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Fireworks underwater was a challenge that Tamaya was intent on accepting, if someone was going to say it out loud. Did the Aquatics have fireworks of their own invention? Was he going to get to see them??? Oh man, stealing his brother's charm and getting here was all the worth it.

A whistle, was it? Tamaya knew that sound quite well from the crowds that'd gather to watch his family perform, and naturally it attracted his attention and his motions. Carefully stepping his way over, he couldn't help but grin. Someone was being shy and there was no room for shyness at matsuri!

Tamaya drew closer, clearly amused. He'd always liked how ghoulie tails seemed to have minds of their own and this one was quite spirited. Wasn't the whole point of fun like this to be out and about showing off, not strangling one's own appendages for....random reasons? The hybrid grinned even more as he spotted the unlikely duo, and he whistled back. "Com'on. Yer missin' the show."

"Yer Meep?" The hybrid raised an eyebrow and narrowed the other eye before he simply shrugged. "Well, m'name's Tamaya. Come on Meep, we gotta go an' talk to that pretty mare 'bout this place."

".....the heck?" That was ridiculously weird but it still brought a grin to the hybrid's face. The skittish ghoulie reminded him of one of his cousins, a certain little one who was shy but still adorable. There were all kinds of ponies it seemed and Tamaya liked the interactions. He was a showman, after all, even if it wasn't in the way most people thought. "Anyways." He moved on towards the main booth, stopping to look at the lovely Mer from before. "So! Y'all got fireworks here?"

Tamaya's face lit up in a way you'd expect on a foal, not a stallion, and his cheeks flushed bright rd with delight. "R..really?! They'll go off underwater?!" He had to stop himself from placing his front paws on the counter top, the excitement overflowing. "How'd y'all manage that? That's so amazin'!!! Yer so amazin'!!"

"!!!! Really!! I'd be mighty obligated to ya if'n you could point me in that direction! I don't wanna take up mor'a yer time than needed!" This was the Best. Matsuri. Ever. Underwater fireworks?! If he could learn more about that then there was no stopping him from finding ways to make the Sumida clan's performances even bettr. That is, of course, if they were happy to share the secrets. Despite his apparent lack of restraint he still understood some people kept things secret and that needed to be respected.

"Eeeh, aite!" Happily the hybrid wrote his number down, making sure to also slide a business card in with it. "I'm always happy ta meet more fireworks folks, an' I can't wait to see the show." Tamaya bowed politely, still somewhat shaking with excitement. Fireworks!! Underwater!! He wished he'd brought Hanabi, but considering this wasn't even his invite...

Oh heck, maybe Tamaya needed to see what the big deal was with all of the geodes and pearls. Seemed fun enough?

Of course, as soon as he looked he heard a rustling. "??? Sommin; there?" Being naturally curious, on account of noise means something fun, Tamaya moved towards the rustling to see if the pony from before was trapped again. Instead he happened to see a bird, and he ooo'd.

Tamaya held up the geode he;d been cracking. "You wanna see more?"

"Oh, mighty nice bird ya got there. Looks like ya made off!" It was a compliment, for sure, and Tamaya grinned as he laid into another geode. He needed to figure out what the point of all of this was before he went into the water.

Tamaya had to snort at the interaction. "Havin' issues already?" The tease was gentle, fun, and he wondered where exactly Ocean Heart had wandered off to. Weren't they right next to him just a moment ago?

"Feisty an' mean are two entirely differen' things though. Ya wanna sit there an' be pecked for nothin'?"

If Tamaya was meant to understand the offense he'd given a bird it, well, went entirely over his head. "It is a might beautiful. I'm a big fan'a bright things m'self, seein' as it's all the business my family does." He went at another geode, cracking them effortlessly.

Tamaya paused in his work and raised an eyebrow "Ya dunno? Well I guess most folks see the work an' not the ponies doin' it." The hybrid grinned, showing off sharp and white teeth. "My family's the Sumida clan. We're firework folks!"

"Oh, this mean ya heard'a the Sumida? We travel lots and put on many shows, on account'a havin' tons of branches." Tamaya was from the main family branch and he puffed up a little, quite proud of everything his clan had accomplished. They put blood, sweat (sometimes magic) and lots of tears into their craft. "I've been tryin' ta figure out how to make a brighter an' longer lastin' jelly firework. Comin' here has given me some inspiration, for sure."

"I never gave it so no worries. M'Tamaya, of the Sumida." He paused from cracking geodes to hold out a paw, ready to shake. His paw was scared and covered in old burns long healed over; it was the proud paw of a crafter. And, wait - was that?! "Prisma?!"


"Hey cutie. I'm here on account'a I stole my brother's invite. What brings you in, other than the hunt?" Tamaya adored his baby cousin, and he grinned at her before looking back at the other stallion. "Ragnar, eh? Sounds like a name you want to hear people say with fear!"

