Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]
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		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Exotic Solos =&gt; Topic started by: Lexandria on 03-09-2013, 09:07:12</h2>
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				Title: <strong>Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>03-09-2013, 09:07:12</strong>
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				<hr><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Trajan pro;" class="bbc_font"><strong><span class="bbc_u"><span style="font-size: 18pt;" class="bbc_size">Out of Water</span></span></strong></span><br><sup>ObscureObscinities and Lexandria</sup></div><hr><br>A storm was coming, it hovered on the edges of the sky, grey and growing, churning, blowing. The clouds swirled and moved, faster than usual, higher and colliding and growing darker and darker, blotting out the sun with their mass. The Ketos must have sensed a ship in passing, as the storm had come from nowhere. The skies had been clear, the day only as humid as the sea had made it. But now it grew darker, prematurely enough to draw her from beneath the water, to break the surface to watch. Only her eyes lifted above the barely calm surface of the water, grey as the coming tempest’s clouds. Behind her, dark tendrils of hair spread out, floating like seaweed and then clinging to her head like an octopus might, wet and heavy. <br><br>There were so few of the Ketos left in the sea, the encroaching humans continued to push further and further out into the ocean, and into the world, that the sea and its creatures were loosing their hold, just as those of the land had lost their hold and slowly disappeared. As larger creatures, Ketos were among the first to begin losing numbers. It wasn’t as if the humans were actually <em>killing</em> them, but that they just began slowly fading away as the humans contaminated everything they touched with their lack of respect for the earth that gave them life. And the world wept, the sea had grown bitter and angry at the losses of her kin and her kin’s children.&nbsp; The waters grew more dangerous with her anger, and her children grew more violent as a result.<br><br>The Mermaid knew this, had been feeling it for ages and ages, and the anger grew in her as well, as it did in them all. With the gradual losses of their kin, all the creatures were having to expand their territory, protect more and more of what was left.&nbsp; Now, the serpentine Ketos only passed through her territory once or twice a season, rather than twice a moon cycle or more. It was fortunate that one came now, giving warning and assistance to the Mermaid.<br><br>There had once been many such creatures as she, similar, anyway: some called Sirens, with stronger voices and human form, that could entrance man with a look as well as a sound; some called Harpies, though they were more like birds than fish, with claws for feet and wings for arms, they served a similar purpose, drawing the humans to their deaths with voice then tearing them to shreads; some called Kelpies, though they were of many shapes and more suited to smaller bodies of water removed from the sea, they favored a four-legged animal form to that of a human woman, though they would take that one as well. Now, she only knew of herself, and perhaps a few more like her: not quite a Siren, with only half of her of human-ish shape and covered fully in small scales; not really a Harpy, no claws or sharp implements, though her fins often appeared dangerous, like a lionfish's spines; not nearly so much a Kelpie, unable to change her form. But her job was the same as theirs: protect her territory from the humans when she could, and instill fear and respect in them for her mother and home combined. <br><br>Foolish were they for sailing so near her territory, where many a ship had sank, with no survivors, due to her vigilance. Not so many came this way any more. Now, the Mermaid made her way toward the storm. It might be that the Ketos was driving them towards her with the storm, or sneaking up on them, for it appeared a distance away from the ship as she found it. But it was growing. And she would not let them take much notice of it.<br><br>The Mermaid approached the ship, emerged from the water behind the stern where she was less likely to be noticed, and opened her mouth, mingling her voice with the wind so that it carried to the ship and into the ears of those aboard. She wove a song suggesting the storm was much farther off than it was, that the right way to go was East, that there was no reason to fear anything in that direction. They should not worry over the reef, or the storm, or the rocks. There was no storm, no reef, no rocks.&nbsp; Only the calm ocean extending before them, beautiful and serene, the way to their destination clearly laid out before them.<br><br>There were no words to the song, not that she knew the words of humans anyway, or how they could communicate so crudely with mouth noises, but it was that trait of theirs that made them so vulnerable to her will through singing. She, and the rest of the ocean’s children, could communicate with each other at will,&nbsp; the sea bringing their thoughts to one another when they wished it, not that they needed it often. Rarely did new creatures appear, so there was less reason to need to communicate with one another than before. The Ketos was raising the intensity of the storm now, even without her indicating she had entranced the crew. And perhaps it did not know, but they worked well together anyway, ignorant of the exact thoughts of the other…
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				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>06-09-2013, 05:44:24</strong>
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				The day had started out well, leaving the port of Karagosh, the hull was filled with heady rare spices, grown in the fields of the far off trading post, and well sought amongst those in the north, where the harsh winters kept any such exotic and herb from growing well. The wind had been strong, though pulling to the south, it mattered not, their course would have taken them further out into the open sea, where, while dangerous, his people often sailed, their ships built for long voyages, they were known for their time at sea. That had all been the beginning of the day of course, and as any sailor knew, let alone the Atha'an Miere, with the winds brought new tidings, and swift course changes, and even below decks where he was finishing the inventory check of his goods, insuring none had been picked or pillaged by the tax inspectors at the docks, he felt the shift of the winds pulling at the sails above, and the way his decks shifted below his feet. <br><br>With a growl barely contained in his throat he twisted around and crossed the floor to the stairs in a moment, the shifting floors following the swaying waves of the sea not bothering his step for even as&nbsp; moment as his feet found stairs and he raced up them. Born with a quickness of a boy who had to wash decks, and tie ropes, ducking the swats and kicks of men, and women older and who's way he might not actually be in the way of, he like many of his people, knew when to put some haste in their step.&nbsp; A haste that he knew was well earned as he came to the deck, his bare feet padding against the slick wood of the deck, listening to the quick shouts of the crew as they had already begun to pull ropes and tighten the sail against the stubborn winds. <br><br>For just a moment he stood still, feeling the breeze touching against the bare skin of his chest, gripping and tugging at his hair, as if the wind spirits were pulling at him personally trying to draw him to the path they were driving the ship beneath his feet already. Twisting his head he cast his green eyes around the ship, taking in the crew moving already, quickening their step much as he had. While some seafaring folk, did not know a storm brewing when it came, his kind had fared enough seas to know a quick tempest when they felt one on the air, the sea, and even in the sky before them. They moved as a team almost, men and women both familiar working beside each other did so without pause, even in the evidence that not a one of them were clad above the waist. Women as well as men bared tanned skins as they ran to see their posts. <br><br>"Will ye just stand there like a fool, or do ye plan on doing something ye blight headed fool!" The shout lifted through the air making him whip his head in its direction, to the helm, where the stiff captain stood&nbsp; grip tight, anchoring the wheel in place as she kept the till straight and true, despite the cut of the wind. Not needing told twice he cut across the deck and took the steps up to the helms deck two at a time. <br><br>"Nay, just wondering what ye intend to do when ye have dumped all me cargo to the bottoms of the sea woman!" He snapped right back, a comment that might have earned any other crewman a lashing and extra duties to the least, but he was the Cargomaster, his responsibility was keeping the ship profitable, through the wares they could carry. Despite that, he was close to the Captain anyway, she was his sister. Coming to her side he spread his legs slightly to steady himself in place without having to reach out and hold the helm, something that would earn him that lash. "Where's this storm up from? Did ye not see it on the horizon, or ye eyes failing already?" <br><br>The banter was usual, any on the ship knew it, they bickered like a married couple, but for the fact that there was never the peace of them making up. And yet cross one and the other would have a knife to their throat as quick as one couple blink, only to be swearing each other up and down five minutes later. Standing next to each other, it was not a wonder they were siblings. <br><br>She stood a impressive 5'11" almost, with shoulders that would fit a teenage boy better than a woman perhaps, but haul enough rope in a life and it happened, it didn't stop her from being well rounded with a figure that caught many a landsman eye, even when it was covered in a shirt as they did on shore. Her skin was the bronzy copper that had been sunned everday over almost through her life, but for the dark lines and designs that took life across her flesh. At the time, her dark hair was pulled into a tight knot at the back of her head, to keep it out of her face, that and to show off the several gold medallions hanging from the middle of her cartilage, down through her lobe, counting seven even, a rank and honor she showed off whenever she could. Impassively garbbed in fitting trousers, and not a thing else she working the helm. "She's spiteful today brother, the storm was not on the horizon, she spit it out as us." <br><br>A frown crossed his lips as he looked out to the growing storm on the horizon, it was small yet, but present, and even now it's winds were gripping tighter at their sail. Much like his sister, his dark hair was tied back, showing not only the hard angles of his cheeks, but the rough stumble lining them, and the glint of his own medallions, six in number, a fact his sister never let him forget of course. The resemblance did not end there, his skin as coppery as her own, darkened with the days under the hot sun, but where her shoulders could fit a boy, his were every bit the man, broad and strong, matched with arms that had held helm, rope, and jib in place since boyhood. If there were ever an Atha'an Miere whom was not trimmed by the work his life demanded, he had never met them, and thus as he too was well muscled from the hard life of a ship, garbbed in black trousers, loose around his legs, but tight at his waist. <br><br>Like his sister beside him, his skin was darkened with ink, markings that were wrought over his chest, back, arms, and his neck. For the most part many wouldn't understand them, not from the seven stars across his right chest, hovering over the curved crescent moon that curled around the nipple on his chest and lower. Signalling to any of his kind that he was of the seventh clan. Nor to that of the droplets of rain trailing from his shoulder, down to his elbow on his left arm, signalling that he had survived sailing through the eye of a hurricane and returned through the otherside. Some matched his sister, like the mark of their clan across her right breast, others were individual to the deeds he himself had done, a depiction of his life if one knew how to read it. <br><br>"If she has spit it out as us, then we will see the other end of it, or we will be joining her sooner then not sister, keep ye grip tight woman, fore if my cargo goes, and I do not die, it will be ye skin that pays for it, every last pepper!" Trying to break the brief seriousness, they'd been through storms before, but they knew the sea could be very unforgiving, and no matter how prepared they were, it was never certain if they would tread water a day sooner then not. <br><br>But then, just as he was moving to see if he could inspire a hint more liveliness in some of the other crews steps things seemed to calm down. Or at least, it felt like they were, it made him pause and offer a bit of a smirk. "Seems, sister, that ye were worrying over much, a touch of cloud on the skies and ye shake before the masts, wait till I tell ye husband how frail a lass he took." This time he did move quick, even as a knife found its point buried into the decking, not more then a few hairs from where his foot had been moments before, flung straight from the hand of his sister glaring right after him. <br><br>"See to the lines Kerian, before I find ye a real job to do!" She spit out, knowing full well she could command him around even if it was truly rare to be done, that medallion glinting in the sun on her lobe, the one more then her brother even as she loosed her grip some and twisted the helm east, it looked clearer to the east... 
