Evelyn
Syrena watched him attentively as he explained his unique food item, her face visibly puzzled at the mention of baking- of *Seasoning*? Her mind running through memories until she vaguely remembered a similar practice back when Tiaris still sat above sea level, seems the humans innovations continued without her- a sad yet exciting thought.

The mermaids skins glistened in the sun, her icy scaled glimmering like fine jewels as the sky's light gently kissed them. Her large innocent eyes widening with shock as he entendes his hand, as his warm skin brushed against her fingertips- such an interaction puzzled her, flustered her. Her cheeks flushed, her pale cheeks painted with a soft rose as he pulled his hands away from her. Syrena's expression quickly turned into one of excitement as she realized she held his delicious treats within her hands, part of her wanted to eat them all right there but she wouldn't forgive herself if she didn't share them will the ocean and all it's creatures. She tapped her bottom lip in pensive thought before speaking, her plush lips parting to emit words that seemed closer to a song than sentence. 

"Oceania bless you..."

She paused, realizing she was unaware of his name. She nearly called him Sylvar due to their similar appearance and demeanor- the strange kind man surely reminded her of her close friend.

"Human..."

She looked at him with curiosity and apprehension as she turned her head, her eyes locked onto him until she began to throw the chips to nearby fish- keeping a few in the bag for the fish back at Tiaris. She then turned back to Cullen once she finished throwing the treats, her eyes batting gently at him as she adjusted her hair to sit nicely over her shoulders and onto her back. 

"Would you like to feed the coralbacks with me, they would be so upset if I didn't bring them a..."

She paused for a moment, trying to remember what he called the delicious treat. 

"Hard... Kelp."
David
"Gods she is so cute!" 

**"Annoying."** Atlas countered, gagging audibly at her reactions to the food. The half demon couldn't believe how daft this creature was, and she was too slender, too delicate looking, no meat on the bones- nothing to grab. It was hideous. 

"Would you shut up?" He told Atlas in his head and muted the demon, dimming the noise the half demon could make down low so he was barely a whisper. Atlas hated when that happened and Cullen felt bad, but he didn't want anything ruining this moment. She really was grace personified. He couldn't help but look at her pretty lips as they parted and he realized that he totally *Could* Check her out, but that it was hard to beneath that sort of innocent and delicate etherealness she radiated. 

"M-my names Cullen." He stammered out, her batting eyes making him go dumb in the head for a moment. She had nice shoulders too... 

*"Cullen!"* Aranea snapped annoyed, and Cullen shook his head. 

"I'd love to, only... I think I'd drown." He said sheepishly, looking down at the depths. Even Aranea and Atlas didn't have magic that helped him breathe under water. 

"Kelp and Seaweed Chips." He said, toying with his earring again as he watched her with solemn eyes. She'd go feed the sea creatures and leave him here, and this little daydream would be over.
Evelyn
Syrena watched him with big, innocent eyes as he spoke. Her plump lips forming a small genuine smile as he told her his name- *Cullen*.

"I am Syrena. But I think your people call me the... Siren of Solitude? No that's the Yronis legend... Oh! The Lonely Maiden of Seafoam!" 

Syrena giggled as she spoke about her *Titles*. Sailors from all around the world have caught sight of her for over two centuries, solidifying her in pirates mind as nothing but a beautiful myth. 

Syrena frowned when he mentioned drowning, thoughts of Sylvar drowning flooded her mind- how did she save him again... That's it! Syrena then placed both of her hands on Cullen's cheeks, her soft palms cupping his cheeks with a firm grasp as his cheeks were smushed. She then moved closer to him before gently kissing him on the lips, pulling away from him after a moment with a bright smile on her face.

"That should do the trick!" 

Syrena then grabbed Cullen's left hand with her own before dragging both of them underwater. A carefree smile painted across her beautiful visage as they swam through the water towards the reefs floor. Looking back occasionally at Cullen to make sure he was okay as she ushered him through the briny depths. Her blue tail seemed to dance in the currents, the angelic fins adorned on the sides of her tail effortlessly dancing in the water as they danced in the waves.
David
Sea Salt Silk, A Poem, By Cullen Stellae 

"Her hands were clouds, my cheeks the suns light melting upon them, 
Eyes like crystals filled with life giving water, mine a dying man wandering the desert, 
There in the sea foam where the waves whispered nothings, there our lips met like two pilgrims blushing, 
Only a kiss, a moment of bliss, 
Alas, I can't keep it, 
The memory of something too good to be real."

Cullen drifted in the white clouds of his mental landscape with an blissful smile on his face as he rested his head on his hands, gazing up at the sky he'd made up. 

"She kissed me." 

"She was letting you breathe underwater." Aranea responded with a sigh, sitting beside him and playing with a piece of fluffy cloud. 

"The first time me and my wife met, we broke the floorboards within an hour. That was boring." Atlas grumbled, punching holes in the clouds. 

"I'm a man now." 

"No." They both said, then looked at each other in disgust. Suddenly a black hole formed as Cullen realized with horror that he'd kissed a hot mermaid babe so early on in his adventure. What the fuck?! What was he to do now? What could he look forward to in terms of babe kissing? The only way to top it was to kiss a hot fox girl like in his childhood dreams- but the chance of that happening was so slim it almost didn't exist! 

He'd peaked! Shit! 

His mental state was collapsing, so the other two souls did the only thing they could think of. They stole the memory of the kiss away from him until he was ready to handle it. 

- - - - 

"Whoa! Okay! I can breathe?! This is incredible!" He said, squeezing her hand and kicking his legs as she pulled him along, his golden eyes taking in the beautiful underwater sights. As they approached the reef floors, he couldn't help but feel he was forgetting something very important... 

