I! Want! Haaaaam!!

"Just a second, hinnie.." She said with a smile as she took the tub containing the sandwiches and cake out and popped the lid before passing them to her little companion. "It's all yours, sweet pea!"

She hurriedly grabbed the first sandwich she could and chopped down on the meat only. She lifted her head back, keeping a tight grip on the bread, and popped the slice of ham right out! Chewing on the food in her mouth, she placed the finger-dented sandwich back in the container and grabbed another one immediately. 

"I will do, but first we'd best get you something to eat.." She said softly, looking about for her backpack to see if she had anything inside of it. Luckily, she managed to find it, and took a peep inside. There was a plastic tub which contained a couple of sandwiches, as well as a slice of cherry bakewell cake which she'd made earlier. "Hey.. Ponyo? I'm not sure if you like sarnies and cake, but there's a few smoked ham sandwiches in the tub and a bit of cherry cake if you want.." She said with a smile..

Did.. Did she say what she thought she said? "Ham? Ham!!! I want the ham!!!!!!!" She reached with grabby hands towards the other's backpack, her little heart just pounding in excitement. 

The woman watched in awe at the impromptu little performance, and was smiling from ear to ear as it played on. It wasn’t until they’d finished that she gave then a round of applause.. “Well done, lasses! That was beautiful..” She said cheerfully. “You can tell you’ve all practiced too..”

They yelled happily and splashed around, obviously proud of themselves. Ponyo clapped for them as well, bouncing around gleefully. “Yay!! That was even better than before!” She leaned down to them again. “We gotta practice together again though! I miss singin’ with you guys!” She turned once more to the woman. “Pari, do you sing?”

Pariah watched the little exchange before pausing to answer Ponyo’s question.. “Actually I do, I’m not very good at it though. But I like to try..” She replied, thinking back to the last time she did. It was quite some time ago, but she still had her old and slightly busted up acoustic guitar.. “I’ll have to bring it with me next time..”

"You gotta!! I wanna hear it!" Ponyo's stomach growled suddenly, making her clutch it. "I'm all hungryyyyy...."

"They do? Well, I’d be thrilled to listen to it.." She replied, sitting down on the sand and letting her feet sink into the water. "Do you sing too, Ponyo?" Pariah asked, watching the scene unfurl..

"I used t’a when I could do magic! I’d make part a’ our home into a place we could all sing together!" Her sisters chattered at her and she remembered them. "Oh yea, go ahead!" Some of her sisters gathered around Pariah’s feet and rested on the top of them, trying not to tickle her too much during the performance. The rest poked their little heads out of the water and sang a melody in a language only they knew. Ponyo tried to join them at one point, but she drowned out the rest of her sisters, so she let them finish. 

The woman watched in awe at the impromptu little performance, and was smiling from ear to ear as it played on. It wasn’t until they’d finished that she gave then a round of applause.. “Well done, lasses! That was beautiful..” She said cheerfully. “You can tell you’ve all practiced too..”

They yelled happily and splashed around, obviously proud of themselves. Ponyo clapped for them as well, bouncing around gleefully. "Yay!! That was even better than before!" She leaned down to them again. "We gotta practice together again though! I miss singin' with you guys!" She turned once more to the woman. "Pari, do you sing?"

Once they got to the foam, Pariah took her boots off before being greeted by loads of Ponyo’s sisters. She couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw them all, but she couldn’t help but smile.. “Hello! How’re you guys?” She said cheerfully..

They all cheered happily at her question, indicating that they were quite good, in fact! The fish called for Ponyo to come closer to them and she knelt down, putting her ear to their mouths. They talked and talked to her and made her laugh at one point before letting her go. The young girl turned her attention back to the other woman. “They said they wanna sing you a song! They said they’ve been practicin’ a lot, too!” 

"They do? Well, I’d be thrilled to listen to it.." She replied, sitting down on the sand and letting her feet sink into the water. "Do you sing too, Ponyo?" Pariah asked, watching the scene unfurl..

"I used t'a when I could do magic! I'd make part a' our home into a place we could all sing together!" Her sisters chattered at her and she remembered them. "Oh yea, go ahead!" Some of her sisters gathered around Pariah's feet and rested on the top of them, trying not to tickle her too much during the performance. The rest poked their little heads out of the water and sang a melody in a language only they knew. Ponyo tried to join them at one point, but she drowned out the rest of her sisters, so she let them finish. 

Once they got to the foam, Pariah took her boots off before being greeted by loads of Ponyo's sisters. She couldn't believe her eyes when she saw them all, but she couldn't help but smile.. "Hello! How're you guys?" She said cheerfully..

They all cheered happily at her question, indicating that they were quite good, in fact! The fish called for Ponyo to come closer to them and she knelt down, putting her ear to their mouths. They talked and talked to her and made her laugh at one point before letting her go. The young girl turned her attention back to the other woman. "They said they wanna sing you a song! They said they've been practicin' a lot, too!" 

Pariah couldn’t help but laugh at that, and gently gave the little girl’s hand a gentle little hold. “Yeah! It does doesn’t it? How mad is that!”

Pariah checked her watch, and gave her new little companion a little smile.. “Why not eh? That’d be lovely.” She replied, remaining where she was for a moment waiting for Ponyo to make a move first..

"Come on come on come on!!" She grabbed the other's wrist with one hand and pulled her towards the water. Once at the shore, she got so close that the foam brushed over her toes. "Heeeeey!! Come look guys! I made a new friend!!" All of a sudden, hundreds of little fish, similar to Ponyo, came swimming up to the shore and cheered at the sight of the two girls on the sand.

"Whoa, that’s a big one," Khloe wasn’t one of the women who shies away from slimy critters. "Are you gonna keep it?"

Pariah couldn't help but laugh at that, and gently gave the little girl's hand a gentle little hold. "Yeah! It does doesn't it? How mad is that!"

"Hi Ponyo, that’s a nice bucket." 

The woman stepped forward a little, crouching down to the girl’s level. “Wow! And I’m sure he’s a nice young lad too.. No wonder it’s your favourite..” She said softly, eventually sitting on the ground..

"Heh.. Thank you very much, wee one! But I think your hair is best, it reminds me of coral.." She replied, not being able to help but smile at the little girl. "What’s your name, anyway, half pint?" The woman asked..

She hid behind her green bucket. “Sauske’s mom said not to talk to strangers, though you look kinda nice..”

Khloe squatted down to the young girls height, “Sauske’s mom is very smart, but I’m a safe stranger.” She smiled, “I’m Khloe.”

The woman stepped forward a little, crouching down to the girl's level. "Wow! And I'm sure he's a nice young lad too.. No wonder it's your favourite.." She said softly, eventually sitting on the ground..