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				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>06-09-2013, 09:36:05</strong>
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				The song began to take effect, the Mermaid could see it in the change in movement aboard the ship: the sounds of quickly moving humans, the shouts of mouth noises became less frantic, and the ship began to move more surely in the correct direction. Well, the correct direction to meet the fate she wished them, rather than whatever it was they planned to do upon the sea.<br><br>She could never understand why the humans wished to invade her home, to sail the sea with such irreverence. Had they not taken enough? Humans had taken over the land, every portion they could set foot on they took as their own, and then they began with the waters of the rivers and streams, until they began to conquer the sea. But the sea was not so easily felled as the land had been, and her creatures not so easily tamed. Besides, if the humans were meant for the sea, they would be better equipped to survive once thrown to the waves. <br><br>Her song never ceased, as she followed, first, the ship towards the reef as a shark follows a school of fish. Though, often the fish are aware of the shark, while this ship was not; the motion was the same. Predator verses prey, one far more likely to get the better of the other. <br><br>The wind turned, blew into the sails of the ship, furthering their speed to death. The Ketos must be aware of her, then, to move the winds so clearly in her favor. Keeping up with the speed of the ship, now, was more difficult if she was also to keep her mouth above water to sing from. Even with her arm fins extended fully, webbed fingers spread to aid her speed, her head would occasionally dip below the surface. That would not do: too much interruption and her hold would begin to break.<br><br>Dipping below the surface a moment, the Mermaid sped up and grasped onto the rudder, which remained mostly stationary with the wind helping them along and her song keeping them from noticing the danger. The rocks: large spires emerging from the sea in a jagged parody of teeth, were often avoided by anyone with sense and a head clear of her song. They marked an area of shallower water, corralled by reef as sharp as the stones that marked them. It was nearly a small island, sunk as it was below the surface. In times of low tide, the Mermaid could even pull herself onto the exposed upper portion of the reef to sun herself. If she ever had the urge to sun herself, anyway; she was not a seal.<br><br>Sometimes, though, it was quite nice to rub her long, sinuous body along the rounder, more sand-worn areas of the reef, near the center of the almost-tidepool. <br><br>The reef grew, slowly, with the wreckage of ships piling up around its base, ever growing the foundation out into the sea and expanding the Mermaid’s chances at success. Though, it partially helped that she could encourage the coral and other sea life to make a larger reef out of the bones of ships and humans below.<br><br>It might look odd, were anyone to look over the stern portion of the ship for any reason, they might see her clinging to the rudder, singing a wordless song, sending them to their doom. Her sandy colored top portion still shimmered slightly in the dimming light: the scales reflecting and refracting the scant light in shades of greenish blue suited to blending into the waves. Her hair helped, though, running over her back and long, spiny, translucent dorsal fin. It ran from the middle of her ribcage to peak near her hips, then taper back down her tail, which folded together into a point to create less resistance for the ship and herself. Getting yanked off the rudder due to her own lack of aquadynamics would be foolish, to say the least.<br><br>The sky grew darker and darker, until it rivaled night, but for the lack of stars in the sky as lightning briefly blinded her and thunder boomed and rumbled. There was no panic from above, though perhaps a slight stirring. Her song rose in intensity, now much more apparent, were they not lost in the spell, it carried eerily over the crashing waves and screaming wind, to worm into their minds and make them see what she wished. And she wished them to see safety, to stay calm, and so they did so far as she could tell. The rocks loomed, now, above. Higher and higher, until the ship slammed into the reef with all the force of the near hurricane-speed winds that had been pushing it forward. The hull cracked, splintered, burst with a sound rivaling the thunder above.<br><br>She pushed off from the rudder, flipping back into the surf for a moment. <em>’It is done.’</em> the thought carried through the water with her will, and the Mermaid knew the Ketos would hear and understand that it did not need to waste its energy on a further assault. The winds died their singular mindset, though the storm raged on, needing to blow itself out. Huge, heavy droplets of rain began to fall as more lightning raced through the sky, directly above the ship, looking as though it would strike the rock spears, though they did not reach nearly so high. <br><br>Now, the Mermaid dragged herself, with scaly hands and long arms, onto the base of one of the rocks, continuing her song to keep the humans from panicking, from attempting to escape their ship or fix the damage. Though, she was fairly certain that the huge, gaping wound in the wooden belly of the beast was more than enough to slay it. Already strange items flowed into and contaminated the water, staining it colors as wooden crates broke and bags floated into the sea. It would settle soon, all sinking to the sand below or washing ashore some distant island. The items were unimportant. Most of the crew, it seemed, were still under her spell. Some had even fallen overboard during the crash, and a few of those were not fighting the sea, who eagerly swallowed them up. Some of the others, she would watch for, and once the rest of them joined the others in the water, she would set about dragging them all under, one by one.<br><br>She had quite a collection of former humans in her reef: bleached white mazes of bone for various creatures to make home of. Sometimes she would move them around in more pleasing ways, but only if it had been a long time since she had managed to add to the collection. Humans were much more interesting in that form, and so much less destructive and invasive.<br><br>The pressure of the waves, and the filling with water, soon began to crack the rest of the ship into pieces. Bits of wood fell off into the surf, and some of the humans in the water, who no longer heard her song, tried to grasp them; as if it would somehow save them. Foolish. Many of those now white and in pieces had tried that, it had not stopped her strength from bringing them to their death.<br><br>Now, though, she watched and sang, waiting for the ship to finish its death, to sink now into the water and bring the rest of the humans with it. Then, and only then, would she stop her song to finish her work…
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				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>06-09-2013, 19:15:23</strong>
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				For a moment it had seemed that they managed to escape the worst of the storm that had been brewing, he had gone to see to the lines much as his sister demanded, checking on the crews work rather then giving more of the lines hard yank of his own. But of course, their crew were all men and women that knew them well, and despite his sisters order, and his actions, he knew just as he found, that the lines were well secured and taunt, allowing the ship to head east on the winds towards safety, knowing that they would be able to elude the storm, and find respite as long as they continued to the east, away from the open sea. Everything seemed fine with the ropes and he took up a place on deck, not willing to slip beneath quite yet on the conditions that despite them having got the head on the storm, they were still in one, and whilst an optimistic feeling warmed him, it was not beyond him to be cautious and stay above to wait it out. <br><br>Of course even when he, and the rest of the crew for that matter, were thrown to the decks, all seemed fine, everything was sound,&nbsp; he could barely even fathom why he had fallen and shook himself, lifting a hand to rub his head slowly. Pushing himself up off the deck he took a deep breath even as he did so, despite everything being fine, something...something was wrong, and for the life of him he couldn't conceive even for a moment just what it could be that was the problem. Frowning he turned to look back to the helm, where his sister had been not moments ago, but the frown only deepened when he found the place at the helm empty, his sister not in the same place she should be manning the steering of the ship.<br><br>Confusion, and yet something immediately was trying to reassure him, his own mind maybe, that everything was fine, he found himself making up excuses for his sister. Perhaps the woman had to pee at just the wrong time, he let out a faint chuckle shaking his head at his own thought, but a nagging feeling remained, it was not like his sister to leave her post during something important, even if they were making their way away from the storm, why had she not called someone else over to keep the helm steady so they stayed on course. The wind supplied them plenty of direction, forcing their ship the way it had gone, but it still needed a hand on the helm, to keep her steady and true. Yet, that feeling was not enough yet to free him and he shrugged it off, washed over with the potency of the song laying over his mind clouding it. <br><br>And then with an earth shattering note, his world, and the spell around him, broke away completely, as if the illusion of safety had been ripped away viciously to burn into the wound that was tearing itself through him all at once. What could cause that note, that clarifying deafening roar into his senses that freed him, was none other then the horrifying sight before him. His sister had not left her post, she had been thrown from it, crashing into the reef, which had pitched their ship forward, had thrown many to the deck, but with her closer to the stern at the helm ,it had flung her completely free of the deck, out over the helm.&nbsp; Without having seen it he knew what had happened from the results, sailing through the air she had connected, viciously, with one of the masts, under the same spell that had broken around him, she had not reached out or braced herself in the least. Now, the green eyes that mimicked his own so well, stared dull and glassy at him, from the heap she had fallen into at the base of the mast, her neck bent at an impossible angle, her breasts stilled, with no indication of the desire for life that beat in a human heart. <br><br>Anguish, pain, fury, disbelief all washed through him, flooding his senses and blinding him. He took a step towards his sister before stopping. The ship was not moving, or rather, it was not working with the ocean. He felt the waves hitting it, the swell smacking into it, but crushed up against the reef, and taking water likely, it did not move right, and he felt the difference now. "All hands! All hands, move ye damn fools we've struck ground!" His eyes tight on that expressionless dead eyed face for a moment longer even as he shouted, before he tore himself away. His sister was dead, there was nothing he could do for her now, it was bitter, but it was the way of a hard life, his business was with the living. <br><br>Running he grabbed the closest man to him, whipping the back of his hand across his face viciously. "Snap out of it man! We're going down! Wake up!" Yet despite the strike, the man couldn't seem to shake free, looking at him blankly, as if his cheek was not already reddening from the backhand. Growling he grabbed him and threw him up over a shoulder. "Damnit!" Hefting the man up his eyes searched desperately he knew the waters would be dangerous but if they were on a reef they had a chance of surviving the storm clinging to rocks. Moving to the side of the ship he threw his mate into the water, spotting several more already in the water, floating, a couple had already drown, another was beginning to fight, to swim some, but looked shaken, confused. "Make for the reef! Grab anyone you can!" He didn't know if he was heard, couldn't help if he wasn't. <br><br>Whipping around his eyes surveyed the deck there were several more crew members down, splintered wood from the crash having taken their life much as it had his sisters. Filing away there names, and dismissing them silently he ran to a woman splayed across the ground, she was still breathing, and dazed, staring up into the pitch colored sky as if looking at a lazy cloud. "Get up!" He couldn't help shouting, even if he knew they didn't seem to hear him, his own ears felt stuffed, cottoned up, the only thing he could really hear was the blood rushing through his head, his heart beat pounding a desperate rhythm. When she didn't respond he hauled her up onto his shoulder too, making for the edge of the ship, but that was when he felt it shudder, groaning&nbsp; under the pressures of the sea and the damage he took. He knew he couldn't make another run back, instead this time, he jumped free, carrying the woman with him into the sea. <br><br>The water hit like a slap to the face shocking, but he knew it well enough to recover quickly immediately swimming, an arm caught around a shoulder and under the arm of the woman, his legs kicking and his free arm sweeping through the dark waters. Despite the lack of hearing, he more felt the crackling of timbers as the hull was forced pressed harder, fighting the sea but losing. Part of him wanted to look back, but he didn't have time, finding the reef, he hauled the woman with him to it, and pushed her up to one of the rocks. "Hold on!" Moving her hands into place he slapped her, this time unlike with the last man, that final slap seemed to snap her out of it, perhaps it had been the water in her ears muffling, but her fingers clenched and she latched onto the rock gripping it for the life that it could sustain. <br><br>Nodding he twisted around and finally got a glimpse of the ship, timbers breaking apart, and taking as much water he was starting to sink, to be swallow by the angry sea, and the weight of the wood was pulling those closest in the water, struggling to swim or floating dead, down with it. With a growl he pushed his feet off the reef, and used it as an extra push through the water, his strong arms pumping as he swam for the furthest body that looked alive in the water. Clearly intent on trying to save as many as possible, but knowing the ones closest to the ship would get pulled down first by the tow. Distinctly unaware of any other dangers these waters hid. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>09-09-2013, 03:50:27</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				One of the humans seemed to have broken completely from her hold, a bit unusual, but not completely unheard of. Usually they woke when they fell into the water and began to die, if they broke out at all. Many did not, and simply remained still and calm in the water, limp as if they were already dead. Those ones did not fight the waves when they washed overhead, nor did they notice much as the fierce water slammed them into the rocks in a parody of the actions of the ship moments before. Those would wait quietly, calmly for their death, unable to escape.<br><br>The others struggled, swam against the pull of the tide, or clung to the rocks and bits of ship. Those were the ones she would have to finish herself, one by one. <br><br>The one that had woken completely, still aboard the ship, did not try to escape at first. Usually, if one awoke and saw the situation, it would try to preserve its own life in the selfish way of humans. But this one did not. It tried to wake others, and then suddenly threw one into the water. That was amusing, for the one it threw in remained in her hold. Helping her, was it? Though unintentionally. Still, this was interesting and new. Perhaps she would save that human for last.<br><br>It jumped into the water, and again attempted to save another human. This one was taken to the reef; it even managed to bring the other human out of her hold. And then it turned back towards the ship that was rapidly falling to the sea. All the humans that were going to escape the sinking ship were likely already off, the suction would pull any still aboard down. Now it was time for the Mermaid to finish her job.<br><br>The song stopped as she slipped into the water, head first, her dorsal fin expanding and tail fins spreading even before they entered the sea, ready to propel her quickly through the surf. Sometimes, she contemplated adding to the fear of those who had awoken, by slowly pulling down those that were caught in her hold first. But that would be cruel, and too much like a thing the humans would do. She had seen them and their cruelty, and was better than they in her ways. The humans that were still awake and aware would go first, it was only logical.<br><br>The first she took was the one the Interesting Human had saved, had brought to the rocks. It clung to and shivered upon the rocks, fingers clinging to the sharp, craggy surface. The first few tugs at its legs did nothing but cause screaming and panic, scrabbling at the rocks with careless hands, causing splits in the skin that ran red blood down the arms. Remaining submerged, the Mermaid changed tactics, raising enough that one arm could wrap around the human’s middle, and the other reached out of the water, to grasp a hand and pry the fingers free from their hold. Yes, now it was easier. The human came quickly into the water, struggling and flailing against her hold. But it was no use. The Mermaid pulled it down, down, down to the ocean floor, and held it against the sand until the struggles stopped and it grew limp and lifeless. <br><br>Then, the Mermaid moved onto the next, a human clinging to a bit of broken wood from the ship, kicking its legs to help keep it afloat. This time, she managed to pull it under in one smooth motion, the plank of wood accompanying the human to its death. The process was repeated, again and again. The humans who slowly woke from her spell would panic and try to make for the rocks, and often, the Mermaid managed to get to them before they made it. Keeping them off the rocks was of utmost importance: they were like barnacles; so difficult to remove once they made it. <br><br>The only human she left alone was the Interesting Human. The one that acted against what she knew to be the norm for them. That one, she avoided, though managed to pull down any it returned to the rocks, as she had the first one.&nbsp; It was, above all else, a frustrating creature, pulling from her spell more humans than normal. How did it do that? That made it interesting as well.<br><br>Quickly, the number of humans alive dwindled in number, until there was only the one left. The Interesting Human. Now that her job was nearly complete, what was she do to with him? Kill him, obviously, but there was some reluctance to do that just yet. It was different, acted different, perhaps it would do something else interesting?<br><br>The mermaid remained, never breaking the surface and never straying far from the interesting one. She wanted to see what it would do, how it would act now that it was alone, and had presumably noticed how all the rest kept being pulled under.&nbsp; Was it afraid? Did it know what she was, that she was watching it? What would it do now?<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>09-09-2013, 20:03:30</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				At first, he missed it, all that was going on around him. He was too busy swimming hard through the churning sea to each of his fellows and ferrying the crewmember back to the reef. Even when he brought them to the rocks, at first, he didn't notice the one before them missing, instead he just dove back out into the water, concentrating entirely on saving as many of his fellow crew as he was able to do, knowing that the stormy waters were not kind, and whatever had come over not only him, but the rest of the crew was leaving his fellows to drown. Though, his ignorance to what was happening, could honestly only go on so long, though at first he legitimately let his mind correct what was happening without thinking of worse threats. The sea was not tame, and the waters rough, even with the rocks to hold onto, the crew were tired, confused, and the storm was still in height, even if it was not growing worse then it was, they must have lost their grip, and been stolen by the waves once again. Or perhaps even, he fooled himself, they had taken to his mission, attempting to help save another cast into the sea.<br><br>But that fantasy could only live so long, and what finally stripped it away was as he swam out again, his legs and arms burning with the exertion of swimming back and forth so hard against the seas current, he saw one of the crew simply sink, drawn down into the sea without reason or tremendous struggle. It was what stopped him stilling him in the water as he kicked, and used his arms to keep himself afloat, his body living and rocking with the swaying waves even as he eyed the patch of dark water where the woman had been remaining afloat&nbsp; just moments before. Twisting in the water he looked back to the reef, he was not far from it now, and where he had dragged the last crew member, but the rocks were bare yet again, nothing remaining there in the least, he had carried at least five of his crew back to that reef, and he knew one of them would have had the strength, and sense, to remain in place...<br><br>Perhaps, flailing, and searching the waters would have slipped into the mind of someone else, the need to find or seek out whatever was taking the crew, as he could tell now even through the storm he was alone in the water, but he did not do either of those things. Still stunned, fighting the image burned into his mind of his sister cast to the deck, neck twisted the wrong way ,and that dull glassy dead eyed stare that he had returned, he had no reason to flail or panic. Instead he kept treading water, and moved closer to the rocks, swimming slower now, at a more relaxed pace as he cut through the water, fighting the ever aggressive waves. He had done what he could, had he not, tried to save those he had sailed with, though his efforts had quite clearly been in vain, for there was a purpose to the sea tonight, and her purpose was to see that he and his fellows see the waters through those dark dimmed eyes. <br><br>"Enough, ye have already taken it all from me already." His voice lifted, but it was not a shout, he doubted that if there as something claiming his crew members, which he very much felt there was now that he could see blood, and bits of nail clinging to the rocky surface of the reef where his crew had held desperately before they had vanished beneath into the dark waters like each of the others. "I be the only one left, ye see? It is my time now ye cold cruel woman. Take me to ye tides, I will not fight, I know when my time comes." He was not referring to the mermaid, unaware of it, but to the sea itself, knowing she would pick and chose her time for him much as any other sailor who took to the seas, and he was simply done fighting it now, done struggling against it. His ship was gone, his sister and crew were dead, and he was swaying in the wicked twists of the ocean. Fighting the inevitable, in this situation, was pointless. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>10-09-2013, 12:06:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				And now it did nothing. The Interesting Human did nothing but call out and seem to slow it's frantic movements. It seemed to give up, almost. She had seen it before, when they realized there was nothing they could do, some humans simply accepted it and went limp without her song to guide them. Others would fight, frantically, their fear getting the better of them or their survival instinct kicking in and refusing to give up. This one though... this one, that had put the others of its kind above itself, that she had observed work itself near exhaustion, was just going to give up now that it was alone? That was... disappointing. More than disappointing.<br><br>Could it not live without others of its kind?<br><br>That was a preposterous notion, though, she had seen lone humans on their own before. But, again, this one was different, interesting, more. Instead of trying to save itself, it tried to save others, and that was admirable, somehow. Still, it was disappointing that it would just give up and let the storm take it. She had saved it for last, had not taken it when she should have, and it should be grateful, not giving up. Not that she would let it love long, but it might surprise her again, if she let it hang on for a while. The mermaid, who had emerged enough from the water to observe, as she had with the ship before, lowered back below the surface, pondering her next move. <br><br>It really did seem like a shame to end it now, to pull it under. But if she did not, soon the storm would finish the human for her. That would be the right of things, surely, but what would it hurt, to allow it further life? Reward it, perhaps, for being better than any other human she had observed before. Give it a little longer to live, perhaps? Rescue for it would not come: unless a ship were tricked into coming this way, the humans steered clear. She really was quite good at fulfilling her function. Except right now. Soon. Soon would she finish her work.<br><br>Moving towards the human from below, the Mermaid considered her options. She could just tug him under, either to kill it or spur it to some action by only submerging it for a second. But that would be like playing with her prey, and that was not something she did. Not normally, anyway. The concept did hold some appeal, though: some part of her thought it might be amusing. She could also propel it towards the reef, to see if it would decide to take the opportunity to attempt to save itself. And then what would she do? Let it waste away upon the rocks?<br><br>Drawing this out was much like playing with her prey, was it not?<br><br>Though, she seemed to be considering the human might not be her prey. At least not now. Perhaps when the storm was over. For now, she floated below the human, looking up at it, weighing her options. First, it must ride out the storm. Her second option was the best. Raising slowly, she began nudging the human towards the reef. First, she used her tail to shift the water, but that was far too slow, and was more likely to propel her away than move the human forward. She would just have to touch him then; at least that would give the human a chance to do something interesting again. <br><br>Emerging was still well beyond the question, but she swam forward, her hair spreading out like an octopus' inkblot, providing some cover, though the storm should be more than enough: the skies were dark, the rain poured down, and the waves were violently turbulent. The Mermaid pushed the human, her hands, webbed and scaled, pressed to the human's back, towards the middle of its spine but below the shoulders. She did little to keep it's head above the waves that rose and fell about them, but the reef was not far, and soon it was near enough to grasp the rocks, if it so wished. Again, the Mermaid pulled back to watch, to see what it would do...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>12-09-2013, 08:58:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He was prepared, fighting the ocean herself was not something even he expected himself to be able to do. He was a sailor, born, raised, and would die one, on the waters where he belonged, taken by the waters much like any of the others whom had been taken into the dark waters around them. That was one small concession to his mind, that his sister, dead, had been returned to the sea was was proper among their people, to be placed back in the waves to which they spent their lives sailing. With that small thought to sooth him, he had been ready for the sea itself to reach up and take him down into the dark waves drown him and cast him to whatever shoes that he may wash, if ever to find a home upon a sandy beach, or to forever dwell beneath the crushing tides that had held ever so weary a bond between him and the ship he had lived.