Meeting the Ogrin

     "Oh yeah?!" came a cocky voice. "I'll catch you eventually!"

     I laughed louder and picked up speed; my Lupe was fast, but I was faster (she desperately needed agility training) and I stumbled through brambles and branches as I got away.

     Just as I turned to look I ran into something very solid but very furry. I was thrown off my feet and landed flat on my back. "Stupid tree!" I muttered angrily as my head started to throb.

     Then I looked up and caught sight of a very strange but marvellous creature. It had the feet of a Lupe but the head of a Ruki. It had a yellow Uni's body with a Usul's fluffy neck, Kougra stripes and a Moehog's tail. The creature looked like bits of other Neopets had been brought together to create this large and beautiful thing.

      It looked as surprised as I did, its head lowered to the ground as if it had been inspecting the flowers before it. "H-hello," I stammered breathlessly, "W-who are you?"

     The creature's cheeks burned red as if it was embarrassed and it muttered something very quietly.

     "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you," I said softly, not wanting to scare the creature away.

     "I'm an Ogrin," mumbled the creature a little more loudly.

     It looked at me, as if seeing me for the first time and then quickly looked away again. "Excuse me, but what species are you?" said the Ogrin shyly.

     "Well, I'm a human," I said as I stood up shakily, dusting myself down.

     "Hyoo-man…" said the Ogrin, playing with the word on its tongue and quickly scribbled the word down on its notepad which, at a glance, contained pictures of flowers and other plants.

     "Y-yes," I stammered as I felt very dizzy after standing up. "What's your name?"

     "Oh, my name's Orin, yes, Orin the Ogrin," said the Ogrin, pausing its scribbling for a moment before resuming it once more.

     "Oh," I said, watching the pencil fly across the paper. "What are you doing in the forest, Orin?"

     "I'm studying the wildlife in here; I'm ever so curious about this new world, it's so...so…BIG," said Orin, almost excitedly, "But I haven't seen a species like you before in the forest!"

     His auburn eyes surveyed me for a moment.

     "I don't live in the forest; I just came in here to play with my Lupe!"

     "Loop?" Playing the new word on its tongue again. "What's a Loop?"

     "It's another species in Neopia!" I told it, pleased that I was able to help Orin.

     Orin smiled widely, "There's more species than just you?!"

     He sounded like a giddy toddler being taken to the sweet store and finding there are different types of sweets to try.

     "Yep; why don't you come to my Neohome and meet my Lupe, Byliss?" I said invitingly, hoping that we could have another addition to the family.

     "Oh no, I couldn't, I'm just…" Orin's voice trailed off.

     "You're just what?" I said a little fear in my voice at the fear it could turn into a monster.

     "…Too shy…" Orin mumbled, his cheeks burnt red again.

     "Well, being shy is nothing to be embarrassed about," I said cheerily. "Why don't we stay here for a while; I'm sure Byliss will find me eventually!"

     "Okay," the Ogrin reluctantly agreed even though he sounded as though he wasn't entirely pleased at the idea.

     I sat down on a springy patch of grass and invited Orin to do so. Then I asked Orin what he liked to do and what he thought of Neopia.

     "I don't know what to think of it yet; I've only just found this forest. It's quiet and secluded; almost no people come here and, as you can probably tell, I'm a little bit shy.

     "As for what I like to do, well, I like studying nature, well, I think that's the right word," (I nodded encouragingly) "taking long walks outdoors because we Ogrins need to be outside, not cooped up inside with nothing new to inspect and the whole detective or explorer business seems too dangerous and too involved in bad things for me. I need to be outside, free to go where I please, to observe and draw and learn new things …"

     At that point I'd learnt a new thing about Ogrins…once they get going they don't stop talking and I have a VERY short attention span!

     After a series of nods and 'Uh-huh's Orin asked me something.

     "Huh, what?!" I said snapping back to reality, "Could you say that again please, Orin? I was a million miles away…"

     "I said, what do you think of Dr. Sloth; he sure doesn't seem a nice character. I've heard frightful stories about him," Orin said with a slight huff, obviously knowing that I hadn't paid attention to what he had said.

     "I don't like him myself," I said, giving a suspicious glance around where we sat in case someone (or something) was listening, "Whoever could do that to a poor, innocent Grundo is certainly a horrible, horrible person!"

     "Yes, yes, of course…what did he do?" Orin said curiously, scribbling down notes in his notebook again.

     "He turned most of them into mutants!" I cried, flinging my arms up into the air without realising.

     "Oh my!" gasped Orin, scribbling down: 'Note to self: Avoid Dr. Sloth, turn you into mutant!' into his notebook.

     "So, erm, what do you think of the Battledome?" I asked, thinking quickly of something to change the conversation.

     "The Battledome, you say? I don't really reckon much to it myself; we Ogrins are peaceful beings, not rough and tumble like most other Neopets. Why, just the other day a couple of Neopets came crashing through the tree, screaming and shouting, scared me out of my wits but it's a good job I can hear well; I certainly wouldn't have liked to meet them…"

     'Then have you got a surprise waiting for you when you meet Byliss,' I thought to myself, thinking of how boisterous Byliss can be.

     His voice rambled on and on and I lost attention again.

     By the time he finished the sun was setting and dusk hung heavily in the air. "Oh my, look at the sun, I must get home!" cried Orin, looking surprised. "How time flies, eh?"

     "Yes…how it does…" I said, my brain slowly awakening from mind-numbing, non-stop talking.

     "Shall I…?" Orin started but then a yellow furry thing came flying out of the bushes and landed on top of me.

     "TAG! Thought I wouldn't catch you, huh?" said Byliss' voice, breathless but obviously pleased with herself.

     "Byliss…you're crushing me…" I said in shock and gasping for breath under Byliss' weight (as she is a very heavy Lupe).

     "Oops, sorry!" she said and leapt off my back. "Who were you talking to?"

     "I was talking to…" I said, indicating where the Ogrin had once stood, "Orin?"

     I was very confused why Orin had fled, then I remembered that he was very shy.

     "Who's Orin?" asked Byliss, curiously.

     "Never you mind," I said, "come on, let's go home…"

     And I led Byliss back through the forest to our home as the sun sank below the hills, knowing that somewhere in the bushes hid my special friend that I had made that day.

The End