Title:           Orchid 6 - Beached
Author:          Hexus
Pastebin link:   http://pastebin.com/AY2eCxww
First Edit:      Wednesday 20th of August 2014 03:59:46 PM CDT
Last Edit:       Last edit on: Monday 19th of September 2016 12:15:47 PM CDT

>The domed chamber was noisier than usual.
>The choppy water lapped at the edges of the walkway.
>The beastly cause swam back and forth in the enclosure in big, noisy laps.
>The legs made strokes that wouldn't be out of place from a dog,
>There she paced, never quite getting close enough towards the shallow slope to touch down on solid concrete.
>Her rhythm faltered whenever she would take a nervous glance along the ceiling.
>A whine warbled through the waves.
>You cleared your throat for attention.
"Nervous?"
>She casts a pleading look over her shoulder.
>"They're sending a jaeger out with me."
>The massive equine turns about
>She approached the dock with a heavy thump of hooves onto the shallow end.
>Water drips from her hair as she stands tall.
>"I thought we weren't supposed to have a fight this month."
>You shrug.
"I guess that they'll be on standby so people don't get nervous."
>"The people!" she yelped.
>"I've never been allowed to be near a crowd before!"
>She sat on her haunches defeatedly.
>"What if they don't like me?"
"They'll like you, trust me."
>Orchid lowers to put herself level with the crumbled walkway.
>”You really think so?”
“Sure, you’re nice and...”
>The monsterhorse gives a hopeful smile.
>Teeth.
>A forehoof drifts up to lean against the dock ever so lightly.
“...and... not scary?”
>You’re still staring at the inside of the hoof.
>You could fit your car right there in the center.
>”Am I cute?”
“Hm? Wh-what?”
>”They’ll like me if I’m cute, right?”
“I guess?”
>"I heard people think girls who make heart shapes with their hands are cute."
>The water shifted behind her in the wake of her tail swishing.
>Dizzying, swirling lights wound like nets.
“Where did you hear this?”
>Her tail moved closer, tangles of seaweed with glowing tips flowing against the current en mass.
>”Jack said so. I asked him how to be cute this morning.”
“Of course he did.”
>Sometimes you wonder why your co-caretaker was picked in the first place.
>The creature glanced down at the water.
>When you did the same, a bundle of her lengthy tail strands rose up out of the water.
>"I don't have hands, but,” she trailed off.
>You took a few steps backwards, watching as the fiber optic hairs spread out and curled, entwining with one another as they emerged into view.
>When they stopped, you were staring at a large heart shape, highlighted by flecks of electric blue.
>”I can be cute, right?"
>The kaiju smiles sweetly, framed in the center of the heart.
>Blue highlighted her cheeks while she sat there.
>As close as you were, you could feel a certain energy in the air.
>Your hair was being pulled with the tiniest sensation of static electricity.
>For a time, all you could hear was the dripping of water.
"Yes Orchid, you're the cutest kaiju."
>Her eyes widened from the other side of the heart.
>She took a deep breath, light spilling up from the back of her throat.
>Inwardly, you still cringed whenever she did that from this close up.
>Your phone rang.
>Like that, Orchid's ears flicked back, her mouth clamping shut and her antennae drooping that much lower.
"Just a second."
>On the other end of the line, your fellow kaiju keeper, Jack, gave this month's traditional greeting.
>"Hey mister romantic, is the kaiju ready for her big date?"
"It's not a date."
>You glanced at the beast in question, the heart shape slipping back under the dock.
>"Of course, whatever you say."
>You rolled your eyes.
>He had to realize the joke was getting old.
>Some day.
>"Is she ready?"
"Yeah, she's fine, aren'tcha big girl?"
>The kaiju thumps a forehoof to her head, just below the horn.
"Orchid? You okay?"
>She nods slowly, a newfound frown hinted in the corners of her mouth.
"She's good to go. See you outside in a few."
>"We'll be waiting on the boat dock."
>You ended the call as quick as you could and returned your attention to Orchid, who looked decidedly unenthusiastic again.
>As soon as she caught you watching, the tail heart came back up again and she tried another winning smile through the dripping frame.
"Still the cutest."
>She swallowed nervously, but held her tail where it was.
"Well here goes. We'll have the door open in a few minutes. Go slow; we'll be the closest boat."
>"I will."
>You hurried out.
"See you outside."
>She waved one last time and the door shut.
>"Y-you too!"
>You met up with your fellow handler by the exterior dock.
>Just as briskly, you were bobbing gently on a simple little boat, probably borrowed from the Coast Guard by the looks of it.
>It gave you a view you hadn't received before.
>The modest boat rocked back and forth but no wave could hope to crest the cliff face close by.
>You looked up to the sprawling steel and concrete structure that was the Shatterdome.
>The jaeger bays were off to the side.
>The door you were searching for instead was set well below the water level, nearly on the sandy bottom itself.
>Amidst the cliff's underwater features was an unassuming, unpainted gateway, just as large as the jaegers'.
>A crowd of boats had already gathered nearby, waiting to see the creature emerge.
>The Coast guard was already patrolling a perimeter, staking an off-limits zone.
>This was going to be a long day.
>Jack and Dr. Geiszler, her father if she ever truly had one, were by your side.
>Together, you peered into the sea while the driver kept leaning as far as he could.
>No one looked particularly comfortable about the situation.
>"Hey, be careful with my baby, okay? We never let her out like this before."
>You gave the doctor a look.
"What are you talking about? She's been to the beach."
>"No. She never got to actually reach the beach. The jaegers always stopped her before that during practice."
"She'll be fine."
>He shook his head, pointing two fingers up.
>"It's two days, dude. Orchid's never spent the whole night out and she's never dealt with crowds like you'll see today."
"We both know she's a good girl."
>"The jaeger pilots are just dying to be big heroes and save the day. Don't give them an excuse."
>All three of you glanced across the water to the numbered doors lining the cliff.
"Alright."
>"Good."
>The doctor fished out a wallky talky.
>"Open her up!"
>A loud air raid siren blared, quieting the distant boats.
>A heavy thud and clank sounded from below.
>The door was opening.
>The inside was dark, no lights placed inside the exit tunnel and none on the outside.
>Seconds ticked by and the door continued to yawn wider and wider.
>It finished opening, the enormous door coming to a stop with a sense of dread.
>All went quiet except for the squawk of seabirds.
>The driver's reflection wheeled this way and that on the corner of your vision.
>"Is it coming out?"
>The entryway glowed softly, quickly becoming a bright light.
>The kaiju appeared, sailing smoothly out through the entryway.
>It seemed as though her body would continue forever, more and more emerging into the daylight like a train leaving a tunnel.
>Her hooves were tucked in close against her body.
>When the last of her emerged, her tail was split sideways and flattened horizontally, mimicking a whale's fluke.
>Her eyes searched back and forth, her lights only a mild tinge across the bottom.
"Orchid! Up here!"
>The shimmering reflections of the waves traveling across her were suddenly replaced with the bright blue of her face spotting the boat.