<br><br>And yet, nothing came, the waves yes washing over his head sometimes, but more often then not he could kick and keep his head above the surface, having swum much, aside from the ache and exertion in his limbs, he had the advantage in this kind of water to many of the landbound sailors, men who spent only time on the ship when they worked. No, he and his kind had lived on the seas, seeing them everyday, and knew them well, waves even in a storm like this, were not likely going to catch him, until every bit of his strength was leeched away out of him. Unfortunately, that was a fate that could come quicker in waters such like this, fighting to keep above the cresting waves was work, especially with the waters churning in such vicious ways. <br><br>"What in the seas!" It came out sputtered, a wave smashing into his face even as he spoke out, almost going under and taking a large swallow of salt water, which he managed to avoid barely spitting viciously, blinded by the water in his eyes. It was what he felt though, that astounded him so, fins, he knew fins when he felt them after all, and scales, against his back, pushing, obviously, towards the reef he had made the swim towards so often. Perhaps, had it been the sleek flesh of a dolphin it would have been less surprising, but he did not know many scaled creatures in the sea with the sense, or rather, the inclination, to in anyway assist a person in the water. <br><br>When he was brought close enough to the rocks to reach, and the pressure disappeared as suddenly he did just that, grabbing onto them and hauling hard, despite the protest of his aching arms. The rocks scratched his chest, scraping and cutting him as he hauled his own soaking weight out of the water just some. Trying to find hold, and get just high enough from the water, that the battering waves hitting the stones would not slam him into the rock, or worse, tear him away form it. Though, soon as he did reach a point he found footing and turned himself, facing out to the dark water he had been pushed through, sharp eyes squinting at the water, though the sky was beginning to lighten, the storm slacking. <br><br>"What be out there..." His voice came from panting gasps, his chest bleeding and heaving as he tried to catch a breath even as he searched. There were stories, of all number of creatures in the sea, and some of his people believed them, he had always felt himself more practical a man, as Cargomaster, he kept sense in his head. No matter how many times his sister told tales of serpents she heard of, he always challenged her to give him proof, show him something to prove her fantasies. It would end in fights usually, but now he found himself thinking of her stories, as painful as any thought about her was, of things in the sea other than the usual sea creatures they had found. <br><br>"Show yer'self! Ye have nothing to hide! Think ye be afraid of a stranded man?" He knew how little a chance he would be to find help, free of the spell, he knew he was in a place that ships did not sail, did not come back from. And now he knew this reef was responsible for it, hidden as it was for the most part, unless a storm churned the waters wrong, a ship could easily strike here, even without the darkest skies like they had suffered through. But what in gods name had made them think that this was safe. Though, part of him wondered if he was still being crazy, he was shouting at the water after all...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>16-09-2013, 09:56:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Well, her assistance seemed to have spurred the human's survival instincts. It grasped onto the rocks and eventually managed to pull itself free from the sea, though with some injury caused to its chest. Humans really were far too fragile, too soft. She, with her scales and toughened skin, could slide along the rocks of the reef without injury, the roughness often felt soothing, like scratching an itch. Now, of course, she did not press hard to them, because even that <em>would</em> break her skin; the Mermaid was not invulnerable. But still, she was not as flimsy as the human.<br><br>And what now? Now that it knew that something was out here, something that had saved it. It even yelled out, using those mouth-noises and words, as if to address her! Perhaps it expected a response? Tonal quality suggested that it was challenging her, commanding her, as if she would give it the satisfaction of obeying whatever it was it wanted her to do. Just like a human to do that, too: they thought the world should bow to them, and not the other way around. But, perhaps this one was learning differently? Being spared might teach it some humility. Perhaps.<br><br>Probably not, actually.<br><br>The Mermaid pondered, going over her options once more. Now that the human was free of danger, what was she to do? Let it be? It would eventually die if left on the rocks, with no ship to rescue it. And she would not allow another ship to approach her territory and then leave unscathed. She could pull it back under, or sing it into returning to the water, but then what was the point of having saved it? Perhaps, if it made it back to land, it could warn others away from her territory, discourage others from drawing near. It would help the sea to reclaim a portion of itself that had been lost to the humans. They should fear the sea, and had become far too comfortable using the sea as they would land to travel from one place to another.<br><br>As she circled around, the Mermaid allowed a bit of her tail to raise above the waves for a moment, the portion with the spiked dorsal fin that ran down her mid-back to the middle bottom of her tail. The long, slender appendage crested, curved as a sea serpent might, while swimming through the surf. Her scales, a dark blueish-green, glistened and appeared darker as the hazy light distorted their coloration. Part of it was to tease the human, to strike fear into it, and part was more curiosity, more of her wanting to see what reaction it would give. Would it yell more? Make more mouth noises as if she could understand the meaning they held? Would it display fright? Perhaps, if she gave it the indication that there were creatures that could kill it, that searched the seas just to eliminate the humans, it could discourage others from entering the water. From invading her home.<br><br>If she could get it back to land somehow.<br><br>That, was still a bit of a conundrum. The Mermaid sank below the surface again, and circled behind the human before emerging, after a time, to partially to look at the land creature. The top of her head to the tip of her nose was exposed to the air, but then she rose a bit more, so that her shoulders emerged as well. What would it do, were it to turn around and see her? Now would be a good time to begin her song, to lull it into not noticing her, but she did not. Would it think she was another human? That was the reason for her upward appearance: her scales faded from the blue green at her waist, into a more sandy-colored hue. There were still hints of the watery color, and this would help camouflage her while submerged, but the coloration was near the correct range for some human skin tones as well, and so if she was seen, she would be mistaken, often, as a human. At a passing glance, anyway. There were differences, though: Her ears were long, and ended much like fins might: tapered to aid her speed in the water, and to help catch sounds above it. Her eyes were large and grey, almond-shaped, with larger scales about them, to add extra protection to such a vulnerable area. Her hair was the closest part of her to actually being the same as a human: it was made the same, acted the same, though was inky black, thick, and terribly long. Now it clung to her head, heavy and wet again, trailing down and sticking to her neck and shoulders where they poked into the air.<br><br>She waited, watching, figuring that she could always kill the human if it reacted poorly. She still might, actually; it was her duty to do so, after all...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>16-09-2013, 20:41:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Perhaps he was crazy, thinking that he could expect some kind of answer from the waves he was shouting at, even if he believed there was something there beneath the water, it would be impossible for some sea creature to understand him, let alone pop up and explain themselves to him. It was a ridiculous suggestion, and his rational mind was berating himself or it, and yet it was still the impulse he had. Not to plead, no, he didn't want to plead for his life, he was not begging to survive this some how, he had accepted his death already when he was in the waters waiting to be taken like the others of his crew. Nothing had changed with the fact that he was now perched against the rocks gripping them tightly, intent on keeping himself from going back into the water. He knew he would still likely die, but now he had the chance, perhaps, to see what it was coming at him, see what fate was awaiting him, and it made the anger in him rise, to rub raw against the acceptance of his fate. <br><br>This was his death though, his fate, he had to choose truly, for while he was at safety now, he knew the likelihood of a ship coming to get him, knew the chances that one would come to this place, and knew that it meant he would die of thirst, long before there was a chance for him to be saved. He did not attempt to fool himself, to convince himself otherwise, it was why he had told the sea to take him before, he was smart enough to understand what position that he was in, and what it would mean for him, death. Accepting death though, was not always easy, and choosing his own fate, made it harder. He knew he could keep to the reef, out of the water, away from whatever dwelt beneath, but he also knew that to die of thirst was a slow, wretched death, which would last for days.<br><br>The movement, different from the waves drew his attention immediately, of course he had been watching the waters but his thoughts had been his focus, but that fine, the spines, the sinuous sweep of them near the top of the water, just slipping out of the waves. It was enough to chill him, it was not the back of any fish he knew, and he had spent his entire life on the seas, long enough to know the common, and have seen the rare even, but he had never seen something shaped quiet as it was. Especially the length of it, as he watched it stroke casually through the churning waters. Taunting him perhaps, but yet again he was foolishly attributing personality to his enemy, to the creature that would take him and end him. <br><br>"The gods did not favor we highly today." The words fell from his lips softly, thoughtfully, more to himself then anything else. He was estimating the size of whatever was in the water, by the fin and length that he had seen, and he was vastly wrong with the idea coming to his mind of a large sea serpent, gnashing teeth, and vicious muscles made to crush. What he couldn't factor in, was what had pushed him towards the reef, the pressure against his back, guiding him through the water...it had not felt like the long scaly side of a great serpent. <br><br>Regardless of his confusion, he was debating the choice between dying of thirst, or throwing himself into the water to wrestle a sea serpent, and likely die in the attempt when he turned some and spotted something off color. It made his head whip back as he realized it was a head, and he tensed ready to push himself off of the reef already, if there was someone afloat still, treading water.. But he stopped, his fingers tightening on the stone as his eyes, sharp as they were, focused on just what he was seeing. The face was not familiar, and while it looked right, in color, it was not as dark as it should be, not blemished by the sun as any of his crew would be, their skin darkened under the blistering heat at sea. <br><br>All the stories again came through, the creatures his sister had always insisted lived in the waters, it made him clench his teeth realizing that this, had to be, one of those such creatures. "Ye, killed me crew, what do ye plan for me." Part of him, wanted to leap off the reef, right at the creature, attack, relentlessly, but caution swayed him, even with the knowledge he was bound to die either way. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>17-09-2013, 13:13:01</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Again, the human demanded of her, once it saw her in the waves. That did not take nearly so long as she had thought, this human seemed to be keen of eyesight. No matter. It had seemed somewhat set on edge, from the tensing of its body that she could see through the murky water, when she had exposed a portion of her tail to it. Never before had she teased or toyed with a human, it was an odd sensation. Worse, still, was how she had not yet decided what to do with it. Now that she had worked so hard to save it, to spare it the fate of all the rest, she was reluctant to kill it. That was a feeling she had never experienced either. What in all the seas was happening to her?<br><br>She should have pulled the human under before this strange sympathy had started. Stupid, stupid, stupid. But what was done was done, and now she had to figure out what to do with it. The creature that demanded something, answers perhaps, from her. As if she could understand what it meant. Foolish thing.<br><br>The human seemed even more agitated when it saw her, the demand aside, it had clung all the harder to the rocks and the saving reef, and seemed more afraid now that it had seen her face than it had when she had shown her tail. That was interesting also. This human was so very, very <em>interesting</em>. Yes, it would be a shame to kill it. Perhaps she could instill in it what she wanted it to know, what the other humans should think of when sailing the sea? When invading her home?<br><br>She moved closer, sinking a bit into the water, drifting just enough that she could get a better look at the human. This was something she had not tried before: altering her song to convey the feelings she wanted to convey now, to try to force an understanding into the human, rather than unthinking obedience to it. Opening up her mouth, the song began again, once more seeming to be little more sound than the waves and wind, it worked around the human. This time, no feelings of well-being, of calm and uncaring. No illusions. She wove fear of the water, of the sea, into her song, tried to urge respect, to give meaning to the fear she caused: 'You are not welcome here. This place is not for you. You wish to leave, now, and never return. Stay out of the sea.' All those thoughts, she tried to convey into emotions and general feelings. She even, towards the end, pushed for a fear so strong it would fuse into panic, into hysteria, at the thought of being in or on the water. And then, abruptly, she stopped, narrowed her stormy eyes, and waited for the song to lose hold.