Ah yes, his mead, it would get warm. Oh well, he could get more. He'd never get another moment like this.
Evelyn
Syrena chuckled at his comment, the excitement of breathing underwater apparent in his boyish tone. Once they reached the seabed she let go of Cullen's hand and placed her hands in front of her mouth to project her voice before singing.

"Oooooh Squishy!"

Her voice was like an angelic opera, the soft airy notes of her syllables dancing through Cullen's ears like he was being serenaded by the gods despite the simplicity of her notes. 

Moments of silence passed before a small blue creature with a spiny shell emerged from a small cave that laid hidden behind a frilly anemone. The small creature scurried into Syrena's arms and looked startled at the sight of Cullen. Syrena smiled to the creature before singing a quiet melody into its ear, reassuring the creature that he was a friend. 

The small coralback then swam over to Cullen and did a few laps around his head before heading back over to Syrena, digging it's head into the bag of chips given to her by Cullen, yanking it's head out of the bag with a few chips stuffed into its mouth. Syrena then shut the back before laughing. 

"Save some for me you little glutton."

The small creature then laid atop a coral shelf and happily ate thee three chips it managed to take from the mermaid as it watched the two with big curious eyes.

"I think he liked your chips... Might need some more soon. He's a picky eater."
David
Cullen simply floated and watched the two interact, he didn't have much to say. What was there to say in a moment like this? Then as he sat there he realized that he really would miss out on this if he just drowned in awe. A memory was happening right in front of him and he'd be damned if he didn't take an active part in it. So, steeling himself up he swam over to her and grinned. 

"Squishy huh? You guys must be good friends." He said, tilting his head as the coral back swam past. Blinking, he swam over to where it ate and reached into his belt and pulled out a thin but firm bristled brush. 

"Can you tell him I won't hurt?" He said gently towards Syrena, then when he had the go ahead he'd take the brush and start brushing the ridges of the coral back out, cleaning out the hard to reach places that might cause an itch here or a stiffness there. He'd seen a few of these creatures and always brought his little brush to help them and the turtles out. 

"There we go! Plus it feels really refreshing and soothing for them." He said, holding the brush out to her. "You can keep it, Syrena." It felt like a crime to say her name but he didn't want to squander this moment and not treat her like a friend. 

"So.. Does that mean you'll want to see me again?" He asked hopefully at her request for more chips.
Evelyn
Syrena's eyes widened when Cullen revealed the brush, it was a strange device. She had learned of brushes when he traveled with Sylvar but this one seemed far too tough to use on your hair. The mermaid leaned in close to examine the tool, even running her hand across the bristles, giggling as it tickled her fingertips. Squishy watched, swimming above Syrena's shoulder letting out occasional chirps. 

Syrena then gently nudged Squishy towards Cullen before whispering to the small creature.

"You'll like it! You're always whining to have me itch your shell anyways." 

Squishy then swam into Cullen's arms and let out chirps of glee as he began brushing Squishy's shell. The creature stretched out its limbs in pleasure, letting them lay limp as she closed his eyes with a smile on his tiny blue face.

Syrena clapped her hands together with bliss as she watched the encounter unfold. Coralbacks were shy animals that used their shells to blend into the rocky shores and often slept in caves away from prying eyes, it was a joy to see one- Squishy of all coralbacks warming up to a stranger.

"He loves it! Aren't his little chirps the cutest!~"

Syrena smiled as she watched Cullen finish up brushing the creatures shell, opening her arms for Squishy to swim into once he was finished. Her expression turned to one of shock as he offered his trinket before her, gently reaching out her hands and taking the brush from him. What a kind gesture, she was starting to like this... Cullen.

"Well of course! The fish want you to come back too, and not just for your chips." 

Syrena looked away from cullen for a moment, smiling to herself as she watched Squishy swim back into the solace of his cave. 

"I'd love to show you more of the sea, the tides seem to welcome you Cullen."

She spoke with grace and ethereal beauty as she mentioned the tides, she could feel how natural the water felt- how comfortable the fish were when he was around, Oceania looked fondly upon him.

"Perhaps you could show me more of the land in return?... And bring me more chips?"
David
Squishy was perfectly cute, it reminded him oddly of a kitten stretching out in the sun. Watching it swim away, his gaze inevitably drifted back to the miracle of a woman in front of him. Cullen kept finding himself shocked to see her, as if he couldn't quite comprehend that she was both real and as beautiful as she was, so he would forget until he saw her again. His face felt warm, his chest felt as if it were racing laps around his ribcage and when she looked away he hurriedly fixed his hair and would have tugged his shirt into place- but then he remembered he was shirtless and instead just pinched his own skin. At least he knew he was awake. 

"The fish... Want me back? Really?" He asked, turning slowly in the water to look at passing schools of fish that eyed them curiously. This had been his safe place as a teenager, after the move from to the Capitol realm. With an angry pirate captain as a step father, you got out of the house as much as possible. This cove had been his haven, his reminder that he *Could* Do something good for others, even if it was just fish and sea creatures that would never thank him. He never thought that they'd actually care about him. It made him cry, though it was impossible for anyone to notice since... He was underwater. Still he wiped at his face and nodded his head. 

"Okay, then it's a date Syrena. Let's see each others worlds together." He said, and he swam a little closer to her. His Drow skin caught the ripples of sunlight that filtered through the water like a dark canvas, his golden eyes pearls of optimistic hope and interest. The proposal sounded grand, it sounded fantastic, it sounded... 

"At least for the short time I'm here. I'll be gone soon, I have to go the Magios Academy." He said solemnly. He'd have to leave the next night in fact to make it on time.