"I'm kinda surprised yer folks letcha out on yer own. They're so protective." Tamaya made a face, thinking about his aunt and uncle. Seriously, overprotective.

"And a gig, yeah? Maybe we should add some music to our shows, though I'm feelin' m'gramps would rather chew stone himself than let it happen." He sighed and cracked another geode, looking at the stallion. "Also Prisma, don't steal."

"I told ya b'fore, I got lots of cousins. The branches are huge after all, an' these kitsune tails ain't jus' for show." At the mention of his tails, Tamaya spread them out. An orb was tucked between two of them, carefully carried without so much as an issue.

"Why the heck am I gettin' so many duds? Prisma, didja come over an' steal my luck or what?"
Tamaya grinned at the duo. He loved teasing Prisma and he liked how Ragnar seemed easily entertained. These were good folk.

He also couldn't argue about Prisma's orb. "Yeah, it is. Ya got the stunnin' one for sure."

"Depends on what kinda shape yer talkin' bout. Looks like when we get back it's time for a crash course on the types again." Tamaya looked at Prsima in a super serious mode. Knowing fireworks was like being able to breathe - he wasn't gonna leave her gasping.

"Hey pal, ya should come to our home sometime an' see 'em for yourself. We don't really do tours or nothin', but if yer a guest then it's all good." Tamaya winked and broke open another geode, adding to his large pile. It was a good thing they turned these in or else how the heck would he get them home? "Ya gotta be careful though or they'll never let you leave."

"No I mean they won't let you leave. It's not a good thing."

"Sirens, nah. More like ya'd be roped into helpin' for the next show. You'd get paid mighty nice but you'd never get to leave."

"Prisma, no. You can't do that."

"Cause he's gonna be there as my guest, not yours. Ya know I don't like sharin'!" There was the tease again, and Tamaya winked at his little cousin. "Plus look at'em. Auntie and Uncle would have a stroke if sommin' like him walked in sayin' he knew ya."

"...ya doin' okay over there? Why suddenly clamin' up?" Tamaya was absolute garbage at reading the air or mood when it came to people, but he was a natural at actual weather. "An' lookie there, yer birdie is already givin' ya kisses. I'm jealous." Tamaya had no idea why he was being looked at. "What?"

Tamaya stared down Ragnar like he'd just slapped him. "What."
"What are you even sayin' Prisma. What are ya both goin' on about?" Tamaya turned fifteen shades of red, which was quite an accomplishment. The geode that Tamaya had been working between his two paws almost shattered into pure dust with how hard Tamaya cracked it. He was redder than a firework, for sure, from the tips of his tails to the tips of his ears. "D...don't go...teasin' me."

Tamaya was still fifteen shades of red. What was going on?! What did he miss??? The touch on his shoulder had him shivering, and he looked at Ragnar with his face about to burst into flames. "Y...ya still wanna come over...?" Prisma's needling was making it worse too. Someone so vibrant as Tamaya, waylaid by emotions?! Oh no! "Don't go teasin' me."

Tamaya was instantly suspicious. "Inspired by what? I know my lil cousin is adorable, but she ain't exactly modelin' material." This time, for sure, the geode had to have exploded in Tamaya's paws. He was used to compliments on his fireworks, never himself. Most folk often told him he was obnoxious, really, and maybe he was just subdued right now. Probably. "M'not the inspiring type."

Prisma got a 'don't you dare leave me you traitor!!' glance from her older cousin, and he tossed aside the crumbled geode. At least when the conversation turned to his paws he could do that. "Comes from lots'a practice loadin' the firework tubes, an' crushin' powders. Ya gotta be able to crack nuts with just yer paws if ya wanna be good at stuff."


"Hmm, zzat so? I've always jus' had my paws so I've never given much thought to tryin' other ways." The stallion reached over and tapped Ragnar's hoof with the tip of his claw. "I bet ya'd be really good at stompin' down the ground in the areas we perform. Sometimes we all jus' give up an' dig like dogs, haha."

Tamaya dropped the geode he held into his lap, and his tails instantly splayed out. "Wha?!" Tamaya coughed, careful not to let his orb roll out of his tail. It'd been close, but many years had him holding it was second nature. He didn't really flinch when Ragnar's hood brushed his paw as his brain was trying very hard to convince him that he was being silly and this was just a very friendly pony.

"Thanks fer that. I guess havin' claws don't mean I've got the best grip." He pulled the geode apart to see what he got. "As for whatever else needs done, I dunno. Manual labor is always open? Most'a my family is pretty set that ain't no one but blood ever touchin' a firework itself."