<br><br>Did the human understand her meaning? Did it know, now, that it was not welcome in the sea? That it was not welcome here especially?<br><br>The song, brief as it had been, would lose hold quickly, even quicker, perhaps, that the human had lost hold of her first song so easily and so well. Perhaps it would not understand at all, or her song had not come out correctly. Either way, she rose back out to her shoulders, and tilted her head, awaiting response. This human might understand. And if it did, it would be worth allowing it to live, finding it a way back to other humans. Perhaps it would keep some from re-entering the oceans, would spread the word and allow herself and her kin to retake portions of the sea and grow stronger again. Perhaps...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>19-09-2013, 20:23:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				His decisions were being pushed, he had to make one sooner or later, and the creature, there was only one conclusion for what it had to be, the human appearance, and yet the fins, and the obvious place in the water. It was a mermaid...but most stories, rumors of mermaids were of lovely half human women, whom lived in the sea. Luckily, he was not on of the foolish sailors who spent most of their life at land, telling stories of the sea to people whom have never set foot on a deck. No, he knew that a mermaid was not some flowering waifish lass whom would call up, and share a kiss to a sailor in the the sea. But rather mermaids were vicious, some known for grabbing sailors out of their ships and dragging them to the floor of the sea, to mate, only the sailor would never surface again. <br><br>He had never believed in them, not once, he had told his crew, and his sister both that they were fools for the stories they shared, that there were fish, and bigger fish in the sea, with plenty of things to kill them without having to make up stories of other creatures prepared to do as much. And yet, it was ironic, that he was staring face to face with one such creature he had insisted time and time again had not existed, haunting the waters, and oh so clearly killing sailors much as the tale described, except for not exactly. After all, their had been women among the crew that had been taken, and while he had witnessed one of the crew being drug beneath the waves, he couldn't imagine it for anything more then a watery grave. <br><br>When she started to move closer, he glared and gripped the stone, ready to fight this now, it was something he could at least partially. The waves, the sea herself, was too great a fight to be had, he knew he would die, but he could go down struggling if that was what was coming to him, especially if this mermaid was going to be the one sealing the fate for him. But she didn't cut close enough to grab him, or at least he didn't think she was close enough to do that, and when she started to sing it made him frown deeply for a moment. It was.. familiar, and yet, he couldn't..<br><br>An understanding, began to reveal itself, her singing, her song, it was what had lead them to this reef, what had convinced them of their safety, what had brought them to their deaths. That understanding came, before the wash of thoughts, feelings, fears, there were no words of course, but it was as if he could feel the meaning and it made his nails dig against the stones they held slightly, rather then convincing him, or rather, while it made him fearful, it also made him stubborn, and angry. But that anger was displaced at a sudden well of fear so great that it washed the anger away, a fear he had honestly never felt before, having always been&nbsp; bold brave man, the depth of what fear he suddenly felt seemed endless.<br><br><br>And then just as suddenly it was gone, the fear, the sound, everything, his mind clear once again and her staring at him, closer and once again partially risen out of the water, and he could not glare. The lingering feeling, the fear that hovered there it made him cautious, scared really, but not to the same depth. "Whatever ye are, ye are wrong. I belong in the sea, I am Atha'an Miere." His voice was soft though, clearly even his kind did not know the true depths of the sea, not when creatures such as she truly existed, and yet they were but rumors and stories among the. As much as his words might suggest he didn't understand, or rather disagreed, they were spoken softly, and his eyes turned towards the place where the ship had gone under, where his sisters form would find her final rest, saddened, troubled, the weight of the death coming on his shoulders, he did not look to hold the same stubborn fire over the sea as he had moments before. <br><br>That decision, still hadn't been resolved in his head, to attack, to cling to the rock, he would be dead either way he knew. His gaze switched back to the protruding head and shoulders above the waters watching her.&nbsp; "You killed my sister, my friends, and now you want me to leave my home? Why haven't you just killed me too?" He didn't understand.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>22-09-2013, 12:48:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The human seemed to come out of her song quickly. Far more quickly than she had expected, even given the resistance it had shown before. But it seemed as though it had caught enough, had transmitted enough of of what she wanted it to, that the human understood. That was good, though her plan was still a little vague, a little uncertain, it seemed that something new was in order, something new and different had to be done, or the humans would keep coming and coming, until there was nothing left of the ocean's power and everything had been lost to them.<br><br>She would not allow that to happen, if she could help it.<br><br>It did seem, that even before her song had begun, that the human feared her. That was good, too. That showed that it had some respect for her, for the creatures of the sea. Or.. well, it could also mean that it figured out that she was the one that caused the deaths of the humans it had traveled with, that she had been the one to aid in the sinking of the ship. Either way, she would take it as a positive thing.<br><br>It spoke to her, this human did, and again she understood none of its words. But, she did draw some meaning from the tone, the fear, it seemed to be trying to convince her of something, to plead with her. Foolish human. It looked towards the site of the ship's demise, and seemed troubled. Well, more troubled. Had it really such a strong connection to that construct? To the other humans within? It had tried to save them, to save as many as it could. It was the first human the Mermaid had seen attempt such a selfless feat. A part of that reminded her of herself, of her fellow creatures. Each and every one of them strove for the same goal, would sacrifice anything to protect their home. There was a selflessness in her kind that she had not seen reflected in humans before this one. And it questioned her now, perhaps asking what she might ask: why?<br><br>In truth, she wished to know why the humans felt the need to invade and destroy her home, to harm her mother and creator. It was the same question, the one they both asked, or the one she asked and the human seemed to ask. She opened her mouth again, singing another new song, one of curiosity, of respect, of longing to save something, someone. And then, without waiting to see the human's response this time, the Mermaid dove, flashing the entire length of her sinuous body: head and long hair, shoulders and chest and spine and torso, long dorsal fin along a longer tail, and the forked end to that tail, which glistened and splashed the surface just as the sun broke through the dissipating clouds.<br><br>She remained below for a time, searching the wreckage, until she found what she was looking for. Breaking it free of the ship, she slowly allowed the mid-sized chunk of wood to raise to the surface. There was a bit of rope dangling down into the water as the mass bobbed above the waves, and she slowly dragged it over to the human, remaining below the water again. Likely, with her coloration, it would not see. Or, at least, not see well enough to truly make her out.<br><br>But then, the human had shown it had keen eyesight, so she might not ever be able to predict what it might see and what it might not.<br><br>Now, to wait and see if it would take her offering...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>23-09-2013, 00:38:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Was watching her closely, even more so then he had before, and when she went to open her mouth he lifted his hands, loosening his hold on the stones yes, but trying to cover his ears before she could begin to sing again. It was an attempt he didn't manage, but her song was not as thick as it was the first time, the second time had been less so, and this time it was short. She did not sing long and the message if it could be called as much, the summation of feelings and imagery that she was trying to communicate, came across quickly, despite the questionable clarity of it all. It left him stilled for a few moments till she moved, and her movement was enough this time, to snap him out of the lingering note that she left off on in her dive, the shocking exposure of not only&nbsp; her head, but the entire length of her sinuous and dangerous, body, as she whipped it up, then back down under the waves once more. <br><br>His hands found purchase on the stones again gripping, even as his eyes darted across the top of the swaying waters, the sun coming through helped slightly, but the waters were still dark in the growing light, and deep. And it left him desperately trying to get an eye on the creature that he was dealing with. After all, she had killed so many of his crew, why instead of just doing as much with him, had she brought him to this rock, and then tried to communicate.&nbsp; Confusion was strongly what she had managed to speak to him, rather then anything else. <br><br>After all her messages were contradicting in ways, fear and not belonging, and the second of respect and curiosity, saving. The last of which was the most painful for him to try to grasp, because saving someone, was something that had been denied to him over and over, by her nonetheless. It was not a hard conclusion to come to, that those he had ferried to the rocks, had not simply slipped away from them, but rather they had been taken, drug to the bottoms of the sea. Why would she make him feel as she had, after doing what she had done. <br><br>Tensed, ready for anything to happen, for that long body to come out of the water at him and grab him. But not ready for exactly what did happen, when the wood came up to the surface he spotted it quickly enough for a moment, before he saw it travelling closer to him. Against the waves that were in the water he knew that it was not moving of it's own will and let out a cold laugh. <br><br>"Is it too much work now, for ye to come up after me creature? To take me from the perch ye gave me." Understanding the Mermaids motives were as difficult for him, as for her to understand his words, the gap, the bridge between them was too infinitely large for either to cross significantly, and the meaning behind each of their words were lost on the other, even with her songs and the feelings they gave, they could not sooth the lack of trust that lay in his heart. <br><br>That though, did not mean he was not to accept the offer. "Do what ye must creature, I die either way as I sees it." With that, he relaxed his hands slowly, again, his palms bloody from gripping the sharp stones so tightly to keep himself in place, his heels hurting from having set them and kept them dug back into the stone as much as possible. He would not last here regardless, in the water, or on the rocks, starving slowly. That acceptance he pushed away from the rock and let himself fall back into the water, grasping the wood immediately, his limbs aching and tired still, he wouldn't be able to keep himself afloat long otherwise. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>26-09-2013, 12:03:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Perhaps it had not understood that her curiosity had been piqued by the human's desire to save the other humans it had been traveling with. The Mermaid had not lingered to see what the human understood and what it did not. But by the time she had managed to get the wood over to the human, and it understood enough to latch on, it no longer mattered. Hopefully, it <em>did</em> understand that it was not to return to the sea, that it was to keep other humans from the sea. That in order to save more of its kind, the human had to dissuade them from invading her home. <br><br>If this worked, she might have made some progress in her eternal struggle. Her kin's eternal struggle. That could be worth letting one human go.<br><br>Once the human seemed to be firmly attached to the wood, the Mermaid began towing it in the direction most ships seemed to come from. She was reasonably certain that there was a human settlement that way. The movement started out slow at first, as she was unsure how well it would cling to the wood. Would it be like a barnacle, or would it be less so? Would it simply fall off the drift without any cause?<br><br>Eventually, she became frustrated with the slow pace and began to speed up. They were out of her territory now, it had passed through the day and into night, and she needed to hurry and return to her post. The waters were unfamiliar, but she was fast, and followed the feeling of being less and less at home. That, she was reasonably sure, was a fair indicator of a human settlement of some sort. By the time the day grew bright again, the sun high overhead, she could not take it any more. Her scale-covered skin crawled with a feeling she could only identify as illness, though she had never been ill. She felt weak, weaker anyway, and her pace slowed again.