Really? That's horrible! Who would do something like that?" She was furious, "Did you know them? Maybe they mistook you for someone else, but... but I don't see how that could be possible. The nerve of some people! I mean, rocks!? That could have been dangerous!" Huffing, she seemed to will herself to calm down after she remembered that inhaling was good. It wasn't all that difficult to do, seeing as Kaida was adorable with her little shenanigans. Terpsichore giggled after the tension had passed, "You paint quite the picture! Sounds like you could weave a pretty good story if you wanted! Hee hee, though you seem to be making yourself into a pretty big legend!" Gladly, she shook the little eevee's paw in greeting, but not too hard as to avoid knocking the short-limbed pokémon over.

"Quite big ones indeed. I hope the world can keep up!" she said, trying to state it as more of a matter of fact, but instead ended up giggling toward the end. It was hard to maintain seriousness when she was so hyped up! "You're a real sweetie! Umm... I think they do? Heh, I'm not that good with history, but I've been trying to read some!" she flushed; she was not used to such nice comments! She shook her head, ending up with a stray strand of hair in her face that she had to blow away, "I'm not good with names either, and I don't know many humans. I know a couple of names, but not nearly enough."

The girl thought about Kaida's list of what would work as 'something shiny,' and everything that the shiny pokémon had discovered prior. "I didn't know there was a mine around here... might be interesting to check out, at some point!" she seemed interested. Giggling, she responded to Kaida's enthusiasm with some of her own, "Well, valuables are certainly shiny in some cases, and that sounds like quite the find! If you wouldn't mind me tagging along with you, I'd be happy to help you find something good today!" It was a rather nice thought, to consider that so many things could be taken for treasure. It made Terpsichore feel all warm and fuzzy inside as she scanned the surrounding area.

Terpsichore harrumphed, unamused by this unnamed perpetrator of an eevee chucking rocks at the shroomish-girl's new friend. "Well, if you ever see that eevee again, maybe ask about it. Or give him a right hook or something," she said with a giggle and a wink. "Anyway, I'm glad you were alright after such a mishap. Poor thing, you didn't deserve that at all!" she stated with a pout, hands on hips. Her serious air couldn't have been punctured more abruptly than it was, however, and Terpsichore sputtered a laugh at Kaida's infamously obscure future. She wasn't sure how to break it to the shiny eevee that that didn't make a lick of sense before she pondered a way it could, in fact, work. Snickering, she asked, "So they will know your name but be unsure of what all you are really capable of, huh? Iiiinteresting... that is exactly what makes a legend best!"

The wide grin was difficult to remove from the brunette's face at Kaida's overabundance of excitement, feeling the energy exhibited flow off of the double-tailed eevee. "Well, there's always something new to learn! It's my favorite thing about life, most likely," she stated, a pointer finger raised as though to raise the point in the first place.

Terpsichore nodded knowingly, glancing across the creek as though she could spot the cave that Kaida indicated from where she was seated, even though she wasn't sure what direction the entrance lied. "Well, if you ever wanted someone to help you investigate, I'd be willing! It sounds like it'd be really interesting to scope out. I'd feel like such a tourist!" she giggled, imagining bringing along a sun hat, like so many tourists seemed to do, even though she'd practically be inside a building. But her laughter only escalated when Kaida bullied her way through the water, finding the action quite unexpected as well as it was adorable. Her hazel eyes then turned to the water itself as she scooted closer, turning to face it and sticking both feet purposefully under the surface. She began overturning rocks with both toes and hands, wondering if this would be more efficient than just one set of limbs focusing on the task. As she rubbed down a stone to see if it was any strange color, she piped up, "So, if we don't find anything in the creek, was there somewhere else you wanted to try? Or do you think this would take all the time you have today?"

Hmm, was that what that term meant? Was 'right hook' only reserved for fists? She supposed that made sense, now that she thought of it; it was a fighting term, after all, which wasn't Terpsichore's best area. "Suppose not..." she agreed rolling her eyes to the side in thought before they came to focus on Kaida again, "Right tail?" The visual for that was amusing, though it was possible it would also work! Reiterating, she shook her head, "No, but you're right. Asking is certainly better than just throwing attacks. Honestly, I've never been one for that sort of thing..." She scrunched her nose at the idea, it was so barbaric! Giggling at the eevee's assertive confidence, she resisted the urge to ruffle the tufts of fur on her head, "Would'a just bounced right off without a scratch, huh? Very nice!" Punching at the air before her in a more dramatic fashion, Terp announced, "And nothing shall stand in your way!" Boy, this girl was a lot of fun!

Terpsichore laughed at Kaida's exposition of trenching through the caves she had mentioned previously, noting that it seemed the eevee hadn't actually stepped foot in it before. Or rather, if she had, she had not given it as thorough a look as she would have wanted. "I'm sure there would be something of interest if we were to snoop around in there," she verified, "I've never been inside of one myself; I can only imagine the adventure!" Oh, she was getting excited; she hadn't actually tried to go on such escapades before! Maybe she should try it more often. Glancing back down at the river currently engulfing her bare feet, she queried, "Nozomi's River? That's what it's called? Hmm, I didn't know that." Peering at the kaleidoscope of color that danced along the lively surface she overturned more rocks over with her toes, "There's gotta be something here with a name that fancy!" She thought she caught a glimmer of something at the bottom, buried in the loose dirt at the bottom, but found it to be just a play of light on the surface, "Sounds like a plan to me. We won't know until we try, after all!"

Terpsichore watched thoughtfully as Kaida tested her 'right tail' attack, noting how unbalanced it appeared to be. She waved a hand dismissively at the action with a slighted sigh, "Well yeah, that's what I meant, but it didn't seem to work as well as I had imagined it being. Too bad you can't turn the tails into fists or something, but even that might be a touch awkward." She giggled at the thought, but no, Kaida probably had an arsenal of much better moves to use in a pinch. The shroomish grinned at the shiny eevee's resolve, agreeing with a sharp nod, "I think that's a good idea, to find out. I don't know about you, but not finding out would drive me mad, especially considering I have absolutely no idea what could have possibly been going through his head. Think it may have been from some sort of gossip?" She thought on the implications of that question and laughed, "Wow Kaida, you must have already made a name for yourself, in that case! Think you're a force to be reckoned with, and some people feel threatened? Too bad they don't know about that impenetrable fur coat of yours!"

Terpsichore giggled at all the energy in the air, feeling it and utilizing it herself in all the excitement; it was easy to get caught up in it all when Kaida emanated it so much, one didn't even need to be a psychic type! "That sounds really fascinating, Kaida! I'd be happy to help you search out the mines, if you'd like, and your cave home sounds amazing! I could only imagine what it's like to live in a place like that!" she stated gleefully, and after a momentary pondering, added on, "Isn't it a little bleak to live somewhere so dark, though? Or is it light in there somehow?" Terpsichore hoped the little one wasn't too lonely, living like that. Her worry quickly dissipated at the silvered eevee's antics, and the girl figured she should try to search harder for buried treasure if Kaida was willing to shove her whole head under the surface of the water to find some. "Well, if it's so big, there's no doubt that something's in it," the brunette agreed, but shook her head in response, "I didn't find anything yet, I just thought I did. The sun gets pretty bright on the surface of the water, so I thought I had seen something sparkle. How do you usually find things? Are they usually on the bottom of the water, or do you tend to have to dig to find anything?" she responded, trying to be helpful. If they were going to have to dig, it would take much longer to get anywhere; on the flipside, if they just needed to look along the bottom of the river, Terpsichore had the option of working faster and less diligently to find something of value.