What even did that mean?! Tamaya was't sure how strong shoulders would help, though. "Ah, yeah! We could always use help getting up and when stuff goes off. Gotta need all hooves on deck."


"Hmm, mostly workin' from dawn ta dusk in the fireworks, then layin' in bed with my eyes burnin' like hell for a bit more." Tamaya popped open another stone. "On my days off I travel, go out an' see things. I'm excited fer the season change."

"Also if I'm not workin' my family has my time. I love bein' with my brother an' my sister."

"I'm not much of a loner, I guess. I prefer crowds to bein' with my own thoughts." Tamaya absolutely thrived in loud crowds.

"So ya sing, or jus' play?" Tamaya was 100000% tone deaf, and he'd happily volunteer that info if asked. He was known more for screaming and yelling than singing anyway. Fireworks folks weren't musical in the common sense.

Tamaya nodded while listening, still popping geodes. His pile of duds wouldn't be good for anything here, so maybe they'd let him take them and grind them up? Interesting. "Ya seem to attract a sort then. Glad ya listened to his advice?"

"Er. I mean, sure? Yer not bad lookin' ?" What exactly did he want Tamaya to say? His idea of attractive was....oh, well. Nothing he was gonna share for sure with a stranger, even if his ears blushed at the thought. "I'd rather burn bright than go slow, personally. Bright, like a firework. S'how I am."

". . . . . that was....really cheesy, pal." Tamaya snorted, before bursting into loud tummy-hurting laughter. He'd been feeling so awkward but Ragnar's horrible pick up line (if that was it) had him nearly weeping. "That was so bad!! I can't even....!" He snorted more, moving to wipe an eye with a paw.

"Nah, I sound like dishes bein' broken. If ya wanna hear a nice laugh, my lil' sis Hanabi sounds like a bell when she laughs. An angel."

"Really? I'd hate to see yer kitchen then. If yer breakin' dishes an' all."

"I don't cook fer s**t, pal. We got folks at the home who do all the cookin' an' cleanin', which I'm thankful for. I'd probably burn water."

"Hnnn yeah, I like to be out an' about. Comes with being a showman, 'cause if I stayed put no one would ever get to see us. I wanna share my family's fireworks with the entire world." Tamaya's voice seemed to grow stronger as he spoke. Though he did laugh at the bird attack. "An' to think I was a lil' jealous ya got the bird. Looks like I lucked out in the whole peckin' bit."

"Grilled bird is one of my favorites to eat, so keep that in mind, mmka." Tamaya looked at the bird with either a threat or a promise, but he shrugged and kept on popping stones. When Ragnar spoke about knowing him more intimately, Tamaya shivered a little. "Well uh, we do hand out brocures an' stuff at the events. They give little bios, if that's what yer sayin'."

"I like all of 'em. Do ya have a favorite one? I mean, I can see if I have any extras in the cart I brought wit' me." Tmaya hadn't brought them to sell, but rather to ask an expert here about how to make them boom! Underwater!!! UNDERWATER BOOM!!!

"Yeah, but blowin' yerself up is parta the fun. What's livin' without a few trips to the doctor an' a couple missin' digits?" Tamaya was totally missing part of a paw, but somepony would have to hold his paw to actually see it. Otherwise he was always moving too much to show it, even now by gathering more geodes. "An' I was gonna hand it over fer free. I don't charge.....f..friends."

"....ya mean yer makin' sommin' fer Prisma an' want me to hand it to her?" Tamaya totally heard him correctly but uh, he wasn't letting it sink in. Maybe. Another geode made its way into his claws and he pawed at it, carefully. "I don't mind doin' that, she seemed to take a shine to ya."

If denial was a river in Everville, Tamaya was currently swimming in it a million miles an hour.

"....I...I'd like that, then. Thanks." Tamaya wasn't used to gifts, wasn't used to niceness. He was the loud one, the brash one, but being one on one like this made him mellow. It was....weird. "Maybe I could make a special firework for you then, as thanks too."

Tamaya had gone to dump all the duds, or see if he was allowed to keep them, and he came back with more fresh stones. He liked pearls well enough, but geodes were more his thing at the moment. Also, wasn't that Ocean Heart? How the heck did they keep missing one another? He could have sworn he saw her and considering they were friends he wanted to chat! Flippin' fuses.

Also why was his luck so awful? Okay, he needed to focus and maybe not crack open so many duds in one go. What exactly was he going to do with all these geodes anyway? Prisma had said she wanted to keep a few things and honestly Tamaya was thinking he did too. Or maybe he'd stop and go swimming?

Oh, there she was! "Hey, Ocean!" Tamaya called out to his friend, finally pleased to have caught up with her.

"Hey! I thought I saw ya an' I was worried I missed ya!" Tamaya eagerly moved over to his flightless friend, all the while toting his mountain of geodes. "Don't go runnin' off on me, ya nerd."