>The kaiju pushed off against the bottom, though she wasn't not much shorter than the water level itself.
>In an instant, she was there.
>Water sprayed and the boat rocked in the ripples of her surfacing.
>Once you wiped some of the seawater from your face, you were locked in a staring contest with an eye larger than you were.
>The eye fluttered in an audible blink.
>"Hi."
>The pupil contracted and expanded, refocusing as it scanned the rest of the boat.
>The driver shrank back behind the wheel.
>She simply dwarfed the 40-foot vessel.
>You suppressed a shudder and gave a small wave, watching the eye follow your hand.
"Hey, Orchid, can you back u-"
>Newt Geiszler was a little more enthusiastic.
>"Hey, sweetie!"
>The kaiju horse gasped.
>"Hi, dad!"
>Her improvised whale tail loudly slapped the water, raining more water across the stern of the boat.
>"Easy, sweetie. We've got a beach set up just for you. Follow behind us and we'll lead you there. Are you ready?"
>The monsterhorse nodded enthusiastically.
>"Driver, let's go."
>The boat moved ahead, faithful kaiju following behind.
>As you slipped away from the area, escorted by more Coast Guard and flocked by news helicopters, you took one last look at the Shatterdome.
>One of the jaeger bay doors was opening.
>You tapped Dr. Geiszler on the shoulder.
"Newt, I thought you said there weren't any fights this weekend."
>"Oh, the jaeger? They're just going to be nearby to keep everybody calm. Don't sweat it."
>It wasn't long before the beach was in sight.
>A large crowd had gathered just outside the police cordons, cameras flashing and cameras rolling as you touched down on land.
>The kaiju followed slowly, at first swimming, then wading, becoming taller with each step.
>She frequently halted, letting the boat cross the same distance of a single stride.
>Orchid kept looking at the assembled photographers uneasily as she slowly stepped onto the beach, hooves digging massive imprints in the sand.
>You helped Jack haul a couple of coolers onto the sand while the tattooed scientist patted her on the snout.
>"Be good, Orchid."
>"I will."
>Jack stops you when you approach the boat for a third time.
>"Good luck."
"Wait, that's it?"
>Newt hops onto the boat and motions for the driver to pull out without you.
>"See you at lunch time. We'll bring the usual!"
>They left you on the beach.
>Just you.
>A couple coolers.
>A kaiju.
>And a lot of police tape.
>Orchid stood there, looking this way and that.
>"What do we do now?"
"Er..."
>You opened one of the coolers.
>It was filled with chips and a plastic bucket.
>A long day indeed.
>It was difficult to ignore the constant flashes of photography.
>Even when the rumors got out about what was happening in the Den you didn’t have to deal with this much.
>Most news outlets were content to harass you by phone for statements to confirm the rumors.
>That is, whenever they weren’t stalking other Shatterdome personnel for juicy stories.
>You paused and glanced from the crowd to the gigantic creature standing next to you.
>You’ve gotten to the point where you are more nervous about journalists than giant monsters.
>You pulled out the bucket, taking note of Orchid’s shadow.
>The monsterhorse was busy sweeping her gaze back and forth along the crowd.
>“There are so many,” she murmured.
>The shadow suddenly shifted its weight backwards.
>You heard her rear hooves compress the sand further just as you snapped your head around.
>One of her forehooves rushed upwards.
>”Hi, humans!” she waved.
>The tightly packed lines of observers collectively blanched.
>The rebuffed kaiju slumped, sitting on her haunches.
>As close as you were, you felt the sand tremble.
>You eyeballed the glowing mark painted across her flank.
>A mystery for later.
“Now Orchid, don’t be sad that they-“
>The kaiju nearly bounced off of your face and onto what was in your hand.
>She lit up in literal fashion.
>”Oh! Is the bucket for carrying chips?”
“I guess? See how the bottom is shaped like a tower? We can use it for sand castles.”
>One eye narrowed in confusion.
>”Sand castles?”
>Evidently another subject she was never introduced to.
“Yeah, you just scoop some sand into the bucket and you can make a sand castle on the beach.”
>”Wait!”
“What?”
>”Can we put chips in it first?”
“For a sand castle?”
>Her voice hushed like she was worried someone would steal the idea.
>”A chip castle.”
>You looked from her to the bucket.
>From the bucket to the kaiju horse.
“It doesn’t work like that.”
>”Well, maybe if we put enough in it.”
“No.”
>”Well,” she said, looking towards the coolers, “can I just have a whole bunch at the same time?”
“Fine, just give me a minute dump them in.”
>You busied yourself with tearing open bag after bag from inside the first cooler and in short order had a full “chip castle.”
>You were shoving the third empty “funsize” bag into the cooler when something entered your field of view.
>You looked up just in time to see a grayish mass slam down a short distance away.
>The massive kaiju body thumped to the ground on her stomach, her midsection landing in front of you.
>Orchid turned her head, to look at you.
>The electric blue corner of her eye spilled over across the beach in her immediate shadow.
>It gave the sight an alien tinge.
>The equine sea monster faced forward to look down the beach at one side of the crowd and slid her hooves across the sand.
>After a short time, she tucked them close to her main body and waited.
>You walked the hot sands towards her face, passing by a forehoof smattered with sand particles.
>In the shadow of the kaiju, you couldn’t help but notice people were staring at you.
>The one person crazy enough to hand feed a giant monster.
>Each step became harder to make as you wound around to her face.
>You halted for just a moment.
>The beach had been gouged out by her hooves to push small hills that rose towards her face.
>You’re not sure if she was trying to make it easier for you or just more traumatizing to see her mouth open slowly in the middle of all this sand.
>You could hear the concerned murmurs from the crowd.
>Someone with a thick accent called out to you.
>”Touch nothing but the chips!”
>You could feel a small tremble setting in..
>”He's crazy!”
>You approached the tongue under the watchful blue spotlight.
>You hold the bucket out in front of you, just over the end.
>The tongue extends out ever so slightly, eager for the treasure within.
>Everything goes still.
>Orchid holds her breath.
>As does everyone else.
>Your first public feeding.
>You blanch slightly as everything
>You turn the bucket over and unceremoniously dump the contents out.
>Golden flakes fall into a heap and you immediately pull your hands back and take a step backwards down the small beach dune.
>The tongue reels back inside the mouth proper, lit by the blue backlight.
>The jaws slowly and dramatically close.
>A contented breath blows over you from her nostrils; warm, though stale.
>The kaiju hums appreciatively and the tension evaporates like that.
>"Thank you."
"You're welcome. Just..."
>"Hm?"
"Don't talk with your mouth full."
>She opens her mouth again to reply, giving you a hellish view of broken chips.
>"But it's not."
>You shake your head but something snatches your attention.
>Your observers are all talking at once.
>Shouting questions, though they came out indistinct.
>They talked to each other with a dull buzz of chatter.
>You only catch snippets.
>”He actually did it!”
>You wipe your brow and face the crowd, camera flashes and video cameras taking it all in with a fevered pitch.
