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 Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2017 2:01 pm
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The ranch was livelier now than it had ever been, times like this allowed her a break from it. Alma was amazing, and little Pip too, but that energy was just a tad..much. It was nice to have Chal, between him, Aloiki and Dad the herd was well taken care. That allowed her to do what she did best, patrol!
The alpaca, donkey and chicken were nice, she'd never say otherwise. However, Mom always noticed her eyes were on the horizon. Once, she told her she was born to be a protector. Just what that meant never really made sense though if even Corazon agreed there had to be something to it.
This day as all others, Kara walked the boundries of the ever expanding Ranch. Once upon a time she'd have to guess where the 'line' existed. It wasn't like it mattered besides the creepy forest that she wasn't allowed to go near, there was nothing close to them to trespass. It worked out allowing the Ranch to grow. Grow it has with Alma ever building such as the fence line that now marked the outer bundries from the road to the ocean behind them. Marsh remained a boundary of its own, mostly only Aloiki went there to purify water for the ranch. Still, that creepy forest wasn't promised to remain silent forever.
That was why this leg of the patrol took the angel to the waters edge. Pink eyes scanned for anything unusual beneath the water's surface. Unusual or something tasty to bring back, nothing said she couldn't look for food while she walked. The Ranch house had a knack for having what they needed but helping it along never hurt.
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Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2017 3:18 pm
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How many seasons had passed since Asrun had left the Spring to instead take residence in these murky waters?
The days seemed to move slowly, uneventfully, not unlike the waters themselves. Perhaps it was no stretch to liken the still, turbid, and shallow depths with that of the passing of time. What lay ahead was obfuscated by what was closer by, leaving but a haze (if any at all) for one to muse about what may arise yet. Was it friend? Enemy? Or just a fleeting shadow? Was there really any meaning to wondering at all?
Solitude left one to no other company than their thoughts, and it allowed the sole naiad (so far as she was aware, in any case) plenty of room think.
'Well now ain't I just the most philosophical naiad in all the swamp...'
There was almost a sense of self-deprecation in the tone her internal monologue took, her eyes rising above the water's surface. They seemed almost bored as the water dripped in smooth trails from her bright hair back to the marsh below. In the ever-still environment she resided, small events could cause a ripple to form in her everyday, sometimes growing large enough to become a wave of entertainment. Sure, these events were small and far-inbetween, but possible.
One such occurrence was when a strange-looking surface-dweller would come to the marsh's edge to gather water; it appeared he had some sort of purification ability? She hadn't particularly tried to hide herself in the marsh; on the contrary, she thought her coloration would make it painfully obvious that she was observing his actions. It wasn't unusual to be suspicious when somepae suddenly set foot upon once's domain. Yet not once did he reach out to her for conversation; he simply gathered his water and left without much of a word.
What a strange land-pae.
Then again, weren't they all?
She'd been expecting it to be him again - after all, no others had neared the marsh in the time she'd been there - but it was not him at the marsh's edge today. Rather, some brightly-colored angel; a friend of his, perhaps?
Interesting...
What business did she have here?
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Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2017 4:19 pm
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Calming down, one hand still over her heart, Kara found her footing sured again. Straightening up, she looked harder at the head in the water. Looking around as she was, it was clear this lady of the water was very much alive. Without a reply, all Kara could do was furrow her brow and tilt her head.
Did this water pae speak? Clearing her throat a little loudly, her free hand planted on the back of her neck, Kara tried again. This time she spoke slower, "Hello. I am Kara." Maybe they could figure out how to communicate some how?
Maybe she should have pointed at herself and said her name? Oh alpaca. Shiting her feet one then the other the guard fretted on what to do. Zofie would know, Zofie always knew what to do. Only, if she went to fetch her and the fish lady vanished what then? Corazon had enough to mock her about without adding this to the pot!
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Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2017 6:53 pm
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Shifting pale pink in an instant Kara tripped over her words waving both arms in front of her palms out, "No no, I just didn't know if you spoke the same language or if hearing out of water was different or." Chest heaving with short breaths and wide eyes, the angel reached up to pull on a strand of her short hair using a tone befitting talking to oneself, "Gee my foot taste great right now." Utterance came accompanied with a pout directed nowhere in particular.
In a rush she addressed the other again, "Please don't tell Zofie!" Clasping her hands together as she implored, her mind was already tripping over what else to say. There had to be a way to salvage this! "Its just Aloiki, my brother, was always talking about the stunning lady in the water and we didn't believe him, you are actually real! We thought he was making you up because we tease him about not having a girlfriend or boyfriend or anyfriend and.."Rush of word vomit ended with one hand firmly tugging at the short hairs at the base of her neck. Once again a small utterance followed, "Yep, second foot tastes just the same, Al is gonna be so mad!" There was a way to salvage this, that just wasn't it.
Once again she implored the other, "Please don't tell Zofie.." Mom knowing was more mortifying than even Aloiki knowing. Deep, deep breath came and was held before a dramatic release, "I am Kara...I said that already" Nervous laugh peppered her attempt at a restart. "Do you have...er..What is your name?" Trailing off at the end there was a wonder if maybe, just maybe it was better to take off and fly home pretending this never happened.
Daisicle And Kara is off welcoming duty for life.