"Pretty sure 'm talkin' to you. Ya know I have a hard time hearin' on account'a the fireworks." Tanaya grinned and worked on another geode, looking over at his friend's pile. "I see ya went for pearls, nice call. I thought 'bout nabbing some for Hanabi but I dunno if she'd even like 'em."

Tamaya chucked. "A lil' late for that, but I'll think on it." He reached for another geode, honestly wondering where the flips did they get all these things. Were they specially made for this event, or was it magic? Either way he wasn't complaining. "An' for her fave color, hrnn. Pink, maybe? I dunno, purple? She doesn't talk much ta me 'bout her likes an' all after The Incident."

"Apology for what tough? I've done nothin' wrong." In so far as he knew he hadn't, really. It'd been many years and sure Hanabi still wanted revenge in some aspects but I wasn't like he was alone in it. Kagiya did it too, okay. "An' don't you go worryin' 'bout spoilin' her, or sommin'." Somehow Tamaya had lost his train of thought and the conversation as he thought he spotted a stallion nearby. Nope, nope nope.

"....wha, really? So do ya want me to spoil ya then?" Tamaya hadn't ever really thought about spoiling his friends. He did like to give people things, but was that considered spoiling? His whole family had been raised on the 'if you want it, get it yourself' mentality so things like gifts were weird and rare. "Whatcha want?"

"Huh. Sounds weird." Tamaya tossed aside the previous geode and went on to open another. "Anyway, how ya been? Ain't see mucha'ya since the matsuri a bit ago." He popped his claws into the geode, working hard on it. Maybe he needed to work and get stuff for whenever his friends showed back up, or his cousin. Everyone had things were doing and Tamaya needed to keep going. No real reason, just in case really.

Tamaya hadn't been expecting company so soon, and once again he nearly shattered the entire geode from surprise. "Weh! Ey, Ragnar, long time." It hadn't really been a long time but uh, Tamaya had calmed down via Ocean Heart and now he was wound back up. "I'm not much alone now 'cause yer here, yeah?"

"......oh s**t!! I forgot they serve food at places like this!!" Tamaya leapt properly to his feet, though one of his tails moved and snagged about his ankle. An attempt to balance on the three remaining legs had him wiggle, and he prepared to drop back to the ground.

Tamaya didn't really think to answer right away, instead moving to make sure his orb hadn't rolled off. It was more valuable than his own life, of course, and it was still snug in two of his tails despite the rest acting like fools. Sometimes the hybrid thought that maybe his ghoulie blood made the kitsune tails have minds of their own. "Nah, ya gotta buy me dinner first." Tamaya meant that to be silly, but considering that he'd just been invited to get food??? Open mouth, insert all four paws.

"The fast way is actually through the rib cage, if my brother's ramblin' is to be believed." Kaigya had a way with words, Tamaya wasn't going to deny that, but he was also creepy as hell. "Fer me an' all, I dunno. Never given much thought ta stuff like gettin' to my heart." Maybe the hybrid really was just an airheaded, natural flirt? At the very least he wasn't being rude or rejecting. "An' I wanna eat meat. Somethin' like....bird, maybe?"

What fresh fireworks was this?? Tamaya had never really held tails before and while it wasn't unpleasant it was....weird. Unknown? Either way his tail stayed looped in the manner it was, and he walked along. When he watched the attitude of the bird he was even more glad he didn't get it, to be honest. "Yer actin' like ya been here be'fore."

"Hahaha, ya could say that I know where the best spots fer fireworks are then. Or how well the weather's gonna be." Tamaya was half-listening, mostly just focusing on not tripping over his tails that whirled about behind him. Maybe they were far more honest about things than the rest of him was? Nah, tails were just weird. "The cute mare at the both was sayin' they got kinds that boom underwater here. I am so gonna have to hunt it down."

From where Tamaya was sitting, he thought he saw something on the shore...but he also saw another pony heading that way. Dare he run over and investigate??? He loved checking things out, after all. Was that a bug?! Oh no oh my oh nooo uh. Tamaya had a thing about bugs and so well he uh. Oh man, a bug.


Tamaya paled even more as she looked at him and had the bug. Why a bug? Why. W H Y a bug right here when he was being flirted with and maybe trying to eat? Why?? "...'m good, really. Nice bug ya got there. Over there, away from me. So nice."

From where he sat (awkwardly) Tamaya could see Ocean Heart still working on pearls. It made him happy to see her doing something, considering all the stuff he'd heard 'bout the flightless and all. It didn't really matter to him though since all he wanted in life was to do fireworks (and avoid bugs).