>The world gets to see first hand.
>The tame kaiju.
>You walk back to the coolers, warily eyeballing the hooves as you get near them, and glance to the crowd.
>You're not exactly sure what they expected to see.
>A murder on live TV?
>You probably don't want to know.
>They were looking for a sensation.
>You reached the coolers by Orchid's midsection and paused.
>You put a hand on the nearest container and flip the lid open.
>Maybe that’s it.
>The tricks you practiced in the den.
>You think you know how to get the crowd on her side.
>They wanted a show, and you're going to give it to them.
>You made your way around back around the beached form towards the front of the beast.
>When you passed by her neck you heard the
>You entered her field of view, yet the nearby eye didn't make any acknowledgement.
>She was still, posed like a crocodile sunning itself on the sand.
>With the grayish coloration she reminded you more of a beached whale.
>She blew loose sand away with each heavy exhale, focus trained on the crowd.
>All told, was too busy trying to win a staring contest with the cameras to notice the bag in your hand.
>When you neared her face you cleared your throat noisily.
"Hey."
>An ear twitched above you.
>The closest eye rolled sidelong to look at you.
"I have an idea."
>It squints just a little.
>"What?"
>You held the bag aloft and shook it.
>The pupil dilated and shot towards the little rattling object.
"More chips!"
>The look on her face was something else.
>It was like Christmas had come early.
>"Yay!"
>Simultaneously, she turned her head.
>You knew it was a mistake as soon as those
>She was still resting flat on the beach.
>The piles of sand she had gathered around her were shoved towards you.
>The monster turned bulldozer pushed them across the ground, building the little mound larger with each little bit of movement.
>You skittered out of the way before she could bury you.
>The dune comes to a swift stop when she takes notice.
>Above it, the electric blue iris shrinks.
>She sits up, her large face taking up most of your sky.
>"Sorry," she mumbles, looking at the pile of sand.
>You were more looking at the chunks of earth drop back down onto the beach to further add to the pile.
>A rumble courses across the beach as she starts to shift her position.
"Wait, don't move."
>The kaiju's brow wrinkles as it regards you.
"Lie down again."
>"Um... okay."
>Orchid obediently rests back down on the beach.
>You make a wide arc around to her front.
>Face to face with the monster, she waits for another hint while you look at the rut in the sand by her cheek.
>There is a large flattened track where sheer body weight made her jaw gouge a stretch of the ground.
>All that from a turn of her head.
>She wasn't quite where you wanted her, however.
"Okay, now, a little to the left. Against the sand hill."
>Orchid nestles up against the dune, keeping a curious eye on you.
"Stay right there."
>You can see a burning question in her expression but she can't exactly talk with the sand piled up past mouth height.
>You tuck the bag of chips against your chest.
>You climb the sand dune up against her as a makeshift ramp.
>Just in front of you is the bottom edge of the armored plate that wraps around the top of her snout.
>You put a hand to it.
>Though you don't think she can feel through it, Orchid breathes deep as she realizes your intention.
>She and the cameras track your every move.
>The crowd goes active again, murmuring as you hoist yourself up and scale the nose of the monsterhorse.
>Probably yet another kaiju-related activity no one else alive has done before.
>You will probably end up with your own chapter in the history books if you keep doing this job.
>Hopefully it won't be titled, "That Daring Idiot Who Got Killed By The Last Kaiju."
>It was slow going but the wet plate over her nose didn't exactly grant that much traction.
>Every time you glance to the side you get a face full of cobalt blue.
>You make your climb without squishing the bag of chips too badly.
>Now on top of her nose, you take a moment to compose yourself.
>You stand up, looking this way and that.
>Cameras strobe at you, catching every second.
>You glance down at the ground, following it up along Orchid's face.
>Her cheeks are flushed blue again, the dull glow almost unnoticeable in the sunlight if not for the shadow on one side.
>You hold the bag up triumphantly and some of the crowd cheers, though you are already planning the next move.
"Orchid.
>She hums questioningly, lips pursed to keep herself from getting a mouth full of sand.
"Up."
>She goes cross-eyed, staring at you intensely.
>She doesn't even need to say it.
"Yes, I'm sure."
>She blinks audibly once.
>A second time.
>A sigh billows out below you and she slowly begins to move.
>She shifts her position, rising up with a series of booms as she digs her hooves into the sand underneath herself.
>G-forces swiftly try to pull you down, but she moves as gingerly as she can.
>The agonizing slowness gives you plenty of time to watch the ground sink away from you.
>The air rushes by while you try to stay still.
>Your perch jostles a little as she stands.
>It seems to take an eternity, giving you an ever larger aerial view.
>You try to focus on something else other than your increasing sense of vertigo.
>Now that you look at it, the plate stopped before the end of her nose.
>It was always there but not something that you looked at too closely.
>As everything comes to a stop and then gasps and crowded voices become distant, you fix your gaze on that uncovered tip of her snout.
>You look behind yourself to the massive wall of blue blinking at you.
>A monstrous eyebrow raises questioningly.
>All the permission you need, you suppose.
>You can trust her.
>Probably.
>You shuffle forwards towards the end of her nose, trying to focus on the armor plate rather than the blistering white sand a forever distance below you on the peripherals.
>You hesitantly tap a foot down on the vacant spot.
>A squeak comes from below you and her muzzle twitches under your feet.
>You ride out the motions easily enough.
>Past the nostrils, her tongue sticks out.
>Convenient.
>You open the bag in your hands with a loud pop.
>Your platform flinches, eyes shutting tight and muscles tightening underneath you.
>You lean forward ever so slightly, bag of chips at the ready.
>A look past your arm let's you see the full extent of the crowd.
>It is deep.
>It is wide.
>You do not know how many people there are.
>You are not sure you want to know.
>You can spot a few police keeping people from getting through the yellow tape here and there.
>There are a lot of them, and as your realization of just how high up you are starts to strike, they are far away.
>You can feel yourself teeter unsteadily.
>Blue creeps over the armored plate like a rising curtain as Orchid reopens her eyes.
>And yet you cannot look away.
>You have never been scrutinized by so many people at one time.
>How many cameras were in that crowd?
>The tip of the tongue twitches uncertainly, breaking you from your trance.
>It retracts back in and the jaw works below you.
>"Um... are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine."
>You can do this, though she doesn't sound so convinced.
>"I'll just put you back down and-"
>You lift your foot and stomp back down on the tip of her snout.
>The kaiju makes a little noise of surprise and the tongue shoots back out again.
>You reach just a little further, trying to make sure that the snack lands squarely where it needs to.
