<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #008080"><span style="font-style: italic">I've never had these kinds of feelings before. You're special. If there's anyone I'd listen to, ya gotta know it's you.</span> </span><br/><br/>Was Dimitri not aware that it made it sing inside her whenever he said things like that? If she had to describe the feeling, she'd say that it felt like she was made of hundreds of gently vibrating strings. She couldn't help but turn her head ever so slightly, biting her lip as she smiled. He had to know it wasn't him she was mad at, right? She tossed her hair over her shoulder and tilted her chin in a stubborn gesture. <span style="color: #4080FF">"Finding out who that man was has gotta be first priority for ya. I undahstand. Ya ma might be hurt."</span> Alannah really tried to put herself in Dimitri's shoes, but it was harder than she thought it would be to imagine that your father was a god who had ignored you all your life but now suddenly wanted something. She shook her head quickly and squeezed her eyes shut to snap out of it, tipped her head to one side and stretched a hand out to ruffle his hair. <span style="color: #4080FF">"If ya could do it without leaving, though, that'd be great. I like having ya around,"</span> she added with a grin. It was a gross understatement, but she felt like he might appreciate some lightheartedness right now.<br/><br/>Putting her hands on his shoulders, she pulled herself a little down so that she was face to face with him. Her grin had faded. Instead, she looked him in the eyes - his beautiful brown eyes, so unlike her own. <span style="color: #4080FF">"Look,"</span> she said, placing a hand on his cheek <span style="color: #4080FF">"He's a watah god, right? I'll be alright. I'm much more in dangah on land than down here. Now, what we need to do is figure out what that suity guy wants, hmm?"</span> She gave him a lingering kiss that somehow managed to taste like something else besides the salt water that surrounded them completely. Her lips curved into a small smile against his. It had become almost impossible for her not to be happy when Dimitri was around, no matter how serious or frightened he was. <span style="color: #4080FF">"Wondah what ya pa or suity guy would think of this,"</span> Alannah muttered <span style="color: #4080FF">"But no mattah what they might think, we need to figure something out. Ya know much more about this than me. So tell me,"</span> she said as she withdrew a little, staying nose to nose with Dimitri <span style="color: #4080FF">"What does ya pa really want? It can't be because he doesn't like his kid hanging around a charming shark such as me."</span></div>