Tamaya raised a paw and waved. He was where he was for food after all and boy howdy, he wasn't gonna move for anything. Food was up there in his top three F things, really. Fireworks, food, fu..........fun. Yeah, fun. "S'all good! Are ya havin' fun yerself??" His voice was loud and booming as he shouted back to the mare.

"M all good, jus' waitin' to get some grub Ya find anythin' pretty over there?" Tamaya had managed to drag a few geodes with himself (yay for tails, and pouches) and he was still sort of working at them. Sort of.

"Ah sorry, did I miss the orderin'?" Tamaya turned to look back when he thought he heard Ragnar's voice. The hybrid's hearing may have been going on some things, but others he could hear loud and clear. "Whatcha get us?"

Tamaya's face lit up like a firework of its own as Ragnar mentioned the spread to come (and how it was free), and he practically glowed at the discussion of going to see the fireworks themselves. "Really? Man that's the whole reason why I came here - ta see those! I think that pretty lady said they had a show near the end, an' some fer sale that were small an' safe, but - " He rambled, thinking, all the while trying not to notice the tail twinning. His mind was on two of the Fs and it wasn't budging much.

"OH yeah, I stole the charm m'brother had, or I think there was sommin' like that." The food had arrived and Tamaya was torn between talking and eating (manners were had, despite a lot of things) and so he pulled out a necklace and held it up. "Kagiya'll murder me when I get home but eh, s'been worth it so far."

"Eatin' time at my home is like a war zone when m'folks aren't 'round. They're sticklers for manners sometimes but like, if'n it's jus' me an' my sibs we go out like it's a battle." The piece of food was devoured with a sharp snap, and then Tamaya went to making short work of everything else that was in front of him.

Tamaya turned just in time to get pelted in the face by two rouge pearls. "The flippin' heck, Ocean?!"

Tamaya rumbled unhappily, muttering under his breath. "If ya gotta say sorry ya shouldn't do it in the first place." He wasn't really angry, just not much of a fan of being hit in the face by random objects. There was still food in front of his though to liven up the souring of his mood and the hybrid made quick work of returning to eating. Waste not, want not.

Tamaya unfortunately started to choke on his food. "!!!!!" A few heavy rounds of coughing, coupled with the back slaps, had the food pass down successfully and Tamaya wheezed. " . . . .s..s.s.. " He couldn't really talk, only cough more, and he reached for some water to guzzle down. "S'all...s'all good."

A few swallows was needed before Tamaya went to speak again, and though he was in no danger of choking anymore his throat certainly burned. "Maybe lemme know before ya gimmie a kiss next time? I'll make sure m'mouth is empty."

"I am all for underwater booms, butcha gotta wait like thirty minutes after eatin' to swim. Also, yanno, I'm covered in fur. I'll stink ta high skies an' back when this is all over." Wet fur was the absolute worst, except when it came as a result of a nice soak in a hot spring, or the bath. Tamaya did love a good bath.

"Hrrnn? Oh ye, snd groo." Tamaya was talking with his mouth full, seemingly having moved out of nervous embarrassment an whatever other crap he was dealing with. Food was food, he'd nearly died, and overthinking just wasn't for him. He wasn't the brains of the family (that was Hanabi) and so stressing at a matsuri was a waste of time.

"Why not name 'em Sparks or sommin'? Or since ya like music, why not Tune?" Tamaya looked up between chewing to add in his entirely unneeded opinion. "Sometimes ya don't need to think too hard on sommin'." He didn't have any pets of his own and he didn't give nicknames to people, so the hybrid was out of his element on this.

"It's a bird though. I mean yer lovely 'nough, but...yer also a bird." Tamaya was really not getting this whole fancy thing but he was getting more than his happy share of food.

"Well I mean....who can blame ya? No one wants to talk to a tater." Tamaya looked at the flying away bird with small thoughts of murder since it carried off food he could be eating. As it was he probably had eaten entirely too much and poor Ragnar didn't even get a decent amount. The hybrid was quite a glutton but well, whatever. "Looks can come second if they got a good personality...ish." Maybe he was also shallow? No, he just really was mad at that bird for taking food.

Who the heck was singing?? More than, why the singing? "...." Had...he said that out loud? He might have, but eh! Sometimes inside thoughts became outside thoughts.

Clap clap, clap clap. Clap clap clap. Clap.

It was time to start waiting off the food in order to go swimming. Actually he couldn't remember the last time he actually went swimming, or did anything outside of work. Not that work was bad, of course, since Tamaya loved every aspect of fireworks. ...did he even really know how to swim? He didn't need to worry since the necklaces would prevent drowning and what not but Tamaya wasn't even sure he'd been taught how to swim. All his memories of foal hood were more or less splashing around in maybe half deep water, not so much going in above his head. "Errr."

