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 Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2015 4:28 pm
 Thriller was, in a very long word, superdupermegaextraultrabored. There was nothing going on in school. Nothing going on at home. Nothing, generally, going on.
He sat at the edge of the park, watching happy couples bundled up and enjoying the last of autumn. He amused himself by quietly murmuring after them.
"... the date was going well, but SOON ENOUGH, the filly would find out the AWFUL TRUTH..." he hummed after a happy couple, who looked at him with some worry as they skirted by. His bloodshot eyes and floating, transparent hair didn't seem to be too much of a comfort to them, nor was his cheerful smile as they went a touch quicker down the lane.
A sweet-looking, freckle-faced filly soon followed down the pathway.
"She seemed normal enough," murmured Thriller to himself. "...but she was looking, looking for a place to hide. A place where she could release her TRUE SELF..."
To his surprise, the filly didn't continue down the walkway. She turned and went into the woods! Thriller got up, his curiousity piqued. Maybe she really WAS looking for a place to hide...? He followed her, innocently, his eyes wide.
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Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2015 6:56 pm
 Foundry was going to be so cross with her if he found out. It was almost funny how she was so worried about how her brother would react, rather than how her parents would, however it wasn't even in question that the worst possible reaction she would get for something like this would come straight from Foundry. Maybe he'd never let her go out again, and she'd never be able to visit her 'friends'.
She adjusted the pack slung across her back, it was a little heavy for a young pony like herself, but with each trip she found more and more new friends that just needed her help. It would be cruel not to pack with them in mind as well.
She made sure to look around before disappearing into the woods. It would be bad if an adult spotted her, it had happened once and she was thoroughly lectured about the dangers of the forest. Surely the lecture would have been worse if they had known just what she was getting up to.
Thriller was an easy miss. She hadn't been looking for any foals hanging around, no need to worry about another kid just as likely to get themselves into trouble as herself. Foals snuck into the forest all the time, it was no reason for anyone her own age to raise the alarm.
Content with her complete and total secrecy she continued on her way, occasionally stopping to pull a pellet out from her pack and placing it in the open leaves of a plant before going along her merry way.
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Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2015 7:03 pm
Thriller followed as quietly as he could--at first. As time went on, however, his footfall got less and less light. What on earth was she doing? She seemed a sweet little slip from her coloring and freckles, but that pack she was carrying seemed rather large, and she kept stopping...
"The filly knew what she was doing was illegal," he murmured to himself, peering down at one of the pellets Wallflower had left behind, "... but that didn't mean she knew how to stop herself from doing it. She needed to feed the alien young left behind."
Actually, Thriller thought, these flowers did look pretty alien. He frowned at one of them. Didn't he see a picture of this one in a book somewhere?
"Er..." he looked up and took a few steps back. "Er, wait a second--isn't this thing poisonous?!"
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Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2015 8:13 pm
Thriller really ought to learn to watch his volume when tailing someone, especially when that person had their head (and body) in the clouds. Poor Wallflower nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard someone shout, which was somewhat unfortunate since she had been in the middle of flying about the mouth of a rather massive pitcher plant in order to feed it and very nearly fell in out of pure shock. Her hooves perched precariously along the mouth of the plant, slowly sliding inward before she got a hold of herself enough to lift her and her heavy pack out of harms way.
Halfway down her little wings gave in and dropped her right into a bush. The plant itself was harmless, but that didn't stop all the little branches jabbing into her sides any more pleasant.
By the time she managed to roll out she was covered with leaves and twigs and none too happy. At least both the bush and the pitcher plant were unharmed from her little disaster, but she couldn't promise the same for Thriller.
"What do you think you're doing, Buster Brown? What kind of jerkwad just- just- sneaks up on someone like that?! How am I supposed to climb out if I get stuck in that pitcher plant? Learn a little darn consideration!" She glanced at the plant that he had distanced himself from. "And for your information this plant is about as toxic as poison ivy. Don't touch it and you'll be fine." Her cross expression slowly morphed into utter horror when it dawned on her that she had just shouted at a person.
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Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2015 8:19 pm
For a long moment, Thriller submitted to the lecture--partly out of pure shock of having given himself so completely away, and partly because, well, he had been tailing her. But other than the fact that he had no idea what a picther (picture?) plant was, the filly's wings giving out seemed to him to have caused most of her damage. As she quieted, he took the chance to start up.
"Heyyyy, you don't own these woods!" Thriller countered. "And--how could I not follow someone who is so obviously cultivating a garden of -- of--" He whirled around, gesturing at the foliage. "--of poisonous stuff! Are you just a prankster? Trying to get back at some jerks? Or trying to get these guys to do some kind of nefarious bidding? Hmmm?"
He didn't sound particularly horrified as much as he did … curious. "I mean, this plant is almost certainly made of a rare and deadly poison, which, what? Seeps into your skin and burns it off?"
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Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2015 9:14 pm
"Hey! They're not poisonous! Mostly..." As much as she wanted to defend her plants, some of them were poisonous. What she had been growing in the woods was what her parents wouldn't allow her to grow at home. Either because it was too dangerous, or too large, or - in the case of the southernmost flowers - smelled repulsive. She wasn't much of a good liar, and that was where her defense started to crumble.
"Nefarious? I'm not some- some small minded harpy who would use my plants to hurt someone! I raised them from seeds, and tended to them whenever I could. Don't taint my love for them with your dumb ulterior motive talk!"
Funny, Thriller knew just how to get Wallflower talking. She hardly spoke to anyone that wasn't her brothers and he managed not only a full sentence, but multiple full sentences and even (gasp) yelling. Turned out all someone had to do was backtalk her plants to get her talking.
