March Mingle

[kollomods]

There have been waterlilies throughout summer, clustered around the shorelines and butting up against the jetty. Sometimes they've bloomed, sometimes they haven't, but it's never been quite like this. They're everywhere now, even as we move into autumn. They crowd the beach, they give the ferry a hard time to land, they practically fill the lake end to end — and they're all blooming in golden yellow and bright white.

It's unnatural, in so many ways. Beckoning. Come closer. ]

EVENT INFO

Comments

[burntviolet]

[ No biting... yet?

Well, if it's a petting the horse wants, an attempt will be made. With a clearly shaking hand, Hanako reaches out and strokes the mane, half curious about how soaked the horse actually is and why that even happened. Did it have a leisurely bath in the lake? ]

[norrhamn_residents]

[ No biting! It will playfully nudge its neck against her hand, urging her to keep up the petting. It's a pretty wet horse overall, with little bits of algae and seaweed stuck in its mane, making it shimmer in a slimy green.

It bobs its head again, happy for the attention. ]

[burntviolet]

[ While studying the admittedly beautiful beast, Hanako wonders if it belongs to someone who lives around here. What she can be absoltely sure of is that she'd never seen a white horse since she arrived in Norrhamn. ]

Do you really like swimming...?

[ Dumb question that she whispers without much thought behind. Horses can't really swim, can they? She idly removes a piece of seaweed from the mane. ]

[norrhamn_residents]

[ The horse responds with a happy snort and an energetic bob of its head - seems like it really does like swimming! Even more so, it would love for her to swim with it, only that's really difficult to convey when you're a horse.

It does its best though, lowering its head close to the ground and gently nudging at her leg. ]

[burntviolet]

[ Well, that seems enough of an upbeat answer to make Hanako think she got it right, despite her early doubts still lingering strong in her mind.

But sadly, she still doesn't know horse language that well. Therefore the nudging gives her a startle, filling her with confusion. ]

What's wrong? Are you hungry?

[norrhamn_residents]

[ It shakes its head at that with great vigor, mane tumbling against its neck. No, not hungry. It puffs its head against her again, mule gently nuzzling against her arm. ]

[burntviolet]

[ Whatever the horse seems to communinate, she catches onto the fact it can somehow understand what she's saying, and strangely enough it doesn't creep her out. The air is peaceful, like nothing could harm her, it gets her to relax despite the confusion. Hanako is at loss for a minute, idly stroking the damp mane.

Then she asks again, unsure. ]

Do you want me to ride you?

[norrhamn_residents]

[ It whinnies and snorts, nodding its big head vigorously. Yes please, that please, exactly that.

And just to make it all the more obvious, it awkwardly kneels to give her more of a chance to climb onto its big broad back. ]

[burntviolet]

Oh... okay.

[ Bingo! Except she never rode a horse before, and the lack of anything to hold onto has her worried. Yet, she's throwing caution to the lake for once, spurred on by something in her head that tells her to just go along with the situation.

Carefully, she climbs onto the horse's back, hands curling around the mane to stay secure. Heart beating quicker, she hopes her weight is not too much for the animal. ]

[norrhamn_residents]

[ Far from too much! This is a horse that has given rides to dozens of children all at once! If only there were more around so it could show its magical skills, the way it stretches and lengthens to accommodate just about any number of children...

Alas, she'll do. It gives a soft, pleased whinny before carefully and painstakingly pushing itself back up to stand. It may be a little bumpy for a moment, but its so slow and gentle that she runs little risk of sliding off. With her securely on its back, it starts to slowly walk along the edge of the lake. ]

[burntviolet]

[ A flash of worry crosses her mind when the horse starts getting back up, as she fears it's not actually able to hold her weight. It turns out alright eventually, but she carefully watches the horse's steps as if they were her own, holding onto the mane as tight and firm as possible.

Higher views never bothered her too much, thankfully, and as the walk proceeds her shoulders sag with gradual relief. ]

If it gets too tiring, feel free to stop...

[ Talking like this to a horse is silly, but her wish not to burden others trumps everything and that also counts for animals somehow. ]

[norrhamn_residents]

[ It makes a soft, reassuring noise in response, quite content to walk along the edge of the water for as long as she wants to stay on its back and for a good long while, that's what it does.

And then it turns, just slightly, towards the water. One hoof dips in and then another. ]

[burntviolet]

[ During her stay in Norrhamn she never wondered how deep the lake went. A glance of worry follows the horse's dipping its hooves into the water, but she makes no wish to stop everything just yet. Hanako is not afraid. Fire would hurt her worse than water. The worst she could get out of this, granted the horse is not actually a monster leading her into a trap, is her clothes getting soaked. But that's hardly a serious issue to her.

She maintains herself secured to the horse as they further go... ]

[norrhamn_residents]

[ Perhaps the horse can swim, or its legs really are long enough to walk on the bottom, or maybe the horse is an extension of the lake, a supernatural creature feared for centuries because of its habit of luring children onto its back and then drown them in lakes and rivers.

Not today, though. Not here, on this island, where contracts keep it in place. It makes a soft, happy noise as it goes further into the lake, sliding nearly soundless through the waterlilies. ]

[burntviolet]

[ Hanako takes the chance to look around better, growing unsettled with how many waterlilies are actually filling up the whole lake. Since when there were so many around in the first place? Their brightness distracts her, however. She'd seen plenty kinds of plants before, but never this clean and shiny within the wildlife.

Somehow it makes her think agreeing to go on a swim with the horse wasn't a bad idea after all.

And that unsettles her even worse. What's wrong with her? ]

Just... what is this place? [ She mutters to herself. ]

[norrhamn_residents]

[ The horse continues to swim at a leisurely pace, seeming to enjoy her company. At her question, it makes a soft noise before: ]

It's my lake. I'm glad you like it.

[burntviolet]

[ ...

A startle. Hanako nearly falls off the horse, but balances herself last minute. She nonetheless stutters. ]

Y-... You're talking?!

[norrhamn_residents]

[ Please don't drown in the lake when they've gone to such efforts not to drown her themselves! ]

Of course! You've never heard a horse talk before?

[burntviolet]

... No. F-... Frankly, I haven't.

[ She must be hallucinating, her ears must have caught some spell, but she wouldn't be in this position of none of this was real... ]

We don't have t-talking animals where I live...? [ Do parrots count? She's too shaken to even think about it deeply. ]

[norrhamn_residents]

We don't have that here either, for the most part... but not everything is as it seems. [ The voice is soft and melodic, soothing. ]

I am the Brook. This is my lake.

[burntviolet]

[ It registers in her head in a struggle. Like her mind is racing way too fast to understand at the moment. ]

Brook... [ She murmurs, trying to calm her heartbeat. ] Um-... I'm Hanako. What do you mean with this being your lake?

[norrhamn_residents]

It's a pleasure, Hanako. [ The horse motions to the lake, which isn't hard to do considering they're in the middle of it. ]

Exactly that - it's my lake. A part of me, if you will.

[burntviolet]

[ Hanako looks over her surroundings with even the most uncertainty. She only has more questions. ]

How long have you b-been here...? And... do the townsfolk know about you?

[norrhamn_residents]

I've been here as long as the lake. Long before anyone else settled on this island. [ They are one and the same. ]

And they know. We have an... understanding. They wouldn't be too happy to hear you've been talking to me.

[burntviolet]

... Really? How come?

[ Something tells her she won't like the answer. ]