He was pretty sure he could fake it. Water breathing meant they could just walk so Ragnar maybe wouldn't notice the fact Tamaya was flailing with style. Thank the Dreamer for that, really. Really though, he was glad that it would be something super minor though Tamaya was sure he didn't weigh enough to just sink to the bottom and walk along the bed. He'd have to swim to move around and man maybe he should just eat more and more and make open excuses.

He was about to dismiss himself from the table to do some stretches when a bird suddenly flew his way. It wasn't the meat-thief from before, but an entirely different one. This one made no issue as it quickly dived down and landed on Tamaya's head as though that was the most natural thing ever.

"Oh ey, are ya wantin' to be my pet or sommin?" The bird was lovely and wasn't trying to steal his food so that was two points in its favor. Tamaya'd never owned a pet before, but could a wild bird be considered a pet? Was it wanting to be with him or was it just there to poop on his fur?

The bird chirped happily, as though it had no idea what was going on. Compared to Ragnar's more spirited partner who seemed to understand things, this newcomer bird was.....not all there. Which suited Tamaya just fine, as it was cute and adorable? Maybe he'd give the bird to Hanabi if it really was wanting to be a pet.

"Hmm...or maybe - what the!!! Wait!!" A second bird came down and landed on him, prompting Tamaya to wonder what the flips was happening?!

And then...another?! Three birds?! This clearly was not a good sign and Tamaya got up from where he'd been sitting. "This....this ain't kosher!!"

"Is this cause I ate all the meat?!" AND MORE BIRDS SHOWED UP, DIFFERENT ONES THIS TIME. "Six of them?!?!?! WHAT THE HECK, HE ATE MEAT TOO!!!" Anyone who happened to be looking would see a hybrid running down the beach, chased by birds.

The sounds of loud screaming were echoing throughout the area. "SOMEONE HELPPP MEEEEEEEE!!!!"

"AAAAAAAAAUUUUUUGHHHHH!!! FER THE LOVE'A THE DREAMER LEMME GOOOOO!!!" The birds did not let up. It looked as though fish where joining in. Tamaya was made of regret.

Eventually he tripped and fell, dropping down as the birds landed on him and practically covered him beneath their wings. Why was this happening? Tamaya swore maybe he was gonna be a vegetarian from this point on, but uh he really couldn't only survive on plants. Being a kitsune meant he needed meat, as did being a ghoulie, and ahhh why were there birds on him he wanted to eat one of them AS REVENGE.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO." Came the very strained, very muffled reply. When he got free Tamaya was going to eat all the birds. All of them.

There was no sound apart from the chittering of birds. Tamaya's tails did sway a bit, but that was all. DID HE LOOK OKAY???? DID HE REALLY?? His tails looked hungry??? His tails didn't even have mouths - he was more kitsune than ghoulie, after all.

The birds instantly took off, leaving behind Tamaya laying on the sand. He wasn't hurt at all, just very, very, VERY annoyed.

"Hrnn, not usually. I'm thinkin' yer bird was shittalkin' me to its friends an' they came fer revenge." Tamaya pushed himself into a seated position, moving to use his front paws to dust the sand off. "I'm gonna find 'em all again an' grill 'em."

"Yeah, fer sure. I'm gonna eat every single last one'a them birds. I kinda dislike 'em much anyway, 'cause then we do fireworks sometimes they dive bomb us or fly into the rockets. A pain." It was also ridiculously sad but Tamaya wasn't gonna focus on that.

"I wonder if they're here for revenge on account'a those. I mean, we usually try to clear areas but I dunno bird logic. I barely know my own logic." All this thinking was making his head hurt. Tamaya just wanted to eat meat, watch fireworks, and have fun.

"Don't think yer winnin' back my mood wit' yer sweet words an' actions." Tamaya huffed and pushed Ragnar's muzzle away though it was clear he had a bit of a flush in his actions. "At least I ran 'nough I can swim, if yer wantin' to wade in wit' me."


"Kitten?!" Getting fully to his feet, Tamaya ran after Ragnar. "Ain't no one called me kitten since I was a lil' foal an' I ain't 'bout to letcha start on it!" He sounded a little unhappy though the grin on his face suggested otherwise. "I wonder iffin' they got the fireworks ready, or if we can nab a few an' pop 'em off ourselves."

Tamaya didn't really like the water either and so it took no small act of the Dreamer to get him into it. Instantly he felt gross, like a weight was pushed onto his fur. Getting wet from the rain or from a shower was entirely different, and he made unhappy noises as the water finally went over his head. The necklace about his neck kicked into gear as he breathed in, pleased to see he wasn't dead. ". . . . this sucks."

"It feels.....so gross, mate. Like I dunno how else to describe it but grosssss." And boy howdy was he gonna stink when this was over. Unlike Hanabi who seemed to always smell amazing, whenever Tamaya got wet he smelled like death. Or wet dog. "How did I letcha talk me inta this?"