"Look, I told you. The worst you're going to get from it is hives. Now will you please leave me alone? I still have plenty of plants to feed and I don't need some.... suspicious jerk following me." It took a lot out of her to outright call him a jerk. But he had started it. All that bluster was going to run out soon and hopefully this boy would be off her back by then.
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Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2015 9:27 pm
Thriller had always thought of his dramatics as harmless. Really, he'd always expected they'd just get a laugh out of his audience, or that they would add color to a mixer mystery. He knew his voice lent itself well to drama and he used it. But he never wanted it to actually hurt anyone's feelings, as it clearly had here.
His face fell as Wallflower kept talking. It was clear her feelings were strong regarding these plants, and instantly, Thriller felt awful. His eyes widened and immediately, he took a few steps back.
"Hey, I-- uh, I didn't mean it," he said gently. "You're obviously doing your best to take care of these plants. And they do seem really cool, from what I've seen. I guess you must know a lot about them to care so much. M-maybe sometime you could give me a real lesson? I'm sorry I was being a suspicious jerk. I've just never seen anyone else in these woods, especially not doing what you're doing here."
He smiled, a little awkwardly. "But I can, uhm, head back now, if that would make you more comfortable."
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Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2015 4:44 pm
That was certainly new, apologies weren't something she got often. It certainly took the wind out of her metaphorical wings to be all riled up and ready to defend her passion, only for the altercation to pass just like that.
"I-" Where was she supposed to start? Flattered, angry, hurt, excited, too many emotions all banging around at once like a bag of rocks in a tumble dryer. Best to take a step back from the whole conversation, take a deep breath, and start over.
"If you didn't mean it... then why did you say it?" It didn't mesh, how he spoke about her plants, about her, and now the sudden regret. He didn't look like a mean boy- while both eyes and hair certainly landed in the 'spooky' realm, they weren't mean looking. At the same time, he had followed her and made up all sorts of unflattering stories.
He was still a suspicious jerk, but he was one that would be dropping some answers if she had something to say about it. Or something to quietly scowl about it. She was quickly losing steam on the whole 'talking' front.
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Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2015 6:00 pm
Thriller didn't quite know what to say about that. He didn't even know how to articulate a response to it. Why did he say those things? He hadn't ever thought it would bother someone to this extent. He had always seen his stories as harmless.
"That's just… what I do? I tell murder-y mystery-y stories; I get inspiration from what people around me are doing. A-and really-- you were looking pretty suspicious yourself, yanno." He tried a smile. "Not a lot of super-innocent-looking things out here. You'll allow that, right?"
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Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2015 6:24 pm
"So... those sort of accusatory things you said... were you just making up a story." And whoosh, there went all of the steam from her kettle, all flushed out of her system in a cascade of laughter.
It was just so... DUMB! All of this was so very dumb. Him, her, the whole misunderstanding, even her outrage felt so very dumb. They were just some dumb kids alone in the woods, making dumb assumptions.
"I'm sorry... I'm just so worried about people catching me out here... I'm sorry." Wallflower tried to smile back at him. "You can stay if you want."
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Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2015 7:04 pm
As she started laughing, Thriller also started to laugh. He felt suddenly very young and very silly. He flushed as he did so, putting one hoof to the side of his face. He really stuck his hoof in it this time! It was too funny and too silly.
"I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean to make you feel weird. I think it's cool that you come out here and take care of these plants! After all, doesn't seem like anyone else is," he said. "If you want, maybe sometime you can teach me about them? I can use them in my stories--and I won't make up anything about you, honest."
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Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2015 7:52 pm
This was... nice! Actually, really nice! He was laughing with her, and it was fun! For the first time she was having an actual good time with someone who wasn't family. It seemed a shame to just send him off, just when she was staring to make a friend, a real friend.
"Well... I could always teach you now -if you want, of course!" Good! Strong lead-in to a possible friendship. She could do this. "After all, it would be bad for you to wander around here all on your own! You weren't, um, well you weren't wrong about some of my plants being dangerous. So It would just be better, if you stuck with me! Yup!" It was half an excuse, half the truth, and all a mumbled mess. But perhaps excuses weren't needed. After all, it was the two of them not being clear that caused the misunderstanding in the first place.
She took a deep breath, psyching herself up. She could do this! She could do this!
"And maybe," Her eyes stared firmly at her hooves, it was safer than looking at Thriller. "Maybe..." Breathing out should probably be happening. Breathe. Breathe!
"MynamesWallflowerandiwanttobeyourfriend!"
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Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2015 8:04 pm
Thriller brightened considerably as she spoke. He felt like a wilted flower when he thought--realized--he'd hurt her feelings, but now that she seemed better, he was popping right back up! He smiled widely, which was a slightly unsettling expression given his strange sclera, but he looked genuinely pleased.
"Wallflower!" he repeated. "Wallflower, I'm Thriller, and I'd love to be friends with you! And I'd love to learn all about your flowers, too, if you wouldn't mind." He straightened. "Just tell me where to step, and I'll be happy to learn all 'bout them. If you want, I can show you a story I write with 'em--after it's done, of course!" Biblioburro Maybe another post? > U< We should do a follow-up when they grow, too!
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Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2015 8:29 pm
She didn't find him unsettling, she hadn't from the get-go. Much like the bizarre plants she cared for, she found his strange appearance charming. Moreso now that she knew he wasn't some mean kid, picking on her for laughs.
"Thriller, huh?" She bounced to his side, facing deeper into the woods along with him. "Well you best have your learning cap on, mister, because I'll be judging for accuracy when I read your story." She grinned playfully, before lowering her voice. "Don't worry, I'm just kidding." Wouldn't want him worrying. After all, they had a whole afternoon of fun learning ahead of them, and she was going to tell her new friend absolutely everything she knew.Atmadja Heck yes to a follow up. The two mildly creepy kids being friends is really cute.
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