>With a hasty shake more akin to desperation, the chip flakes fall onto the awaiting tongue in a heap.
>They disappear into the mouth and you are left trying to keep yourself steady as she swishes the food around.
>Orchid gives an appreciative "Mmm" and the moment ends with a swallow.
>You raise the empty bag skywards in dramatic fashion.
"Done!"
>Honestly you said it more for yourself than anything else but the crowd seems to think it's all part of the act.
>For a moment you feel awesome as you hear the exclamations of the viewers.
>Then you look down again and freeze up.
>You need to get back to terra firma.
"Okay, Orchid, time to go back down."
>Silence.
"Orchid?"
>You turn around, glancing from one eye to the other.
>They look a little dilated.
>When your hand at her they seem to only grow wider.
>You tap her nose on the side a couple of times and she snaps to with a snort.
"Can you put me down?"
>"Oh, yeah. Sure."
>Slowly, she sinks back down, eyes trained on you to make sure you aren't being thrown off.
>A short time later, you hop off to the excited flash of cameras and go rooting through the second cooler, trying to ignore the bevy of questions coming from across the police line.
>You're really not sure you want to get caught in some kind of press frenzy just yet.
>You have all weekend to deal with that.
>For now, getting Orchid acclimated to the attention might be better.
>You called her over towards the beach face and spread your arms out wide.
"Hey, Orchid, come here!"
>The kaiju slowly closed the distance, watching her step.
>"Yes?"
"You know what I see, Orchid?"
>She looked to where you were gesturing, a desolate, wet piece of sand, and then further out.
>"Boats?"
"No, I mean this part of beach."
>She cocked her head quizzically.
>"Um..."
"The perfect place for a sand castle."
>She squinted at the ground, trying to discern what magical properties it might hold.
"Not too wet, not too dry."
>You hold the bucket up.
>Finally, you were able to teach her the joys of childish beach activities.
>After she insisted on one more "chip castle."
>She was still sorry to see the perfectly nice bucket get filled with sand instead of snacks.
>It was worth it seeing her amazement when you first demonstrated your expertise.
>"How do you know-"
>You scooped the bucket into the sand, filling it up.
"Sit down and I'll show you."
>In one smooth motion you planted the bucket upside down and then lifted it to reveal a perfect and elegant sand castle, courtesy of the bucket's mold.
>Then Orchid sat down.
>You jumped, despite yourself, but no harm done.
>Your creation was not so lucky.
>The castle crumbled and collapsed slumping to the side into a heap.
>"Oops."
>In the time it took her to apologize, you had two more done.
>"I am so s-"
>The newly risen kingdom was bathed in blue as she leaned closer.
>"Wow."
"Want me to make you one?"
>"Yes, please."
>You got up, wiping a bit of loose sand from your pants, and made one more that was a little closer to her.
>She lay on her stomach, examining the structure while you got to work on your own.
>It looked more like she was a dragon sizing up a target.
>Your work was interrupted as you molded a wall.
>"Hey, think I can make one?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
>You briefly looked up to see a hoof scraping out a large chunk of sand, leaving a huge hole in the beach the size of a sinkhole.
>It scooped it out like a steam shovel, dumping the earth in a large pile a short ways away,
>You ignored her stomping around to continue building your sand kingdom.
>What a glorious design it was.
>Simple, sturdy, and with thick walls to take a beating and defend itself from the waves.
"Are you done, yet?"
>"Almost," she said amidst a rhythmic thumping.
"Well you better hurry!"
>"Why?"
"There's an evil castle!"
>"Huh, where?"
>You pointed to Orchid's old sand castle, now abandoned.
"Right there! It'll destroy your walls and invade!"
>"I think I'm okay."
"But there's sand wars, you have to..."
>You saw the kaiju's castle.
>It was at least ten times the size of yours.
>You gazed up to a set of walls six feet high on all sides, leading to a ten-foot tall tower that overlooked the beach.
>She pushed the tip of a hoof into one side of the wall to make an opening and carefully set about trying to smooth it over.
"Sand wars!"
>You tossed a blob of sand, smashing apart a tiny corner of the mighty fortress.
>She looked at it, then to you.
>You pointed at her old castle.
"Told you they were evil."
>”Sand wars!”
>A hoof came crashing down, pressing hard enough to make a distinct crater.
>It was more like swatting a bug on a wall.
>Your back hits the sand while a puff of air chills your skin and blasts you with loose particles.
>The broken castle, along with a chunk of the beach, splats over in a hail of sand grains.
>Jarred, you lay on your back for a moment.
>The packed earth did not absorb the sound as well as you would hope.
>You hear a distant outcry that you're a little too distracted to acknowledge.
>Your eyes sting and through your rapid blinking you get glimpses of the hoof rising back up, chunks of the beach falling off.
>You manage to shake a lot of it loose and wipe most of your face when thumps echo through the ground.
>Orchid leans into view, shifting the lighting as she looks you up and down.
>Her antennae are focused squarely on you, the little petals opened wide.
>Lit stands of her mane drape down, tangles and snares creating an alien, starry sky.
>The jaws open wider.
>You knew it!
>Destroying something has switched on some forgotten piece of her kaiju heritage.
>She has succumbed to her monster instincts and now wants to finish off her stunned prey.
>What comes out is not a roar but a cry.
>"I'm so sorry! Please be okay!"
>So much for that.
>You feebly raise a hand.
"Orchid."
>The monsterhorse stares, bleary-eyed.
>"Y-yes?"
"I... I..."
>You sneezed. clearing your nose just a little.
"I need water."
>The aquatic creature glances towards the ocean.
>She better not be thinking of trying to toss you into the sea.
"No, no, get the cooler."
>You blow raspberries, trying to get the sand out of your mouth.
>Orchid poorly suppresses a grin.
>"Got it," she says and sets off.
>You were left trying to clear your nose of unwelcome sand.
>Within a few seconds she has pushed one of the coolers towards you with a hoof.
>You squint at it, trying not to rub the sand into your eye.
>You reach into the container and manage to retrieve a bottle of water.
>You begin to wash your eye out while Orchid trundles off.
>"Do you need the other one, too?" she asks.
>Your vision starts to clear up and you blink away the lingering sensation.
"No, no, I think I'm good."
>You turn your head around to the side to find the monsterhorse in question
>She is facing away from you, a lifted and ready hoof planting back down onto the beach.
>You continue to blink, noticing something about her back end.
>Something off color with the rest of her.
"Orchid. Hey!"
>She swivels an ear your direction.
"There's something stuck in your tail."
>The monsterhorse gasps and whirls around, craning her neck to see.
>The massive, sweeping tail swishes from side to side, while she searches its hairs.
>After the third swish, a small bundle of hairs stop moving, hanging mid-swing at the furthest part of the arc.
>Her eyes scan along to the little silvery thing glinting in the light.
>The tail untangles itself, freeing the captive, which drops down.
>The beach quakes with her tread as she turns around fully to examine it.
