White Rock Lake
A reservoir, White Rock Lake covers 1,254 acres and was once used for a portion of Dallas' drinking water supply. Now that it's use as a water source has been supplanted, the area has become one of the favored recreational locations in the city. The forested shoreline is dotted with numerous small cabins, fishing piers, and sailboat docks.
The lake is surrounded by White Rock Lake Park, which is home to the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. Running through the park is a 9 mile trail designed for hiking, running or cycling.
Though swimming was banned here back in the '50's, it is still a popular location for area teens who generally enjoy the more deserted areas, using the beautiful backdrop as a makeout spot.
Trevor can be found sitting on a bench near the lake, looking rather relaxed at the moment. He had a long day of work and took off a bit early. His truck is parked off in the lot behind him proving he never made it home. A yawn escapes him before he takes a sip from a cup of coffee he got not to long ago. Clothing at the moment is a scrub top, jeans and boots. A pair of glasses rest upon his face before he takes them off and rubs across his eyes a few moments. Sleep sounds like a rather good thing at the moment, but that means he'd have to move and he is /very/ comfy where he is.
A gaggle of college girls comes from one of the paths around the lake, all of them dressed in varying colors of jogging suits, shorts, and other comfortable clothing. They stop at the edge of the parking lot and exchange hugs, chattering the entire time, as they part ways and go to their separate cars. One of them, a slightly overweight girl of apparent African American decent, avoids the parking lot and instead circles it, walking at a slow, leisurely pace.
Ian is dressed in a light pink and gray knit jogging suit, the sleeveless top clinging lightly to her generous curves as she looks out at the lake. Her hair is pulled back into a tail high atop her head and sweat runs down the side of her face. She stops at the bench that Trevor is seated at and lightly places her foot on the back of the bench opposite from where he's seated, stretching over her extended leg and loosening up muscles before she goes to catch the bus to head home.
The man is offered a small, polite smile, but she doesn't speak as of yet; perhaps trying to pretend that the bench is empty instead of one of the many occupied ones that are scattered around. Maybe she thought the white guy was the safest person around at the moment to do her stretching right next to?
Trevor places his glasses back upon his face and lifts his head slightly to glance over at the sound of movement an voices. Blinking he turns and looks to Ian and offers a slight smile and nod back. "Afternoon." He offers with a friendly tone. As for watching her stretch? He might of for a moment there but his gaze quickly flicks back to the lake. Well.. He is a guy don't expect him not to look!
Ian looks up at the sky when he greets her, almost as though she's checking to see if it really is afternoon. Her gaze drops back to the man who's space she's invading and offers him a small nod, not paying attention to him watching her stretch. It's something she's come to expect over the last three years living in Dallas, after all: That men look at girls when they think they can get away with it. There's a small nod in response and she sighs, "Hello." Her voice is accented, though it's hard to tell exactly where she's from just from one word. Good thing she speaks again, "Pleasant day, isn't it?" He might be able to pick up the tones of someone from South Africa with those words.
Trevor doesn't tend to stare thankyou! Every now and then though eh well. As for the afternoon is turning more into evening from the looks of it really. Another sip is taken from his cup and she hums before looking back to her. A nod is offered. "That it is. An there is a nice sunset so that means a good day tomorrow as well." He picks up on the accent but doesn't comment on it, he doesn't seem to have much of an accent at all.
A small smile plays at the corners of Ian's mouth at the thought of a nice day tomorrow because of a nice sunset today and stretches her arms up over her head, tilting her head back and extending her spine as far as she can, "Yes, it does look like a lovely sunset. Hopefully tomorrow will be as nice as today." Her small smile turns into a smirk, "And maybe it will be a little cooler tomorrow than today." That's always a hope! She still prefers mid-spring or fall to any other time of the year in Texas. It feels more like home.
Having stretched to her full height, she now practically falls over at the waist and reaches for her toes, her back curving as she tenses the muscles along her spine and slowly relaxes, a small crackle heard as her back pops and she then straightens again, "There wasn't a lake like this where I lived before I came here… It was more grasslands." Her voice takes on a slightly wistful note when she says that. There was so much more open space around the small village her parents still live in. Enough space that she could shift and run anytime she wanted to instead of having to get a friend to take her out of town for a while instead. Maybe she could come here to shift between full moons, though… There's certainly enough space.
Or she could just save up and get a car one.
Trevor hums softly and nods while tilting his head while taking in a slight breath. "That would be nice.. But I don't think that is going to happen. Summer time here seems like it'll be hell from what I can tell." This said with an amused tone. A soft hum escapes him. "An where might home be?" His never been out of the states, so it could be just about anywhere really.
