Bruce
Maybe the beach look
Kenneth
*Ashby had been taking his time trying to get used to living a bit normal
 It was hard for him to do after being constantly working and than having none at all. He was trying to get used to it all but some days make it so hard. It had been a few months since he'd gotten his freedom now and the weather was still cold out. Though by now he was so used to the cold even if he did have actual warm clothes it didn't really effect him. 

Ashby needed a bit of a break from the noise of everyone so he'd made his way to a small little beach arss a bit away from the noise of the capital. He would walk onto the cool sand looking out at the waves so close to home yet he just couldn't seem to make himself go back. He didn't know how he could when he didn't know how his sister ended up. He'd stuff his hands into the now new pockets as he kicked up some sand. 

It really was nice bring close to the water even if he didn't know if he could go into the waves. He supposed some of it is he just got comfortable being on land after so many years and it felt kind of safe in a strange way. He would walk close to were the waves came up but still kept just a foot away from the waves from actually touching his feet. The spray of the waves though felt good on his skin, helped with the dried flackiness that was sun burnt skin he'd have over the years.*
Kurt
*Iara adjusted the the small fishnet pouch that hung from her arm as she swam up and away from Neptsa. She figured it was fine to do this today... She could see the sun's rays clearly from here. Usually, she kept her scavenging to darker days, making it just... Less possible for people to be around... But she needed the sunlight. She'd been looking a bit lately, and you can't have that.*


*The feeling of swimming upwards was much like the feeling of swimming upstream. It was hard and it felt like you were drowning and all odds were agaisnt you... In her mind, at least. No other merfolk seemed to have a problem with the surface, just the people that came with it... And she couldn't agree more.*

*Ok. It's fine. She can do this. She encouraged herself as she passed a school of near surface fish. Huh. She hadn't seen those in a while. Lazaroth had fished up most of them.*
*Lazaroth had a real problem with fishing up... Everything, basically. Out of her recklessness, her eyes being on the odd group of fish rather than ahead, she didn't notice when she got out of the water and into the surface. She gasped, splashing around rather tactlessly.*

*The burning feeling of surface air filled her lungs, feeling like tiny needles perforating her throat and lungs. Like drinking boiling water, or menthol. Iara took lungfuls of the air, her eyes tearing up... Until it didn't hurt anymore.*
*She slowly came down from her panic, attempting to take deep breaths of the odd sensation.* "..Gods." *She muttered, slowly swimming towards shore.*

*The mermaid hauled herself up onto a wet rock, sitting and sighing. It was always excruciatingly painful to breathe on the surface, for a bit at least. Underwater felt familiar. She looked down at the rock, picking up a small shell that laid upon it and placing it in her bag. The search began. That's why she's here, anyways.* 

*Her eyes drifted from the rock to the sand, finally taking notice of the triton. She huffed. Normally, she'd be startled. But it was

A triton. Tritons were... Nice. 

*Iara tilted her head, waving slowly to the Triton.*
Kenneth
*Ashby had pretty well been minding his own busy on the small beach. He still wasn't allowing himself to get that close to the water yet but it wad better than he used to be. Least now he tries to be close to it even if not touching it yet.

Though that peace ended with the sound of a different splashing and... Coughing? He would look around as he tried to understand what was going on. There was usually no one here. Least any time he'd been here and yet he spotted a girl. Actually scratch that it was a mermaid. A type of cousin to the sea life. Least it's how he thought of the different aquatic races. All were kind of a cousin race just not all the same.

She seemed to be okay and he didn't want to startle her either. He understand a bit the feeling of using your lungs one way and than using your gills made the way you got air very different. It could be a bit painful and hard really at first. A reason he almost feared going in the water. He'd not used his gills in many years and to just jump into that seemed scary.

She seemed like a bit of a shell collector maybe? He'd look around by his feet for any shell close by. Could maybe help at least if they were to be on this beach together. He'd have leaned down and picked up a shell of his own as he felt the texture of it. A rare smile as he enjoyed seeing the shell actually..