If it hadn't been for the necklace that was helping him breathe under water, Tamaya would have drowned from how loudly he screamed. Or silently screamed, since when he opened his mouth all that came out was a ton of bubbles. His tails splayed behind him, though the act inside the water just looked silly and served to propel the hybrid forward and past the dragon. "Yer runnin' yer mouth!!!"

He smelled like an awful wet animal and Tamaya wasn't happy. This was not fun.

Where did Ragnar run off to while he was sulking? Where did Ocean Heart go too? Suddenly Tamaya found himself alone and wet. Not cool. With no one looking he more or less waded around in an effort to suck it up and get used to the water.

Doggy paddle was accomplished but also mildly insulting. How was his diving skill set? He didn't need to worry about holding his breath as he dove down. He seemed to be diving okay and his movements were a bit better. Maybe now he'd take on going deeper? Or else he'd sulk some more in the shallows. Paddle paddle, paddle paddle. He was having fun.....ish. Not that he'd admit it.

How deep exactly was this area? Tamaya had an idea it went down pretty well and was painfully becoming curious. Oh hey, did he see something at the bottom? Or was he imagining things? He was imagining things, probably. It....it wasn't enough to hold his interest, really. .....really.

Okay, it seemed like he'd gotten over most of his hesitation (and the dislike for the feel of kelp beneath his paws), which meant that Tamaya could press further. If he wanted to that is. Which maybe he did.

It would be soft but sudden and Ragnar may or may not have felt someone pulling him up towards the surface. Whomever it was happened to be furry and warm despite clearly being wet, and the hybrid dragged his erstwhile companion out of the water. "Ya dummy! Yer the one actin' all like we gotta swim, an' then as soon as ya go an' get wet ya drop like a fly!" Tamaya wasn't in the mood to suck it up, and the red on his face was from anger this time rather than embarrassment. He'd only gotten in because Ragnar had seemed gung-ho and now look at the both of them.

"Oh no ya don't get ta push this off on me! We coulda seen them from the shore jus' fine!" The angry red was still there, though the snap in his tone was lessening. "I'm not stupid 'nough to think dragons do well wit' water. Dummy."

Tamaya looked at Ragnar with all the intent to push his head under the water and snap off his necklace. Seriously. "Ya jus' got done nearly dyin' in water an' now ya wanna go deal wit' more water stuff? Really?" He still didn't sound angry, despite the words. More like flabbergasted, or something close. "Well yanno, most kitsune don't either. Or at least this half-kitsune don't." Getting himself more properly to his feet, Tamaya shook to try and get his fur a bit more dry. He'd be crunchy later, even though his companion was talking about getting spa-like treatment "Also I can't get clean wit' just steam. Ya see, I have fur. We need more than clouds."

"Again, I ain't a dragon." Tamaya was smirking, biting the bottom of his lip so as not to laugh. Ragnar sounded so desperate and it was painfully endearing. He was even getting used to this whole tail touching thing and maybe, at a base level, he was glad he didn't have a ghoulie tail. He wasn't sure such a thing would enjoy the constant touching. "I'm a kitsune an' a ghoulie, two things you will notice really aren't a dragon."

Tamaya shivered and released a soft whimper. What the HECK? His tails instantly moved away from where Ragnar had been, instead quickly balling up like they were tied tightly. "Er, yanno, fine. Anythin' is better than smellin' like this." Also maybe if they went he could pretend he didn't make a weird sound. Weird sounds were not his thing. "About as much as I'll ever be. I'm gonna have to start thinkin' 'bout stuff considerin' yer good an' bad ideas aren't balanced." Still, Tamaya really couldn't talk. He was a mess himself when it came to impulse, but for now it at least seemed like the lake water wouldn't cling and leave behind a mess. "So we just.....go in an' do what? Sweat?"

"Eh, not too hot?" Tamaya was sort of half listening to Ragnar as he moved and settled in, sitting on his haunches comfortably. "I mean, I got fur an' while I do like sweatin' I'd prefer it be cause I was doin' sommin' rather than jus' sittin'." A paw was raised and he ran it through the scruff of mane (?) he had, his face and flesh already warming up. "Never been in a place like this b'fore, so."

".....okay but, didn't ya say there wasn't any water here. What is this then. Ragnar I'm startin' ta think yer pullin' my tails." Tamaya took the offered claw with his own paw and more or less stumbled on his hind legs as he followed. Today had been a weird day and he certainly had stories to tell Hanabi and Kagiya when he got home. ". . . smells weird too."

