[OPD] Quiet afternoon in the Park (Open to all interested)

[Thalion]

The park was simple enough. A large field for older kids to make use of, a few soccer goal posts stood netless towards the sides, a concrete square closer to the actual play park itself with a pair of hoops with chain nets. A small playing field for horse shoe just over near the sand pit. For the younger children there was a play park complete with a wooden play castle. Two large slides on either side, climbing ropes and monkey bars, a jungle gym all padded with rubber chips in case of spills and slips. It was early afternoon, cooling down from the summer heat and already the crickets had begun chirping, here and there a firefly jumped into the air with a spark of yellow light.

Winter sat on a nearby bench sitting under a cherry tree, it was late in the summer so most of the fruits had fallen and squished along the ground, rotton or nothing left but dried husks all over the bench, the playplace, and the ground itself. The fruits still hanging from the trees were over-ripe and hardly fit for eating.

Nearby, Cody pulled himself up on the play ropes, his hooves clammering on the wooden notches in the side of the play castle. It was more difficult without actual feet or claws, but his upper body strength made up for it well enough, "Up da rope! 'Ey Mama lookit!"

Winter looked up from her sketchbook, giving the boy an approving nod, "Good job, Cody... now don't be doing that in the house."

"D'awww man."  

[Kanth]

"We can't stay for long, but we'll make it last, okay?" Kanth whispered softly into Medusa's ear, giving her a hug before setting her down on the ground.

The jellyfish girl looked all around with her grey eyes before they settled on another, and her hands clasped together in front of her face, both of her index fingers pointing up. She seemed to think for a moment before running up to the bull boy, content with just staring... and observing.

Kanth remained close behind, rather protective of her.  

[Thalion]

Cody pulled himself up to the last knot, swinging his hooves out to catch the platform. "Booyyy Howdy." He thew his arms up, giving a trimphant whoot for his own small victory. Sure it was a lot of show, but what was the good of being such a stud if he couldn't proclaim it now and then. Cody tilted his hat up, making his way over to the larger of the two slids on the play castle. Yeah he was bad- taking on the -big- slide.  

[Kanth]

"G..na... hrt sself." Medusa pointed out, pointing her translucent finger at the boy as she remained absolutely calm. Glancing down at her feet then, she made a face as she picked up a foot, staring at the dirt that stuck to the bottom.

"I..." Kanth started to say, then shook her head, feeling as if she needn't say anything at all. Medusa was smart, she'd give her that.  

[Thalion]

One of the little cow ears perked, twisting around towards the source of the new voice. Cody soon followed, turning over a shoulder with a wide grin. He was quiet for a moment, getting the girl a look over. What kind of critter was she? She was new that was for sure. Not like Alaqua at all. "Hmm..." He turned around, putting his hands on his hips, "Howdy there! New in the neighborhood?"  

[Kanth]

"Ssspose." Said the girl, who seemed as if she was just learning to sound out words and the like. Her eyes left the dirt on her foot, and she now stared at the other with curiosity, tilting her head.  

[Thalion]

Cody nodded, "That's alright, I'm real good at showin' the new kids what's what." He stepped back onto the slide, turning himself around to slide down it, landing with a bit of a jump from where the slide ended down to his hooves, stirring up the plastic padding chunks. Standing himself up, Cody folded his arms accross his chest, "'Name's Cody an' when I grow up I'm gonna be th' best ar-" He paused, catching a dirty look from Winter, "Er... booty whomper 'round."  

[Kanth]

Medusa said nothing, now taking the time to walk around him rather carefully, examining silently. She didn't seem all that outgoing, or exciting for that matter, but she was interested in meeting others that were the same as her, yet a bit different.

"Yu haff dokter tew?"  

[Thalion]

The bull boy puffed himself up as big as he could, flexing his arms as she gave him a look over. Yeah, he was a show off... but he'd seen it on TV. If a girl looked, he had to look cool and do that stupid flexy thing to make his arms puff out more. "Doc'? Me? Naw, I don't need one. I don't need nothin!"  

[Kanth]

If Medusa wanted to smack her forehead then, she would have. But, she was still uncomfortable speaking with people she didn't know, and merely shook her head, letting out a small sigh.  

[Thalion]

"No?" Cody tilted his head to the side, putting a hand on his chin. Well then what was she trying to say, "Ya gotta speak up, try talkin' more like me if ya wanna ask a question. C'mon, spit it out!"  

[Kanth]

"Wy?" Medusa asked, putting her foot down and setting out her jaw. "Wy got ta akt liek yew?" She continued, putting her hands on her hips. She wasn't going to take someone else's orders, when she just wanted to be herself!  

[Coronaviridae]

((Because the player's fascinated with Medusa, and needs to get Indigo more involved again~.))

Indigo was never going to call the woman taking care of her "Mom". Mom was in the hospital and feverish and sick and getting worse every day, but even if she died, Indigo wasn't going to call the other woman "Mom". Not even if the woman came running after her on seeing that she and Citrine had snuck out of their old beat-up rundown house and made a run for the D Corp headquarters. Not even if she brought them both back with tears and apologies. Not even if the big scary cat-thing that followed that woman everywhere tortured Indigo, or worse, Citrine--she'd never call the woman "Mom". Ever.

The velvet worm was in a black mood as she shuffled through the grass on the far side of the playground. Her dragon was uncharacteristically quiet, plodding along in Indigo's wake, its copper color dull with scales scratched and frayed from overgrooming. Indigo herself wasn't looking all that great, with her hair and clothing mussed and her color poor. The unhappy pair made their way slowly toward the sound of voices, headed not for the other children but for the cherry tree. It probably wouldn't support her weight, but the overripe fruit and any insects it happened to have in it would make for a decent treat.

She needed a treat right now. She headed straight for the tree, paying no attention to the younger children. Citrine was a little more alert, and seated herself off to one side of the dispute, tail curled around her forepaws. She looked first at Medusa, then at Cody, before raising a paw in a feeble wave. Indigo, meanwhile, had hooked her upper hands around a branch of the cherry tree and planted her feet against it, using her lowers to shake loose what fruit she could get at.  

[Thalion]

"Git what yer sayin'... if ya talk funny no one'll git it n' you'll get people all confused n' stuff." He shrugged, "People say I talk funny too but they know what I'm tryin' tah say. Just gotta find a way to talk like you in a way that doesn't a'fuse everyone else, kay?" He paused, turning over to two more forms approaching, "Lookit that! Another dragon."

He waved enthusiastically as the two came, "Ey there ya two!"  

[Kanth]

Oh. So that's what he meant! She grinned and nodded, letting him know she understood. Following his gaze, she blinked at the newcomers and wandered over to them, awed at the dragon, as well as the... girl. Whatever she was.

"M'dusa!" She exclaimed, pointing at herself. The fish in her stomach did a summersault.