He'd look up and notice she wad waving at him, he'd give a small wave back before showing his own shell he found. Maybe she would want it and maybe not. He really didn't remember much of the relationships with Mermaids and Tritons. He didn't think they were on bad terms with each other and even if they maybe were he wasn't a normal Triton either.*

"Is it okay if I come over there? If you don't want me close I will just stay over here." *Ashby would show a step of good faith and he stepped back before making a line. A way to show he wouldn't cross it unless she wanted him to.*
Kurt
*Iara's tail smacked the side of the rock. Huh. He asked...*

*That's nice.*
 
"I suppose you can approach, Triton." *The mermaid looked at the shell he held. It was a pretty... What she came up here for. Iara took the fishnet bag off her side, sweeping some of her hair behind her ear.* 
*Of course, she needs to maintain her status. So she continues to look down at him. Just in a somewhat friendlier way.*

"Good shell. A nice gradient, it has." *She tilted her head, looking down at the shell in his hand.* "You must have a good eye." *She toyed with her necklace. The waved crashed agaisnt the rock where she sat, splashing her tail enough to not let the scales dry and shift into skin.*

*Iara pulled out a shell from her bag. This one had stayed there from her last trip to the surface. She had a tendency to hoard shells and stones and never got to use all of them before she came back up.*
*She held a small conch shell. It was nice and somewhat pink. She reached down, holding the conch out for the Triton.* "I very much like this one. It's not of much need for me, as I live in the water and do not need to hear it, but it's still impressive."

*Iara inspected the triton... No signs of danger so far, good.* "My name is Iara Larimer Alannis. A pleasure to meet you, Triton."
Kenneth
*Ashby couldn't help but smile a bit at her tail smack. It had honestly been a long time since he'd actually seen a mermaid. She though seemed a bit offish?

Ashby didn't see himself in no high statue, he'd been a slave so long it made him think usually a lot less of himself than he should but it was hard not to. He'd walk over with the shell but keep a distance from the water. He still was hesitant to go into it. 

He'd watch her pull out a shell and it was very pretty. The pink seemed to make it all the more set off but one that seemed nice.* "It's a very nice shell. Even if it's not to listen to the ocean. Some shells are just nicer to have than use. Though I have no experience with using them myself."

*Ashby would give a small bow as he would introduce himself* "It's a pleasure to meet you lady Alannis as well, my name is Ashby Ayah." *He would straighten than as he would than rub the back of his neck. It wad a bit embarrassing to greet someone like that but his mother had always taught him go greet a lady respectfully.*
Kurt
*She grins.* "What a gentleman!" *The sea maiden complimented. She's used to being greeted as aloofishly as she greets in Nepsta. This is a nice change of pace.*

"Ashby Ayah... Memorable name." *She admitted, reaching down with the shell.* "Try it. I find that this shell is particularly louder than most. You might even hear a seagull." *She tittered, tapping her nails on the rock, the part of the large stone where her tail rested was darkened to a black from the waves, while the part where her hand rested was hot and dry.*

*Her nails are painted an aquamarine, decorated with tiny little shells and some sand.* "I don't believe i have ever seen you in Neptsa, or near Tritetheas... Or in the water at all." 

*She's trying to act like she actually leaves her house, as if she's so out and about that she knows everyone in the area in Tritetheas.*
*She looks him up and down curiously.*
Kenneth
"Well my mother would be very displeased with me if she knew I didn't treat a lady with respect she deserves." *He would keep rubbing the back of his neck as he was quite embarrassed by greeting her like so. But he was glad it seemed to help, he didn't want to be on the wrong foot with anyone after finally just getting his freedom.*

"Ha... Maybe memorable down there... Up here it's been not used but just recently. Which even than it... Holds no ground." *He would walk over slowly as he would take the shell slowly, trying it out as he was impressed by the sound actually being louder, it was quite an amazing find.* "You're right, it sounds a lot louder than others usually would. It's quite an impressive find and rare. You should be honored to find such a unique shell to add to your collection." *Ashby would look at her for a moment before looking away, he didn't much wish to say he was a slave as it gave odd a bad impression of him* 

"I left the ocean when I was younger, you wouldn't have seen me in either as I... Haven't set foot in the waters in over 14 years. So, it's not a surprise you have never seen me before."