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Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 10:41 am
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As the angel started an exceedingly-long degree of rambling, Asrun sunk her mouth back under the water, blankly staring at the female as she blew bubbles in annoyance. Had she really never met a naiad before? Sure, their written languages were different, but they all spoke the same. Probably. She'd at least never had a problem understanding the land pae'il in any sense.
An eyebrow raised at the mention of 'Zofie,' whom Asrun was apparently not allowed to tell something to. Naturally, she had no idea what in Alu's Spring the girl was going on about this time, but a certain phrase had caught her attention. That boy who always came to collect water... apparently his name was Alioki, and apparently he thought she was quite the looker. Smirking, Asrun blew more bubbles, quite pleased by these secondhand compliments that only served to feed her haughty nature. Maybe she'd go a bit closer to the boy the next time to offer him a better view.
Her inner musings were cut off as the stumbling female addressed her directly with a question, prompting Asrun to pop her chin out of the water once more.
"Åsrun. It's Åsrun."
Frankly, the naiad had many questions for the female talking to her so randomly, but she decided to be patient and wait to see what else might come of these quick-fire ramblings.
After all, she had all the time in the world.
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Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 11:48 am
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Hitting the back of her left foot with the top of her right, Kara tugged at her hair once more. How was she going to fix this?! Mom would be so disappointed in her. Shifting her weight from foot to foot she pondered when all of the sudden the swimming pae answered.
Shoulders jumped with her head as attention went back on her guest. Smiling brightly, her eager response make with rising to the balls of her feet. "Nice to meed you Asrun!" A glorious, glorious do over appeared and she was going to run with it!
Gesturing to the homestead behind her, Kara introduced the Ranch, "This is Kurt's Ranch! We are known for our Alpaca, fluffy clouds that nibble on everything. My mom and dad, Zofie and Stia, run the Ranch. There is my sister, Corazon the full of herself.." Popping her forehead with the palm of her hand, Kara reminded herself to focus on more than her last tiff with the princess pants. "Also my brother Aloiki. We now have another family living here one of them is a tad over hyper."
Oh that was putting it mildly! Alma was sweet but so much to handle unless she was really tired. "Great people Alma builds things!" It was something their village had that the others didn't really, a dedicated builder. Alma did wonderful job though it was a wonder who made the main house. Somehow she couldn't see her dad building it.
"How long have you lived here?" Maybe she knew more about the Ranch?
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Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 8:52 pm
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"Same..." It's been some time since she'd been expected to use formalities, so her return was somewhat forced and awkward.
While she didn't interrupt, the naiad never also never took her eyes off the bundle of energy moving about this way and that in front of her, nodding from time to time at the large volume of information being dumped on her without much for context. Apparently, the edge of the marsh marked the reaches of 'Kurt's Ranch,' presumably some sort of land pae'il settlement. This settlement specialized in the production of sentient clouds, which were apparently of some worth. Maybe they helped feed the strange animals she could see grazing nearby from time to time? The girl's family was at the head of this settlement, which seemed to be sparsely populated (with only two families to name). There were some inklings of internal discord, but it was probably no more than the usual family drama.
Or, well, that was more-or-less her conjecture from the given information.
At the question, she shrugged. "Can't remember; it's been a while; how 'bout you lot?" She tilted her head. "Pretty sure that boy started comin' down here a few seasons after I made my way in." It wasn't as if anypae else than him had really come by in that time.
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Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2018 1:27 pm
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Asrun was pointedly aware that the girl before her seemed absolutely thrilled at her rather generic responses. It was almost a bit unsettling, really. Thank goodness the marsh was in the way, otherwise she worried there'd have been some forced hugging or whatnot by now. That would have been far more unpleasant, what with it being from a stranger and all.
At the description, vague as it were, the naiad nodded. It didn't particularly help her identify who came first, but she supposed that didn't matter so much. What was more important was the statement that followed.
"Well..."
Anything she could get...? Well... There was one thing she'd kind of missed from when she used to live in the Spring. There was only so much one could do passing lazy days by themselves in a source of stagnant water.
But it was rather childish of her... And embarrassing...
No harm in asking, huh?
Her eyes averting, the naiad blushed (not that it'd be noticeable with her red scales) and blew some bubbles under the water's surface. She mumbled while under there, her pair of pointer fingers and thumbs coming together and pressing against each other, "Maybe... something warm to eat..." Given that her mouth was under the water and she wasn't being particularly loud, it was unlikely that Kara would be able to understand her.
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Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2018 7:46 pm
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Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2018 9:34 am
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Of course she didn't understand what was being said; what sort of pae could, given the circumstances.
Still, it was outright embarrassing.
Nope. That was it! She wasn't about to ask some stranger for a thing as intimate as sharing a meal. That was far overstepping her bounds, even considering seniority as a resident of the area. That and, frankly, how was she sure she could trust this girl (mannerisms aside). But, perhaps...
Perhaps...
They could go about this another way?
Exclamation point(!)
A small smile formed on the naiad's lips as she raised a finger above the surface, "One sec..." Without giving a moment's pause, she fully dipped below the surface. The turbid water quickly hid her scales in it's depths, the surface seemingly still, almost as if she'd never been there at all. That is, until she returned some minutes later, arms filled with numerous tubers, some greens, and a freshwater turtle, its legs struggling against the air before disappearing entirely into its shell. A glint seemed to shine in her eye.
"Ever tried swamp stew?"
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