>As soon as she set her electric blue sights on it, she gasped.
>You catch up to the kaiju, looking down at the mystery object.
"It's a fish alright."
>"Oh no, poor little fishy!"
"Must have gotten tangled in your tail earlier."
>The kaiju, on the other hand, looks frightened.
>"Do we throw it back?"
"Looks dead to me."
>"What do we do?!"
>You shrug.
"You could just, you know, eat it?"
>Her look of horror was your only answer.
"You eat fish all the time."
>"I only eat scientifically appointed meals."
"And chips."
>She blinks as if this never occurred to her.
"It's a fish, you'll be fine, just wash it off first and get that sand off of it."
>"I... I guess."
>Fiberoptic strands lower down from the lengthy tail, gently wrapping around the fish.
>She steps out into the ocean, wading with ease.
>The lapping waves don't even cover the tops of her hooves before she stops.
>The tail dunks the fish in the water, waits for a second, and then brings it up in front of her face.
>She sniffs at it cautiously as if giving it one last chance to reanimate.
>Nothing forthcoming, she narrows her eyes.
>The strands lurch into her mouth and whip back out a second later with an empty grasp.
>She swallows and goes silent, thinking for a moment.
>Orchid must be taking this harder than you thought.
>You approach the shoreline yourself.
"Sweetie, it was just a little fish."
>The towering monsterhorse looked more than a little sad as she rotates in place to face you.
>"I'm not supposed to kill anything."
"Let's uh, let's go swimming."
>The kaiju is silent as she continues to contemplate fish-based morality.
>You retreat to the cooler and return with another bag.
"So, swimming, huh?"
>No response.
"And look, I have chips, too~"
>You noisily crinkle the bag and the kaiju straightens up after her ear flicks your direction.
>She smiles from the water.
>"O-okay. Swimming, and chips, yeah."
>Orchid takes a couple of steps back, sinking lower into the waves with every lengthy stride.
>She's going to need to get a lot deeper than that if she wants to actually swim.
>You approach the kaiju while she waits, long legs reaching down under the surface like an oil derrick.
>The buoys that mark the patrolled cordon is pretty far away.
>It isn't long before you run out of bottom, treading water while the sea barely even reaches past her hooves.
>The normally clear water becomes cloudy from her tread, churning the underwater sand.
>The water reaches past her fetlock now when your massive escort stops and sits back on her haunches.
>Orchid remains there, content to keep an eye on you.
>You swim up to her, watching her pupils dilate more and more until they seem to take up most of her eye.
>She lifts a hoof to move her leg out of the way and you only swim closer.
>The limb halts uncertainly on your approach, just peeking through the surface of the water
>You've approached her in the water before.
>And yet still she seems more than a little hesitant after the first time.
>Couldn't be the obnoxious slap of the bag of chips every time you try to swim with it in your offhand.
>The little bag is more difficult to work with than it looks.
>She seems caught between laughing at you or pitying you.
>You only speed up under her confused expression.
>You continue your awkward swim strokes.
>Each reach of your arm floats you over the murky water, clouded with dust.
>Please no sharks.
>When you get within a short enough distance, she hums thoughtfully and her partially lifted hoof moves again.
>It pivots around, facing its bottom to the sky.
>It rises just a little more with slow, cautious movement.
>"Um... need a seat?"
>You touch the edge of her partially submerged hoof and hoist yourself onto the proffered ledge.
>Spinning around, you plop down.
>Orchid inhales and holds her breath, staring at you sitting on her hoof.
"Thanks for waiting up."
>"N-no problem."
>The rim of the hoof is like sitting on a concrete dock.
>It feels solid.
>Extremely solid.
>Pieces of sand have ingrained themselves into the cracks of her hard hoof.
>You're almost disappointed to not see any sea life stuck to her.
>What water you drip drains towards the center into the pond that has formed over the core of the hoof.
>The gap there is a few feet deep itself.
>Now that you look around, it is a strange angle.
>Inside the Den enclosure the water is still deeper than this
>She is towering overhead, craning her neck to look this far down.
>The kaiju keeps herself distant, not daring to move closer and examine you.
>She looks away to the crowd of ships in the distance.
>Looks like the patrols are keep everyone out like they should though a few boats are sitting by the buoys.
>The stretch of restricted water is far larger than how much beach property you were given.
>This is a rare opportunity for her to be out like this.
>You wonder how deep it gets.
>You lean down to the water just below your dangling feet.
>Your companion shifts her head a little to the side, trying to see what you were looking at.
>You can almost hear her trying to bend over.
>The sand is still clouding the water, making it seem as though Orchid just disappears below the surface.
>Probably not deep enough for her to submerge all the way.
>What to do?
>Your view meanders around.
>Orchid remains quiet, watching the boats in the distance.
>It's kind of peaceful.
>The waves washing against the kaiju.
>The bag in your hand, just sitting there and enjoying the day.
>You suddenly sit up.
"I know!"
>She jolts, a shockwave of muscle movement rippling to the hoof.
>You rock backwards before you can catch yourself.
>You pitch over and into the ocean.
>Your feet touch the ground to a second quake that shakes the aquatic world.
>The water rolls back and forth around you.
>You right yourself, finding the bottom shallower than it should be.
>You surface just as quickly take stock of where you are.
>In fact, all you had to do was stand up.
>You see down, at first.
>This is not the ocean.
>The water isn't cloudy, allowing you to see straight through to the strange, gray ground.
>It is pliable beneath your feet.
>Your view travels upwards to a steely looking ledge.
>You're in the pool of water that lingers in her hoof.
>Orchid has that mystified look across her face again.
>A dull, blue coloration flushes across her cheeks.
"Oh."
>Better than the ocean, you guess.
>You check around yourself again.
>It's a little odd looking now that you actually have daylight to study it.
>You are pretty sure horse hooves are not usually this smooth.
>The flesh underneath feels warm to your feet.
>The back is solid and tall enough for you to sit back against.
>All in all, the little space reminds you of one of those little hot tubs that are just above a swimming pool.
>Sure you've touched it before, but standing in it is a little new.
>Above you, Orchid's lips are pursed tight.
>Maybe you could milk this for a short while.
>You need to kill time while you think of what to do next.
>Not to mention a little rest from swimming this far out might be nice.
"Mind if I stay here for a minute?"
>"Uh, um, I-"
>You sit down and put your back up against the inside of the hoof's wall.
>It's just as hard as the outer edge.
>The rear of the wall meets up with a structure that protrudes a little ways into the center dip of the sole.
>For horse anatomy, it would be called the frog.
>You are more on the side with a perfect view of the monstrous creature your seat belongs to.
>You finish it off with a relaxed sigh.
"This is nice."
>Orchid's jaw is partially open in disbelief.