*She was able to see with him closer his skin did show he'd been on land for a long time, it wasn't in the best shape from being on land and never in the ocean for so long. Though the most noticeable things were the scars, he had them all the way down his arms and some on the lower parts of his legs that showed, some of his fins were torn in areas. Than even some tears on his left ear, if she knew anything about a whip it wad obvious where the scars had come from.*
Kurt
*Her eyes widened as he mentioned he hadn't been in the ocean that long. Her eyes roamed his body, taking notice of the dry, and she guessed what used to be vibrant, triton skin. Not only that, but those scars..*

"14 years!" *A big, exasperated gasp left the sea maiden.* "How?? I feel desperate when I'm out of the water for more than 2 hours!" *Her hand reached out, soft skin feeling at the contrast that was his.* "Oh... You poor, poor, triton, whatever happened to you?"

*He looked like he was just... Snatched from his natural habitat. Her hand drew back, the bracelet where little shiny glass stones hung from on her wrist jingling from the movement.* "...You have scars, triton. Why?" *She leaned in more, moving her tail further from the water to get a closer look.*


*She's never seen a waterfolk in this bad of a condition. The most she's heard of anyone go without water was... A month. Fourteen years? That's insane.*

"Why? You must return. You could lose your fins!" *Her ears twitched.*
Kenneth
*Ashby was startled by her raise of voice, stepping back as he would pulling his arm against his chest. He didn't like talking about his time on the land, it wasn't pleasant yet he felt like going back was impossible as well. He simply had no courage to go back, it being beaten out of him a long time ago. He knew he didn't look good and most would find him unpleasant, the nicest way to put it.

He would look down as he just simply studied his feet like they were all of a sudden very interesting to look at, taking a few slow breaths as he tried to calm himself. He was okay, they didn't mean him harm.* "You get used to it... When you are forced away from the water... The first year it's... Hard... But eventually you get used to breathing not through your gills but your mouth and nose." *He still didn't feel comfortable telling her what happened but it could be easy to figure out if she'd heard any stories of what happens to Tritons in Lazaroth.*

"Tritons don't have fins like you do" *He would look up at her as he held out his arm to show the small, long fin against his skin* "We always have fins like these, we don't shift between two forms as the merfolk and sirens do. I won't lose my fins, they just are a bit... Damaged from... Lack of salt water and... A whip" *The last part being said in a very quiet whisper as he knew that his fins didn't look good.*
Kurt
*Her eyes trailed along the Triton's fin, inspecting it carefully. She was left speechless at the notion of a whip.* "Ah.." *The mermaid lifted her eyes up to look into his eyes instead.*

"..I... Cannot even imagine.." *She huffed.* "It does not hurt you to breathe as landfolk do? I imagine you are... Accostumed to it, but does it not hurt to lose... The feeling of being ever so free underwater, to float, to feel the water around you." 

*She catches herself. Her guard has fallen, her facade feels... Shattered. No, she can't be this way. She knows she'll get hurt... But she can't help but feel bad. She feels the need to listen. It feels so odd to see a triton in this state. They are always so... Majestic, so flawless in ther aquatic movements. Their skin shiny and just... She thinks the perfect water race. They were never weakened and ever so determined. He looked so sad in comparison... And she wasn't just trying to be haughty about it. She meant it.*
Kenneth
"No, I'm quite used to breathing as they do now. Sure it... Is less pleasant during the winter months. It affects my gills more but it's not... Bad." *He didn't know what to say about the feeling free underwater. It been so long since he'd even felt the water again his skin, mostly because he didn't feel worthy to go back after what happened all those years ago and than to have it beaten out of him to even think about going into the water.*

"I... I don't remember how that feels, it's been a long time since I even been in the sea... Or seen home. It... Feels far off still" *Ashby would try to give a smile like it didn't bother him. He just didn't know how to face his old home now.*

*It was nice getting to talk to someone from the sea though, she was nice compared to the usual curses and names he was called on the land. Though thinking of the full sea did scar him. He couldn't even let the water touch him yet. But he was close to it at least.* "Are you okay, miss? If I'm making you feel uncomfortable I can leave. You don't need to listen to a Triton's sad story when you came to find shells."