<br><br>The tide was raising, pushing slowly inward towards the land. This was a good place, she felt more and more of that weak, ill feeling, and so let go of the rope and darted, insofar as she could, back to her territory, where she was safe and strong and did not feel herself fading into the crawling, itching void. The tide should carry the wood, and the human, back to safety. And if not, chances were good a ship would find it instead. Either way, her goal was accomplished, hopefully it would turn out as she wished.<br><br>Without the weight of the human, and the worry that it might become dislodged should she move too quickly, the journey back to her territory did not even take until the evening, and by the time the sun set, she pulled herself onto the reef and rocks, stretching and enjoying the feeling of being strong and whole again...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>26-09-2013, 22:38:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				His confusion lasted only until the morning of the next day, not because he had reasoned out what was going on, with the mermaid deciding to drag him around on the bit of driftwood. But because he simply couldn't focus on it any longer. At first clinging to the wood had been easy enough and he had ridden it, despite the waves clipping at him while she pulled relentlessly forward. But when she began to speed up, making it rougher for him to hold onto, it took more of his strength, and concentration, focusing furiously on clinging onto the wood. If she was going to drag him under, he couldn't imagine why she was doing it this way, and a small part of him began to hope, until he was simply too tired to do even that much. The only thing that mattered at this point, was focusing his remaining strength into clinging to the drift wood as she dragged him through the waves, and keeping his head high enough above water that he was not drinking down seawater.<br><br>By the time the sun was high over head again he knew he couldn't last much longer. If hadn't taken the time to try to save his crewmates when they were at the reef, he might have been able to hang on longer, survive the ordeal, the lack of water, and nourishment, along with the expenditure of strength, only equated out to him failing quickly even with her dragging him on. Clinging to the wood was difficult, despite her slowed pace because of his failing strength, and he knew that even if things continued as they were, this strange Mermaid was just escorting him to a different kind of grave. He'd closed his eyes at this point, resting them as much as he can despite the fact that every rock of the waves, and splash of seawater kept him from getting any sort of real rest, and yet he seemed to doze, half there, half failing for a time. It was when she had left him, leaving him to drift on the tide rather then out in the stagnant sea. <br><br>He woke when instead of the slow rocking of the waves he felt sand smack against him, a wave propelling him and the bit of drift wood onto the shore, and his face firmly into the sandy beach the waves were washing against. Coughing hard he lifted his head dazed, trying to get his scattered thought's together, though he could feel himself slipping some, the water drawing him back in as it receded and he let go of the wood, digging his hands into the sand gripping as much as he was able dragging himself forward, slowly. A foot first, then another, until he felt dry sand against his chest, burning and irritating the wounds he'd sustained clutching at the reef. <br><br>There, he passed out again, head in the sand exhausted unable to do much more then try to rest and recover some of the energy that he had expended keeping himself on that damn piece of wood. Though his last though before drifting out was wondering just why the Mermaid had done what she did. It was clear now, she had drug him close enough to shore for him to be able to get out of the sea, he remembered her singing, her trying to impress things on him, but not entirely what they meant anymore then he had then. Respect, fear, saving, it was all a confusion to his sun addled head. <br><br>When he awoke he was in a bed and he frowned trying to sit up but was immediately pushed back down into place by a firm older woman's hands. Still not quite strong enough to fight it he laid back and closed his eyes some, listening while she spoke.&nbsp; He had been found washed up on the beach by some of the local fishermen, they were close to one of the local ports, and they could tell from his color, and his tattoos that he was one of the Atha'an Miere, and from that they decided it'd be worth being in the sea faring tribes favor. Taking him back to the small port down and seeing that he was tended to, they left their names with the woman and went back out to do their work. <br><br>Kerian immediately committed both names to memory, knowing he owed the two men his life, unsure if he would have had it in him to get up off that beach the way he had been. The next day of course was uneventful, and largely consisted of him laying in the bed, under the sharp eye of the healer eating what he could and drinking more then enough water. But by the next morning he was done with that, knowing himself to be more hardy then most of the land folk, and refusing to stay bed ridden he woke, and immediately rose, finding his trousers and hesitating knowing the older woman would be sleeping still. Finally he drew one of the gold medallions out of his ears and set it on the bed side table, committing another name to memory, though the debt had been paid, the gold would fetch more then enough for her help. <br><br>Leaving, was a slower process, he was still tired, despite his stubborn attitude, but his questions had come back with his senses, why had the Mermaid done what she did, she had killed everyone else, she was the reason his sister was dead, of that he was sure. And yet despite it all, the Mermaid had chosen to see him back to safe landing, it didn't make any sense to him, and that bothered him more then anything else. As he walked, heading towards the docks, he worked the other pieces of gold out of his ears, mournfully, he knew what it meant, his ship going down, displaying the marks of rank now would be shaming, and worse. Though he tucked them into a pocket, they might be all that he could use to barter till he found himself a way out of this town, and back to his people, and the sea. <br><br>Loss, such as the one he had sustained was something his people were adapted to more then others, it hurt yes, but falling ranks was always a fact that could happen, for things far less drastic. Losing it all was harder yet, but he knew that among his people he would be no more then a deckhand, he would rise quickly, though he knew the last steps would be hardest, he would have to start with scrubbing decks and tying lines all over again. Until he was trusted enough to gain higher rank. The thought of leaving the sea, did not even for a moment stick to him, fear, was there, gripping at his ribs, an uneasy feeling, a caution, knowing there was more out there in the sea then he had thought last....but it would not keep him from his people, or his home.... <br><br>His feet padded bare onto the wood docks and he paused scanning ships, he had to find a way back to his life...back to the sea...it was the only place he would ever get any kind of answers..
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>30-09-2013, 08:24:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The mermaid spent her next day as she spent most of the days when humans did not wander near her territory: she sunned herself, enjoying the warmth from the sun on her scales; she rearranged the cleaned bones of past humans and made sure the newest victims stayed below and did not drift away; she swam her territory to make certain nothing had entered it. And the next day was the same, until nearly sunset, when, as she was submerged, tending to her ever-growing reef, she received a message. '<em>There is a problem. You are to come meet with us. Now.</em>' it was the Ketos that had passed by the other day. What others were with it? It was rare that a number of the Sea's creatures would gather in one place.<br><br>They did not need to tell her where to go, where to meet them: though she did not know immediately, she could feel the powerful presence of many other creatures like herself. One would never feel like that, but there must be quite a few to transmit such a feeling. What was going on? Never, in all her time existing, did such a gathering take place. The Mermaid found herself curious once again. It was a state that was becoming more and more common for her. <br><br>Leaving the swollen and rotting corpses behind, the fish that had gathered to pick at the meat gathered in more numbers without her presence, the Mermaid began making her way towards the feeling of power. Humans would have found the area of such a gathering unnerving, and would have the urge to avoid the area in wide swathes with no real logical reason why. Many of the sea animals were the same: the closer she came to the gathering, the less and less fish were around, until she finally, at the height of night, arrived. They were submerged so far under the surface that, even were it day and the sun high in the sky, their location would be saturated in darkness. As it was night, there was very little most would be able to see. Even she, with her heightened senses, knew where the other creatures were mostly by feel, as all she could see was shadowy movement.<br><br>'<em>Why have we gathered here?</em>' the Mermaid paused, as far from the others as they were from her. It seemed as if there were two Ketos present, another Mermaid, a Lusca and they were meeting over the resting place of a great Zaratan. Knowing of the existence of others was different than seeing them, as she had only ever had contact with the one Ketos that passed her territory on occasion.<br><br>'<em>We have gathered to consult with our mother, the Sea, with regards to your recent actions</em>' the thought came from the Ketos she nearly knew. Other murmuring thoughts followed it, showing agreement from the others.<br><br><em>'What action is that?'</em> she knew, though. Allowing the one human to live. The Ketos had been gone, by the time she had towed the human back to land, hadn't it been? Either way, she would not act as though her action had been wrong: she had a reason to do as she had done, and would explain if need be. It was not in her nature, nor her ability, to feel fear or unease at the situation, and it was not in any of their natures to attack one another. Well, except for the other Mermaid. She felt quite wary of that one.<br><br><em>'You spared a human'</em> that came from the other Mermaid, her thoughts hissing and violent, spurring a similar reaction in herself. She bared her teeth: numerous and pointed, and her dorsal spines flared, as did those on her arms. The other Mermaid did the same, her shapes different, her color different. She was light enough in color to be a bit more than just a shadow. The coloration suggested that that Mermaid had traveled far, being faster than the other, larger creatures, and must be from far north, where snows came and lighter sand and water were common.<br><br>The Mermaid had never seen another such as herself, and instantly knew why the idea had always made her angry and uncomfortable. She and the other one like her were both territorial, and this one was too close to her territory. It probably wanted to take her reef, her collections, her territory for itself. <em>'You will not come nearer my territory. You have your own to protect.'</em> her own thoughts came harsh and quick, though she managed to answer to the accusation as well. <em>'I damaged the one I did not kill, I made it fear us, fear the sea. I believe it will never return, and may keep others from my territory and from the sea as well.'</em> This, though, she addressed to the Ketos, to the many-armed Lusca, to the ever silent Zaratan.<br><br>'<em>That is not our way. Not the way of the Sea. It is not your way.</em>' That was the Lusca, which had wrapped one tentacle around the invading Mermaid, as that one had snapped her teeth and stealthily drifted nearer the Mermaid. She had seen, and her spines remained stiff, ready to defend her territory from the intruder.<br><br><em>'Our way has not been gaining any results. We have lost more and more of the Sea and Her power to the humans. A new approach is necessary. They <span class="bbc_u">must</span> fear again, or they will only continue to push further and further out, and more and more of us will be lost. Soon, the Sea will only be water in which fish live, slaving to provide for the humans that do not respect her. If this human's fear can keep even a few from re-entering, perhaps we can begin causing fear to many, and spreading it until they respect the Sea once more.'</em> Even in the presence of the other Mermaid, of the one that had lost control of itself and was fighting against the Lusca's grasp, she kept her head, and kept her calm. Perhaps being out of its territory was upsetting the other one. <em>'You should not have brought that one, she can not control herself.'</em> The Mermaid's tail had spread too, as wide as it could go, making herself look as intimidating and spiny as possible.<br><br><em>'We needed a large gathering. This one assured us she could control her urge in the presence of another. It seems you have more control than she. Her presence will help, will add to the power of this gathering, even if her mind is lost.'</em> And it was lost, even as the Lusca wrapped itself tighter about her, slowing her movements to an angrily thrashing tail and gnashing teeth. All of the thoughts transmitted were wordless, meaningless but anger and rage and violence. <em>'Our mother has heard the argument, Zaratan, what does she say?'</em> <br><br>The Zaratan was one of the oldest sorts of creature in existence: they predated land, and were the first children of the Sea. It was said that land came about when two Zaratan came together to mate for the first time: their child was large and unmoving, taking the solid characteristics of both Zaratan and none of their movement or characteristics of the Sea. There were only two Zaratan in existence now, when there had been four or six before the humans. The loss of one of them was always a great blow to their hold on the world.