"Hell…" Ian seems to roll the word over in her mind for a moment, examining it from all angles before she nods, looking amused herself, "That's an apt way to describe it." She looks over at him when he asks where home is and shrugs, "My parents are missionaries in South America. I decided to come back to the states for college." No idea yet if she's going to be returning to South Africa when she graduates, but it's not looking promising at this point. Not very many radio stations out in the bush, after all. She drops to the grass and folds her legs up to do some more stretches, "What about you?"
Trevor grins and nods before tilting his head while he watches her curiously. "Really?" Is questioned while a warm friendly smile is seen. "I've always wanted to go on one of the photograph safaris." No harm in getting to see more animals to turn into or learn about after all! "An African Wild Dog.. There beautiful animals." For dogs.. A soft chuckle escapes him and he nods. "We have plenty of wildlife there, from land animals to sea types. Never know what you might run into."
Ian has been most of the wildlife that lived around her parents' home at one point or another. She nods, "They have always been my favorite animal. It's unfortunate that they're so rare in the wild. Too many ranchers killing them for fear of them going after livestock." She nods and settles finally, no longer stretching, but just sitting with the soles of her feet pressed together a short distance in front of her, "We did not live near the sea… The people my parents were there to minister to were farmers and miners, mostly." Pause, "It must be very beautiful there. I would love to see the ocean one day." Maybe take on the form of a dolphin some day?
Trevor hums softly and nods a moment. "It happens like that to often with animals.. Here we have people feeling that way against the wolves and the cougars. Its terrible." He says with a slight shake of his head. "The ocean is great.. I lived in Washington state for a few days during school and got to visit it often." He tried being a dolphin before, it was fun to say the least.
Ian grimaces and nods. She'd almost been shot once when she ran too close to a rancher's cattle a few years ago and it taught her to be wary of civilization when shifted, "I've never seen a cougar before. Are they very large?" She knows it's a type of big cat, but that's about all she knows about them. She has crossed paths with a couple of werewolves before, though. They were pretty scary. Especially since she was living in South Africa still at the time. At least they didn't take exception to the fact that she exists, though. She grins when he describes the ocean and leans forward slightly as though that will help her listen better. She sits back up again and straightens her shoulders slightly, determining that she's going to be polite, "I am Ian, by the way." She pronounces the name like I-an, though whether that's just because of her accent or because that's the way she prefers it to be said is a mystery.
Trevor ohs softly at the thought of cougars. "Well there a powerful cat in a medium sized body. Something like the leopards of Africa I'd imagine. Just smaller." He offers with a slight nod. There's a pause and he smiles. "Nice to meet you. I'm Trevor." This said with the same friendly and polite tone that his had through the conversation. "How long have you been in Texas?" There's a pause and he ohs. "Um.. Your welcome to sit down if you like."
Ian nods and files that information away for later. That's something she's going to have to look up the next time she makes it over to the library, "They sound very nice." She'd rather be the leopard, though. Bigger is stronger, after all. She offers another bright smile when he introduces himself and inclines her head, "It is a pleasure, Trevor." When he questions how long she's lived here, she shrugs, "I was born in Texas. We did not move to South Africa until I was seven." She pauses for just a moment, "I came back three years ago to attend college." She smiles again at the offer to sit and nods, rising to take the seat beside him, though she leaves plenty of space between, "Thank you…" Chairs, or benches, are more comfortable than the ground after all.
Trevor has thought about running around like a leopard, or even a jaguar, they are near Mexico after all there is always a possibility that one slipped up from Brazil after all. He sticks to his house cat or cougar form and tends to stay happy with it. A soft oh escapes him and he nods. "Do you like being back in the states?" He questions with a curious tone before nodding and smiles. "Welcome very welcome."
Ian nods, "I guess so… It is all very different from what I am used to, though." That's what comes of a seven year old being transplanted to another culture and then returning to the one that birthed her eleven years later. She's lived out of the country more than she hasn't. She pulls one leg up to rest the heel of her sneaker on the bench, wrapping her arms loosely around it, "So what is it that brought you to Dallas?"
Trevor smiles a moment and nods. "I bet it was a hard thing to get use to once again." He offers softly while sipping at his cup, fishing the coffee that is left. "I came for a job. I'm a Veterinary, mostly deal with large animals like horses and cows. Still work with dogs and cats when ever I get the chance to." Speaking of his beloved job there is a pause as his phone starts to ring. He ums faintly. "Excuse me.." This said before the phone is offered, he speaks quietly and says after a few words that his one his way. "Speaking of work.." He say while standing up and pockets the phone once more. "Was a pleasure to meet you Ian. Perhaps we're meet up again sometime." This offered with a friendly tone as he turns and heads towards his truck after waving.