>In all likelihood, no one's ever done this either.
>This weekend will certainly have more than a few firsts.
>You idly run a hand along to the squishy sole, running a hand along it.
>The kaiju horse swallows nervously, but finally manages to speak.
>Her voice is a hushed, wistful whisper.
>At least as hushed as a giant monster can be.
>"Um, about that fish, earlier."
"What about it?"
>"Why was it better than the ones from the Den?"
"Fresher, I guess."
>You stand up.
>"I liked it."
"Ooookay."
>Need a little more space.
>If you just doomed yourself by showing her that she can hunt for food...
"Was it better than chips?"
>"No."
>You raise the bag up and wave it at her.
"Then here, take it away."
>The huge, seahorse face nodded eagerly.
>Good, anything to get her mind off of hunting prey.
>Your chip hand brings the bag back to your lounging offhand.
>You opened the bag with a satisfying pop.
>Might as well have been a dinner bell.
>The crinkling bag did nothing to hide the sound of Orchid licking her chops.
>Breakfast was not that long ago but the trip to even get you to the beach and the sandcastles had brought you to late morning.
>You coughed loudly.
>The tongue froze, poking out from the side of her mouth.
“Gonna give me a lift?”
>It noisily sucked back inside and she hummed an affirmative.
>You took a long intake of breath as your platform went into motion.
>You sink into the space between the solid hoof wall and the softer sole a little ways as momentum and vertigo push you.
>You looked across to the torso body rather than up at the blue lights.
>Your ride sailed up past her chest, along the curve of the neck where her mane stirred with every little breeze.
>The motions of a kaiju up close were something very different from a jaeger.
>Just under the skin You could make out the movement of large muscles
>Orchid breathed deeply with an underlying tinge of nervous anticipation.
>Her leg flexed underneath you and her hoof eagerly climbed upwards.
>Your personal elevator had a smooth, organic movement.
>It was also much, much faster.
>Besides the rim you had your back to, it was without any kind of wall to prevent you from falling over.
>The water in the hoof sloshed around you, stirring grains of sand captured in the hoof to run across your submerged legs.
>A growing sensation of static electricity tugged at your hair as you neared.
>It was an alien sort of feeling when mixed with the light breeze from the sea
>Your ride stops just in front of the crease of her muzzle and the pool of water continues to shift wave back and forth.
>You look to the sight before you.
>She lingers just beyond the edge of the hoof.
>The jaws open to car-crunching teeth.
>The morning sun's light transitions to cobalt blue the further in you go.
>Saliva glistens in the bioluminescence, highlighting the teeth in the dark.
>Every breath she takes in come back with a fishy odor
>The tongue impatiently quivers, the closest part uncovered by the sunlight.
>It was like a giant sea slug trying to hide in a cave.
>The entire scenario would give one nightmares.
>Though, it doesn't.
>You stopped having those a while ago.
>Instead, your first thought is that it wasn't as wide open as you've seen it before.
>In all honesty you think the horror was becoming routine.
>Maybe this was similar to divers who had to take care of shark tanks.
>You make your way forward regardless, snack bag locked tight in your grasp.
>With each wading step across the core of the hoof, Orchid reacts.
>Above you, the nose crinkles.
>The uvula hitches in a gasp and holds it.
>The tongue flinches back.
>You stop at the edge of the frog.
>The large structure looks a little worn in a couple of places.
>Probably due to her fidgeting habit inside the Den.
>You haven't finished looking it over when the kaiju takes her own action.
>Your sense of balance begins to alter.
>The hoof slowly tilts down towards her face.
>You throw yourself backwards before the sand even begins to shift under you.
"Wait, wait, stop!"
>Your feet scrabbled over sand against the soft sole when she stops.
>Two apologetic blue orbs look you over.
>"S-sorry, you looked stuck."
>Of course she says that after you slip and nearly take another dip in the hoof pool.
>You counter-lean as the ground underneath you levels out.
>The disappointment doesn't leave your expression.
>Her antennae droop far enough to reach just a little past her brow.
"Just-just give me a warning next time."
>"I will."
>Will she?
>You cross your arms and raise an eyebrow.
>The kaiju purses her lips and looks away.
>Probably the best you're going to get right now.
"So, about that chip..."
>The kaiju refocuses on you, the quick motion of her head rocking the hoof a little.
>"Yes, please."
>She brings her face right up to the edge again while you gingerly step closer.
>A wet noise makes you look up to the kaiju's mouth open once again.
>You pull a chip out like it was a live grenade.
>You try to get just the right angle and toss.
>You scramble over the frog towards the back of the hoof where she continues to wait.
>"Tha' 'ou."
"You're welcome."
>"Naam-ghk," she made a startled, choked noise.
>Orchid froze though you feel faint reverberations of her leg muscles tightening.
>Her face screwed up.
>The antennae pointed outwards like old TV antennas.
"What's wrong?"
>You tried one yourself while Orchid is stunned.
>It was an explosion of taste.
>And that taste was salt.
>So much salt.
>Salt!
>You checked the bag.
>Kettle Chips: Just Salt
>Of all the flavors you grabbed this one
"Who thought this was a good idea?"
>Orchid slowly blinks.
>Seconds tick by.
>Her pupils dilate and a creeping dread starts to take over.
>Kaiju aren't allergic to salt, are they?
>Is that even an issue for something this big?
>You wonder if you'd survive a fall from this height if something goes wrong.
>Not seeing any visible signs of her choking. you clear your throat.
“I’ll just toss it; these aren’t any good.“
>You take a step across the thick frog of the hoof and onto the edge of the pond.
>The ocean breeze has changed direction.
>The monsterhorse snaps out of her trance, a deep breath giving you pause as your foot nearly wades into the pool of water.
>"No, wait, I like it!"
>You turn uncertainly.
>Electric blue lights in your face and a big, glowing smile underneath them.
>The kaijupone starts swishing it around in her mouth and enjoying the morsel.
>Nope, doesn't look like she's dying of salt allergy.
"You do?"
>"Yeah!"
>You're not entirely sure what to make of that.
"It's the same as the salt and vinegar, but more bland."
>"It's different. It has more salt."
"And... you like that more?"
>The creature thinks it over for a moment.
>"A little."
>The cobalt blue eyes snap to your face.
>"Oh, um, but they're both really good."
>You are not so sure about her taste in food.
>"Can I have another?"
"Well there are a lot of different flavors out there."
>Her eyes widen further and her jaw drops open against the edge of her hoof.
>"There are?!"
>From this close up, her voice washes over you like a wave.
>Your hands fly to your ears in a desperate attempt to cram the snack bag into your ear canal.
>It is too late, however.
>The dull crunching of the bag is distant.
>The damage was done and you motion to Orchid, who looks more than a little apologetic.
>"I'm sorry," she whispers about as loudly as you were calling inside an echoey cave.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
=======================Old Version Notes===============================
 