<br><br><em>'Mmmmnnn...'</em> the grumbly, low thoughts of the Zaratan came slow and ponderous. <em>'Mother is skeptical of your plan, Mermaid. She is certain in her anger and plan for the humans. But she will give you this chance. If the human you spared returns to the sea, Mother will cast you out. She has not been clear on how you will be cast out, but suggests you take yourself near the humans, if you wish to survive the process.'</em> There was no emotion to the nearly sleeping creature's thoughts. It was matter-of-fact and precise, as it should be. The Mermaid sent an affirmative thought to the rest, and took the lack of any other communication as dismissal.<br><br>It would work, the human had understood, had shown fear; it would not return to the sea, of that she was certain. But, the Zaratan's suggestion ate at her, as she returned to her territory and calmed enough that her spines relaxed and she was no longer agitated by that other Mermaid. And so, once she ascertained that the other one did not come to her reef, disturb her territory, the Mermaid began to follow her previous path, back to the edge of the human's contamination of the Sea, as far as she was able to stand it. She would wait, just a few days, to be sure she was correct, that her plan had worked...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>30-09-2013, 20:29:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It had taken him longer to find an Atha'an Miere ship that was down on crew members then he had thought. They frequented ports all over the world, and were a large people, but when he had reached the docks on that first day, there had not been a single ship at dock that was of his people. And while he knew he could likely get passage, an work aboard one of the landfolks ships, a merchant vessel, or a fishing vessel going to deep waters, he disdained the opportunity for such. Sailing with men who hardly knew the sea, in his opinion, and not being actively working towards taking his place back aboard a vessel, was something that rubbed him wrongly, it was not going to help him aside from possibly finding him to a busier port. As much as he knew his skill would be appreciated, envied, he was not going to share his talents with these casual sailors, even if it would have meant a place much higher then that which he was going to have to take on one of his peoples vessels. Pride, yes, but a deck hand upon an Atha'an Miere vessel, beat being a First mate on one of these landfolk ships. <br><br>Two days, he waited, having used the gold medallions he'd had into his ears to trade for some coin, and some minor ship work, lending a simple hand loading on the docks, or making rope for rigging to keep himself from starving or being without a bed. Being without coin was always a dangerous situation, even a small port like this, who knew who would try something. Along with the coin he had managed he had armed himself with a long dagger, his knife having been lost in the sea, this one hung on his trousers while he worked the rigging rope bared chested, ignoring the looks of dislike from some men, admiration form other, and curiosity from women. Landfolk always found his kind unusual, it was because they kept aloof, they did not interact with them but for trading usuall, sometimes offering passage. Seeing an Atha'an Miere without a ship, working the docks in one place for any length of time was a usual matter, and it had some of the Sailors angry, worried they might be replaced for the Atha'an Miere who was obviously without ship. <br><br>The day before while he was working, and waiting for a ship of his own people to come in, some of those sailors chose to approach him. Of course, they came from behind, thinking themselves light on foot, but the sounds of boots on wood was something not easy to muffle, and his head came up and he turned towards them before they were close enough to take an advantage of him. There were three of them, and the first of them held a short sword in hand, with menace in his eyes, while the other two hefted weighty cudgels, though looking decidedly less sure of themselves then the first of the three, Keiran focused on him still holding the rope he'd been working. <br><br>"What do you want with being here ship rat? This is no place for you, we won't have you here taking work from men who need it." The man spoke, clearly more bold then his partners as he stepped closer, confident with the sword in his hand against the man seeming only armed with the short knife on his belt. "You don't belong here." <br><br>Rather then answering Keiran merely watched him, twisting another knot in the rope he he was working, pulling it tight so that what he'd been doing before wouldn't fray away and leave him repeating the task after her dealt with the interruption. Of course, his casual stance of ignoring them for the most part, only seemed to increase the lead mans ire who took another commanding step forward. "You listening to us rat? We want you gone now!" With another step, bringing him almost within reach of Keiran, with that short sword, is when Kerian finally made his move.<br><br>Dropping the rope with one hand, and drawing his knife with the other in a single movement he closed the remaining distance sweeping his knife up to catch the edge of the sword against it and shove it backward, sparks flicking as the knife slid down the edge of the short sword to the hilt before he forced the mans arm wide and dug a elbow into his ribs. The second the resistance against his knife, from the short sword dropped form the blow, he brought the knife up to rest it's razor edge against the offenders throat, his other hand catching the back and side of the mans neck to hold him flush against the blade so he couldn't yank himself away. <br><br>"Move an ye friend gets a new hole to breath outta!" His words sharp while his eyes fixed on the two backup the man had brought with him, who'd begun to rush forward only to stop at the threat. Turning his attention back to the bastard doing his best not to swallow he glared right into his eyes still holding him tight. "I'm here just tell one of me ships comes in, ye understand? Then I'll be out of ye minds forever, unless ye friends have to spend the next days morning ye death at me hand."&nbsp; To reinforce the threat he pressed with the knife, the blade cutting flesh, and making his throat just barely begin to bleed before he released the mans neck dropping his knife hand to his chest in the form of a fist with the hilt and giving him a shove away, all in a smooth motion. <br><br>His friends caught him, and while he geared up to come back forward again they kept hold of his arms gripping them, keeping him from rushing forward. Quick whispers before they finally released him and he stood, seething in anger and started forward slower, aiming towards the short sword fallen to the deck. Kerian though stepped in front of it. "Think ye might have just misplaced ye sword, might be better for ye hell to find ye'self a new one, aye?" He was not about to let the man rearm himself after all, and watching the play of anger double on the mans face, he waited till he turned and stormed away, followed by his friends. <br><br>Kerian knew then, if a ship didn't come in the next day or two, before the man got his nerve back again and rallied more firends, then he'd be done for. It was to his relief then, that on the next morning when he came out to the docks, the rising sun greeting him, he caught sight of familiar sails in the port. Negotiating out a position on the ship though, was a harder task then he had initially thought it would be. Seemed they were fine on crew, and didn't need to take on another hand. Some negotiating, especially to do with wages and work, took place, upon which he found himself on the worse end for, he had no bargaining tools, the Captain knew she didn't need him, and knew he needed her, it meant she could demand almost anything she wanted. <br><br>Nonetheless, that evening with the tide, he was aboard ship, with what little he carried with him stowed below, while working the decks as hard as any deckhand could to prove that he was still worth his salt, that having been a cargomaster hadn't softened him to the sea any. He didn't care, he was heading back out onto the water, where he belonged, his bare feet on deck, and the wind coming across his back. Getting back, and informing others of the loss, was important, but the details...his position was insecure enough, telling making himself seem crazy would only do him worse.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>01-10-2013, 03:43:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It was boring, there was not much to do on this edge between her home and that contaminated by the humans. Just being so near it made her scaly skin itch and crawl, made her flare her spines for no reason as she waited, watched. The days passed slowly, and she was growing more and more frustrated that she had allowed the Zaratan's warning to get to her. She had seen the human's fear, she knew she had made her point. But, she would wait six days, if she had to, just to prove her point. It had only been a few, so far, since the meeting. Hopefully the Lusca had taken that other Mermaid far from her territory before releasing it. The thought of the other one poking around in her territory still made her quite angry.<br><br>There weren't even any reefs in this area for her to tend to, to rearrange, and clearly no wrecks and bones to add to the nonexistent reef. Though.. if something like the Ketos or the Lusca came by and sank a boat or two, there could be the nice beginnings to a reef. What if they managed to reef the humans in? It would take a lot of time, but could potentially keep them from making more progress into the sea. That could be a new solution too. Perhaps even better than her previous idea.<br><br>But, she did not have the ability to test that idea out, not like this one.<br><br>It was nearly dusk, the sun threatening to set, and the Mermaid was seriously considering just giving it up and going back to her territory early. But then, she began to feel strange, her skin no longer tingling and crawling, but feeling like urchin spines were poking into her all over. But looking she found nothing attacking her, nothing around. Except.. half her scales were gone, and more were rapidly disappearing into smooth skin. They did not fade, but almost seemed to retract, painfully, into her skin. Skin which was changing to a solid color, near enough to the sandy color it had been before, but that it was less yellow, much nearer the shades of human skin.<br><br>Her mouth hurt, her throat, her eyes suddenly burned and her vision blurred, and her chest ached, she was desperate for something, for air. Air? Flicking her tail, she tried to raise to the surface, but her tail felt odd, felt different. Stiff, hard, difficult to move. She couldn't see, couldn't breathe, couldn't swim. Flailing her arms finally had some effect, and her head broke surface to coughing, gasping, choking. Something was wrong. Her eyes, she blinked and flailed in the surf, barely able to keep her head above the water, but she was able to suck some air into her lungs. Really, she only had them to enable the singing, but now, suddenly, she seemed to need them to exist, needed air every few moments, every few seconds. And once her eyes cleared, mostly, of the burning that the water had become, her hands were missing their webs, her arms missing the fins she had running from little finger to elbow.<br><br>And what was wrong with her tail? It felt.. split, stiff, strange. She tried to lift it out the water, to see but she fell below the waves, and had to flail again to re-emerge. But something was very, very wrong. It was almost like.. almost like she was shaped as humans were shaped. And now she was stuck in the water, in her home, but not part of it. The water hated her, she could feel it in how she had to fight to stay afloat, like the humans had to. What had...<br><br>The Zaratan's thoughts came up in memory, it had sad that the sea would cast her out. Is that what this was? Casting her out? Warning her she should be near humans should that happen?<br><br>Her head slipped below again, and she flailed and kicked to reemerge, coughing, sputtering. This was so hard. How had that other human done it? Propelled itself through the water with limbs made for land and not for sea? She did not want to go anywhere, but just stay afloat, to stop struggling. The waves weren't even so bad, not like they had been in the storm. Not like they had been even earlier, when the tide was going in.<br><br>Already, she was growing tired, but had to stay afloat. Again, she tried to raise her tail, her.. whatever they were, up to the surface. Maybe she could propel herself towards land, or shallower water, or something. But on her back, facing the sky so she could breathe. Once she made herself lie atop the water, she seemed to float better, and didn't have to flail so hard to stay afloat. And that was alright, now she could.. survive, wait for death, wait for her punishment to be complete. It would have been easier if the sea had just made her disappear into nothing. This.. this was a great punishment, a terrible punishment, for daring to try something new.<br><br>That human must have ignored her warning, must have returned to the sea. That had to be it. <br><br>She floated, occasionally righting herself and fighting the waves, for the entire night and most of the day, until a storm began to roll in. A real storm. Her skin hurt from being baked by the sun, it was red now where she had faced the sky, and the water made it burn and itch and it ached. But now the clouds covered the sun and the waves became worse, became higher, more violent. It was hart to keep herself above the water, now, but somehow she couldn't make herself let it go and finish the punishment the sea had set her. She fought, as the humans always seemed to fight when there was no song to lull them. It must be an instinct, like an animal, that made it so. She fought and tired and inhaled water and coughed and could barely keep her head above the waves, even when kicking the appendages her tail had become, when flailing her arms under the water to push upward. She tried, fighting, and slowly began to fail. Her head dropped below the waves more and more frequently, and it was harder to reemerge just to gasp in a little bit of air..