Tamaya tensed up for a moment before shaking himself; his fur instantly poofed up and settled beneath Ragnar's brushing. "Smell? Gunpowder, probably. I like the smella fireworks the most, so gunpowder, fire. The afterburn and the heat from the sky." They were hardly natural smells and certainly not a scent anyone would consider a perfume. Tamaya and the others in the clan wore the clinging smell of their craft with pride. Sometimes Hanabi smelled like some weird perfume though. "Oh hey, now that we've stopped lookin' ya can see I'm missin' a parta'a my paw."


"Ya ever hear the whole don't close yer paw 'round a firecracker? If not, this here's the proof." He was missing a digit or two on his paw, nothing extremely visible due to the fur, but enough that if somepony looked closer they'd see it looked a bit different. "Ya'd actually be hard pressed ta find someone in the field who ain't missin' some finger or 'nother." As far as he could recall all the family who did paws-on work had battle scars to some degree. But that didn't matter, not now that he was getting a rather nice massage. "Hrnn, this feels nice.. Are ya secretly a jack'a'all trades?"

"I'm pretty much only good at fireworks an' honestly that's okay wit' me. I don't really have anythin' else I wanna be or that I wanna do so it works out." Tamaya was almost melting into a puddle at the massage. It felt so nice on his muscles, which admittedly he didn't take proper care of. Everyone in his clan probably worked themselves entirely too hard, not that any of them would openly admit it. Maybe that was why the baths at the end of the day had everyone soaking until they nearly passed out. "An' uh, ta be honest? I wasn't really watchin' ya an' didn' even notice til ya were nearly drowned. I got distracted."

"A rock, I think." For all that he was a natural flirt, Tamaya was also a natural airhead. The extra affections that this dragon may have been laying on him he quickly equated to being part of the massage and, since he was entirely new to this, he didn't bring up as an objection. Even the kissing bit, which admittedly was weird but could be part of a tradition. He'd nearly let this other stallion drown so uh, no point in being rude. "An' the sky. It's so clear 'round here I was thinkin' fireworks could be seen for miles an' miles. I wonder if that cutie who took mah card will actually gimmie a call."

"Yeah, she's really adorable!" Tamaya gushed while speaking about the mer like they were old friends, but they weren't. "Super polite an' friendly, reminded me lots of my lil sister. I wish I coulda brought Hanabi wit' me, I think ya'd be in love wit' her." Maybe figuratively and literally, as Hanabi was just as bright and beautiful as her name suggested. Kaigya often said that he and Tamaya had a little sister complex and really, nothing wrong with that. "An' well, maybe? Like do ya mean seein' 'em all the time?? Cause they're all family so naturally I do love 'em." A pause. "Most of 'em anyway."

"I mean, aren't ya gonna come over ta my place? Prisma invited ya too, remember, or didja change yer mind already?" Tamaya remembered the conversation from earlier involving his adorable little cousin. Which, thinking on, he needed to find her and make sure she got home. Her parents would play him from ears to tails if anything happened to her. "Also, no pandas, or earth ponies. My family's mostly kitsune wit' a few hybrids like myself thrown in." He was so busy thinking on that that he didn't notice his tails were being touched and it was almost too late. A sharp eeep! escaped and the hybrid nearly drowned himself as he attempted to roll up and away. "Whahwhwha what. Whatre ya touchin'."

"...." Tamaya's face flushed and he gingerly grabbed one of his tails. "S'not that ya pinched...I jus'.......I'mma bit...ticklish."

"Well like, holdin' tails an' havin' them directly touched are two vastly different things, yanno? When I was a foal my mom would have ta hold me down ta brush my tail out, so it's not jus' you havin' issues here." What did Ragnar mean about idle claws? Wasn't he going to wash himself while Tamaya just floated around? The hybrid could be dense sometimes about things but right now? He was an absolute brick wall. "I could rub yer back as thanks then, while ya relax? Seems only fair."

Tamaya's mind went entirely blank and he may have forgotten how to breathe. Tamaya really, really was certain he'd forgotten how to breathe yet somehow he managed to get a gasp of air in before Ragnar went for another kiss. This one he managed to get his eyes closed for a second, probably not really sure he wanted look and maybe die.

No, he wasn't going to pass out, but he was going to get angry. It actually shocked him the sudden rush of rage rather than pleasure, and maybe the rage was because of how excited he was. In a place he really shouldn't be and with an absolutely complete stranger. And it felt good and maybe a little right despite clearly being wrong and the hybrid pushed Ragnar back. A few huffs had him catch his breath, and he turned his face away. " . . . . . "

"Nah it's...not really that." Tamaya still wasn't looking at Ragnar and hearing how heartbroken the other pony sound felt like a punch in the gut. "It's...more like uh...I..." He was so bad at giving mixed signals and even worse at actually using his words. "It...felt nice. I...liked it more than I should. Maybe." He liked it a lot and was being stubborn and surprised and embarrassed. What if someone walked in on them?!