Players:
Summary: Jade finds the koi pond—and James
Date: February 23, 2010.
Log Title A Little Fishy
Rating: PG
Xavier Mansion - Japanese Gardens
A large area of the grounds is landscaped with a Japanese Garden. A river filled with coi fish runs through the middle with a wooden bridge. There is even a small waterfall splashing on the rocks. Bamboo can be heard clacking on the rocks. A small statue of a Buddha can be found in various places. The trees hang over the area and when the flowers are in bloom, it brings a variety of color to the peaceful landscape.
Jade moves about the garden, tapping her way along with her cane, feeling the edge of the pond. She stops, pointed towards the dark water. Her hair waves in a loose fashion, wild and unrestrained in the outside air, as if enjoying the freshness of oncoming spring.
Up to no good, James is, bent over the bridge with his head somewhat under the structure itself when his butt is suddenly, intrusively tapped, "Homany hoo-ha!" He bolts up right from his precarious position and pulls himself back onto the bridge, "Maaaeyyyy….ma'ftch 'ta f'vane."
Jade hears someone speaking in tongues, and she jumps back, snakes flaring. "Ohh, oh… I'm sorry! I didn't mean to poke you. I…I did not know you were there…" She smoothes a hand down her front, straightening her shirt. "Are you ok?"
James stands there for a moment, still, not saying a word. It's a pretty incriminating scene. In one hand he holds some fish food, in his mouth, a rather unhappy koi. His eyes dart to the left, they dart to the right…and his hands quietly sneaks the fish food back into his pocket. The carp looks over, in it's fishy little way pleading for help. "Mime…Toffee," the hyena says…or rather it sounds like 'mime toffee.'
"James?" she asks, her voice a little small. Maybe it is the smell of the big hyena, or the way her cane squished into his fur. She smells fish food in the air. "What… oh, are there Koi here?" she asks, getting suddenly excited as she moves forward, finding her way with her cane.
"MmmmmHmmmmmm," James responds as the fish begins to flail a little. Suddenly, a "catch and release" policy is a good one. And with that, the fish lands in stream, "Hi. Koi? Those fish things? Yeah. Right here." He steps out of the way and leans up against the railing, "How's stuff?"
"Oh… oh! They're jumping!" She scuffles towards the side, glancing down to the ground. "They must be hungry. Are there lilly pads?" she asks, moving closer again. "Maybe… flowers?"
James coughs, "Yeah, they're…active today. Practically jumping into your face." He takes a look at the stream, "Yeah…a few. No flowers yet." He hmmmms and looks around, "If you want, take a peek. I'll look away."
She hesitates. "…Okay…. don't look, okay?" She glances his way… not that she can help it. She moves closer to the edge, and reaches up to lift up the edge of her glasses. "Promise not to look…" The temptation is too great, however, and she reaches up to tilt up her glasses. A flash of light, beginning as a small pinprick.
Not only is James not looking, he's walking across to the other side of the bridge, his back now facing her, "Not an issue. Look all you want, I'll keep an eye out." He stands vigil, looking for the wayward student, even this late.
Jade's eyes are bright and shimmering with an unearthly glow that lights the surface of the water. The fish swim, colorful and bright, until the light attracts them to the surface. One breaks the surface, gulping big gullets of air. Then… freeze…."Oh no…" Jade quickly clamps the glasses over her eyes. "James, quick. Oh no… you gotta get it and swim it around or it will drown! Oh no."
James's ears perk up, turning in all sorts of directions, "What?!!" He sighs, keeping his eyes firmly away from Jade’s, "What's going on? Is it safe to look?" He starts backing up to Jade’s side of the bridge, "What’d you do?"
Jade has her glasses on. "Yes… go ahead and look. It's that fish! It froze and stuff and it will die. Oh James… you have to save it!" She frets, her hair rising and waving in that invisible wind. Her hands grip her cane tightly. "Don't let it die because of me."
James hops the rail and hangs over the edge, above the water, as he uses his legs and arm as a counterweight. His only regret, aside from the potential of falling into the water, is that Jade can't see how awesome he looks doing this. Then, as all things must, the sweetness comes to an end. He smiles, those rusty gears turning, "How long's it going to be like this?" He pushes the fish around the water, waiting for an answer.
"It takes people about 15 minutes or so. Maybe more… maybe less?" She worries the handle of her cane, wishing she could see the state of the fish. The fish itself is cold and seemingly dead, it's eyes glossy and unblinking, fins stiffened. "I hope it will be alright. How stupid of me. I shouldn't have even looked. How selfish.."
James rolls his eyes at the drama, "Oy…" He nods up to her, "I think it's fine." He shoves the fish into his cargo pants pocket and not back into the water, "Yep…already moving around. Everything is well in hand." His ‘hand’ darts into the water and grabs another one, making a noise, "Oops! Almost dropped it," he says, looking up towards her, "Yeah, it's moving now. Maybe you didn't get it and it's just sick or something?" He pokes a still moving, different fish into her hands, "See?"
Jade feels the fish against her hands. "What… ohh… okay…" she visibly relaxes, her hair sagging down slightly. "I wonder why… but good. That means it's wearing off, right? That I am getting better?" she actually smiles, her cheeks flushing with a ray of hope. "I am so glad I did not kill it."
"Ehhh…" James states, "You sure you looked at it? I mean 'sure?'" He looks at the live fish and tries to stuff that one in his pocket too! But it's having none of that and escapes, dropping back in the water. The hyena frowns, watching it swim off, "Hmph!" He yanks himself back up to the bridge and lands on his big, padded feet with a thud, "Well, that was adventurous."
Jade hears splashing and stuff, and the big woosh of the hyena. She moves back from the sound, giving him room. "You're sure it's okay…?" she asks, biting the corner of her lip with her little fang. "I owe you one, James."
The hyena smiles widely, "No worries. I'll be sure to revisit it later and make doubly so." Revisit it with rice, seaweed, and some soy sauce no doubt, "Hey…odd question…I can't get that stiff thingee from touching your fish right? Or like..putting it in my mouth…well…my hands in my mouth that is. I did touch it."
Jade blinks at his words and just has to stay quiet for a second. "Um. I don't know….?" she answers vey carefully, her cheeks coloring deeper with a flush. "Oh! You mean the freezing thing? Uh.. no. Can't catch it by touch or whatever… and why would you put it in your mouth if it swam away?"
James clears his voice, "Well, I did touch it, and my hands end up in my mouth all the time." He looks back over the pond and smiles, "You'd be a real hoot out in the woods. It'd just be rainin' porcupines and sparrows." He gives the smaller humanoid a playful bump.
Jade wilts a little. "Yeah, I suppose…" she answers, though not convincingly at all. "Thanks for the help, James. I will see you around, okay?" She sets her cane to the ground and breathes a little sigh. Turning, she begins to trace her way up the path.
James nods, "Okay. Just…like..call someone on your phone if you find yourself lost or something." He nods towards the school, "I'm gonna go eat. All this fisy-stuff is making me hungry!" He pat pats his pocket and heads back towards the quad, "Night!"