>The modest boat rocks back and forth
>"Be careful, we have never let her out like this before."
"What are you talking about? She's been to the beach before."
>"No, she never got to reach the beach. The jaegers always stopped her before that during trials and
>"It's two days, buddy. She's never spent the whole night out."
>"The jaeger pilots are just dying to be big heroes and save the day from a kaiju; please don't give them an excuse."
 
 
>"Proceed straight for the beach,
>"We have buoys marking where civilians can't go."
"Is that really going to be enough?"
 
>"We're swimming again!"
 
>You use the natural lighting to study the solid structure across her nose.
>Your thick gloves give you a very limited feeling for the armor.
>The armor nose plate’s texture was similar to the hooves, if not the same.
>The plates feel extremely solid, though you can’t glean much else through the neoprene suit.
 
>Shimmering. caustic light dances across her back to be outshone by the piercing design on her flank.
>She surfaces and tosses her mane back.
>Far too reminiscent of a mermaid for your tastes.
 
>Her voice is a series of gurgles.
"I can't understand you."
>She coughs and sputters gallons upon gallons of water from her lungs.
 
 
 
>"Y-y-y-you... you're... you're on my back."
"Onwards, waterhorse!"
 
 
 
>"I can't swim here. Too shallow."
"That's fine, I can. Just stand there for a minute."
>Blue glow.
>You turn to see her head upside down, peeking between her forelegs.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
>"On vacation."
"Yep."
>"Do we go back in the water?"
"Nervous?"
>"I thought that was what you were supposed to do for vacation."
"We can do other things."
>"Other things?" she asked slowly.
"Sure we can."
>"We can play with a boat?"
"You don't want to do anything on land?"
>"I don't feel like fighting jaegers."
"What?"
>"It's what I do when on land."
>She pressed herself closer to you.
>"What do you do on land?"
 
>Her head hung above the water, following your movement like a bear watching a salmon in a stream.
>She watches with interest as you move in a slow arc.
 
 
"Any questions?"
>"Can it do tricks?"
>Orchid shied away a little.
>"A few," she admitted.
"That's right! Behold!"
>"What?"
"Orchid, take me up."
>She joined the rest of the crowd with a confused "What?"
"Just stand taller and let me j
>Her eyes are wide in surprise.
>Fear?
>You're too close up to really see the rest of her expression.
"Diving board!"
 
 
 
>The texture is something else.
>Rough with dinks and marks from unknown activities keep the extremely dense material it from being as smooth as it looks at first glance.
>Come to think of it, you know very little about this part of her anatomy.
>Does it regenerate?
>Regrow?
>Shed?
>You wonder what kind of force this could withstand.
>You reach towards the edge and scratch along the crevice where it meets with the rest of the body.
>A stifled groan steals your fascination away.
>She's breathing faster.
>She's watching in cowed silence.
>
 
 
 
>Her body arches overhead, a few very loud pops of joints and whatever passes for cartilage.
>Her back sinks low, carelessly brushing aside a few chunks of
>Cat-like kaiju stretch complete.
 
 
>Charity carwash
>"Sir, I do not care who you are, I will not put my kids in danger."
 
"Orchid!"
>Seeing the giant creature snap to attention was a little more refreshing than it probably should have been.
"Come here."
>"What are you about to do?"
"Behold, I am touching the kaiju!"
>"And I'm, touching you!"
"Orchid, wai-"
>"Boop!"
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
>"Lunch time!"
 
"Hey Jack."
>"Look what I can do! It's like a puppet!"
>"You probably shouldn't let her do that. We're already smaller than those Lego toy people."
>"Hi honey!"
 
>A mild tang and a zap of flavor.
"Orchid? You okay?"
>She stared harder than ever.
>"W-w-we're sharing the same bag of chips."
>"I want to hold you."
>"Hold me."
"Wha-oof."
>The side of her snout slammed into you like a truck.
 
"Make sure you are here at midnight."
 
 
----party scene-----
 
"Oh no."
>"Wow."
>She is awestruck.
>"It's so pretty!"
 
 
 
>The DJ threw his arms up.
>"Now everybody make some noise!"
>Without dropping the microphone, he looked past the trees and screamed for all he was worth.
>"Aaaaaaaaah!"
>The crowd, of course, yells back enthusiastically until he points.
 
 
 
>The strobing blue lights aggravate your vision.
"Orchid, let's leave."
>No response.
"Orchid?"
>Her tail and hair lights are strobing in a mimicry of the flashing lights around you.
 
 
 
 
 
"What did you do, Jack?"
>"I paid him a hundred.
 
 
 
>This party was exhausting, even when you weren't doing much.
>You wanted to relax.
>But the imaginary imagery of her making a misstep and crushing someone...
>People were giving her a pretty big space, but if anyone got closer.
 
 
 
-----Nap time-----
 
>"I want to hold you."
 
 
 
beach side aquarium for her fish tank dialogue
 
 
 
 
 
 
“I’ve never seen her antennas do anything until tonight.”
>"What did they do?"
"They closed up when she went to sleep."
>”Photoperiodism.”
“What?”
“>It's called photoperiodism. Sleep cycles.”
 
>On the screen, the tiny kaiju danced on the keyboard>The modest boat rocks back and forth
>"Be careful, we have never let her out like this before."
>"It's two days, buddy. She's never spent the whole night out."
>"The jaeger pilots are just dying to be big heroes and save the day from a kaiju; please don't give them an excuse."
 
 
 
 
>Shimmering. caustic light dances across her back to be outshone by the piercing design on her flank.
 
 
>"On vacation."
"Yep."
>"Do we go back in the water?"
"Nervous?"
>"I thought that was what you were supposed to do for vacation."
"We can do other things."
>"Other things?" she asked slowly.
>"We can go play with a boat?"
"You don't want to do anything on land?"
>"I don't feel like fighting jaegers."
"What?"
>"It's what I do when on land."
>She pressed herself closer to you.
>"What do you do on land?"
 
>Her head hung above the water, following your movement like a bear watching a salmon in a stream.
>She watches with interest as you move in a slow arc.
 
 
"Any questions?"
>"Can it do tricks?"
>Orchid shied away a little.
>"A few," she admitted.
"That's right! Behold!"
>"What?"
"Orchid, take me up."
>She joined the rest of the crowd with a confused "What?"
"Just stand taller and let me j
>Her eyes are wide in surprise.
>Fear?
>You're too close up to really see the rest of her expression.
"Diving board!"
 
 
>Her body arches overhead, a few very loud pops of joints and whatever passes for cartilage.
>Her back sinks low, carelessly brushing aside a few chunks of
>Cat-like kaiju stretch complete.
 
 
>Charity carwash
>"Sir, I do not care who you are, I will not put my kids in danger."
 
"Orchid!"
>Seeing the giant creature snap to attention was a little more refreshing than it probably should have been.
"Come here."
>"What are you about to do?"
>You approached Orchid.
>The crowd looked increasingly nervous with every step you took.
>So did the kaiju.
>There was only one way to prove it.
"Behold, I am touching the kaiju!"
>"And I'm, touching you!"
>Oh no.
"Orchid, wai-"
>"Boop!"
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
>"I paid him a hundred.
 
 
 
“I’ve never seen her antennas do anything until tonight.”
>"What did they do?"
"They closed up when she went to sleep."
>”Photoperiodism.”
“What?”
“>It's called photoperiodism. Sleep cycles.”
 
>On the screen, the tiny kaiju danced on the keyboard
 
"How come you're in here now?"
>"I'm not leaving you alone with my daughter, bud."
>You're not sure if you should mention
 
>"She gets a little destructive sometimes."
>Orchid leaned over to see the screen.
>"Daaaaddy!" the kaiju whined.
>The next clip that scrolled by showed her chomping down on his shoelaces.
>A hand enters the view to try and pry her off.
>She merely switches to his fingers and continues teething.