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>03-10-2013, 23:10:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Plenty of crew were on deck for the storm, it was rocking the ship fairly heavily, and meant the lines needed to be tight, and everyone was prepared in case a line snapped, or a sail gave in. Most of them hunkered closer to the mast, or to the railings where the protection of the hang could cover over them some and protect them from some of the rain and seawater throwing itself on the decks. Others hung in the rigging, knowing they would be needed high and ignoring the wicked lashings of the wind, and the battering the rain was giving their bodies. Staying in place where they would be needed, because it was their duty to do so, it was their task, and they would be where they were needed, unless they were thrown from the ship into the ocean to drown in the rocking of the storm. That was just about the only way any of the men would let the ship down. <br><br>Keiran though, felt fear going into this storm, for the first time in his life, he feared the harsh weather, the sharp rocking of the ship, and the heaving waves. That it had come on them so soon after finally leaving port almost had him convinced something was out to get him, that having survived the last storm, and it's wreck had been a mistake at the sea truly wanted to pull him to the deeps and see the life drain out of him. But rather then send him scuttling back to land, or to hide below decks, that fear, that churned his stomach, made him harder, it made him force himself, like any other man to be out on the decks, even if it wasn't his post presently. They didn't trust him to the important tasks of rigging and ensuring the sails kept good wind, they didn't really know what hand he had in his ships wreck, but truly, a crew goes down with their ship. He spent most of the last day cleaning the deck. But in a storm like this, there was nobody out to tell him what he shouldn't be doing, and instead of resting below like some of the others, he was standing towards the bow, his safety line around his waist of course, and his hands grasping the railing. <br><br>Perhaps they wouldn't let him help with the lines, but not a single person on the ship could fault him keeping his eyes to the water and searching for reef. They might call him crazy, or a fool, since these waters were well known, but he knew he was not going to let another ship fall to the same fate of his last, the fate of his sister. No, he would keep his eyes out and peeled, even with the rain coming down hard enough that it was hard to sea, and the waves washing out parts of his view everytime the ship crashed into them. Fighting the motion, he knew was exhausting and would wear him worse then then, so he let his body whip and move with the motion, closing his eyes and dipping his head as waves splashed over him, giving his head a quick hard shake to clear the water before opening his eyes and returning them to their task. Whatever might be out there, he was not going to come to it unprepared, and defenseless like the last time, damned whatever supernatural creature was out there.<br><br>It was standing at the bow like that, looking out into the wicked storm, that he spotted it, but he couldn't quite be sure. It was just a brief flash for a moment, of movement that wasn't the normal heave of waves, and color, that did not fit the dark rolling waves of the ocean. But his eyes were sharp and he focused in the area that he saw it, knowing he couldn't keep his eyes just on the one spot, rarely did a person stay still in the water. But there, a couple meters away another splash of color breaking the surface, flailing limbs above the water, before it dipped under again. <br><br>"Man overboard!" Even as he shouted it, not once but again, and again after that, to make sure he was heard he was untying the safety line around his waist, the fear bubbling up inside of him trying to choke him he gripped the railing at the bow and pulled himself up as the ship dipped with a wave bringing the bow lower. "Man overboard!" He shouted again tossing only a glance back to make sure the crew had heard, seeing many scrambling his direction he was sure that they had, the captain already realigning the direction of the ship more towards the the pointed arm of Keiran at the bow, turning forward again he waited his legs bent ready to spring into a leap for the bow to rush up, lunging into the air with the wave that the ship came against hard, he waited till the peek, when the ship was getting ready to fall forward again to release his hold on the railing and thrust himself up away from the ship. <br><br>Like a spring board the ships rise had aided his leap and he soared higher than he normally would have been able to on his own, turning his hands down into a steep dive in the last moment to cut into the water. Immediately his legs were kicking hard while his arms swept the water, swimming just as hard as he had when he was trying to save those of his own crew. Though he kept under water just as long as he could this time, the waves hard, and would buffer him around, but the currents under water were easier to manage if handled right, and while it stung he kept his eyes open, trying to spot the lower half of the flailing person in the water but finally he had to break the surface. Dragging in the air his lungs were screaming for he immediately kept moving, swimming hard, in the direction he had initially dove in at. <br><br>All fear had been pushed aside, it was still there, but the priority was another life, a life he could save, to make up for this he had perhaps, even if it were just one, it was one against the count of the near dozen they had lost at the hands of the reef, the storm, and worse the mermaid. Keeping course through such rough water was not easy, it helped being able to glance back and see the ship, helping him to readjust as the ship kept course after them, larger, and harder to navigate through the rough water than a single man he had some ground on it, though he hoped it would catch up quicker, once he had the person, it meant swimming back so they could both be pulled up. <br><br>Flailing limbs, though they moved weaker, and the persons head already was sinking below again brought him around, he snagged a wrist gripping it in his rough hand tightly and pulling upwards. But he didn't pause there to look on, or bother with anything else, instead he pulled that arm roughly over his shoulder even as he turned away, dragging the person onto his back more. Luckily, the person wasn't too heavy, and he held the arm hard against his chest, forcing the person to remain flat against his back, as his free hand swept out, kicking hard. Now was the real work, staying afloat with the additional weight was no pleasant thing, but the ship was closing, and he kept kicking and stroking with the one free arm towards it. He just had to keep them both above, and within sight long enough for the ship to close the distance between them. All his attention, and strength, was funneled into that vital task. <br><br>So when he felt the weight lifted off his back he almost didn't let go of the arm he had been clutching so tightly, it took him a moment or two to figure out what was happening and release it so the crew hanging above could draw up the victim. The attempted to do the same similarly for him but he grabbed onto the ropes that rigged the side of the ship, hauling himself up instead, hand over hand till he could draw himself over the railing and out flat onto the deck panting to catch the breath he had lost. "Ye didn't catch it in time, she be dead Keiran." He heard one of the crewmen say and he shook his head.<br><br>"No, she was flailing." Catching on to the gender of whom he'd saved from his fellows words he forced himself to move despite the pain in his limbs rolling over and spotting the woman, he closed the distance without thinking, half walking, half crawling the still heaving and rolling deck till he could grab her. Hands lain over her bare chest he pressed hard on her chest, forcing at her lungs, before leaning down to force air into her mouth too, the others had already given up hope on her, so let him do what he felt he must but did not assist either. He had felt her flailing in the water, when he grabbed her, he'd gotten her out in time, he had to have..<br><br>Another set of hard pumps before he forced air into her lungs again before he leaned back as she sputtered and spit up sea water, sitting back on his heels some as she cleared her lungs, much to the others surprise. But their surprise could not match his own, cause as she cleared her lungs, heaving the seawater free, he got his first good look at her face, and he was left dumbfounded.....It was the mermaid. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>07-10-2013, 07:05:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It was wrong. It was so wrong that her mother, her home, was attacking her, trying to draw her under, as if she really <em>were</em> a human and not a creature of the sea. Though her limbs were wrong, her tail gone, her lungs in need of air, she still was not human. Not really. She <em>couldn't</em> be. <br><br>But still, the waves washed overhead, pushing her down, dragging, buffeting her weak and ill-shaped body about like driftwood, like refuse. And all she could do was struggle, flap her useless, finless arms, fingers spread as if they were still webbed and made to move water about her. They splashed the water and did nothing to keep her upward. Her legs kicked strangely, sometimes together like her tail would have, sometimes opposite as she had seen some humans do. Neither seemed to help, not really. She could emerge just enough to gasp in some air, and sometimes some water, and then fall beneath again. Yet, somehow, her struggle continued. Against everything, it continued.<br><br>The water came in her nose, and it burned, and it entered her mouth and choked her, and sometimes she got some air but a lot of times there was just the water and the struggle. Sometimes she could spit out the water when she emerged above the waves, but often she just had to put up with the pain, the burning in her chest. Sometimes she could swallow the water rather than accidentally bringing it into her lungs, but that was terrible too. For the first time in her entire existence, the Mermaid-who-was-not was afraid, terrified. What would happen when she could no longer get air? When her tired limbs quit moving? When she sank to the sea floor and settled into the sand like so many humans had before?<br><br>Would there be another, like her, to arrange her white bones once the fish were finished feeding? To keep her bloated corpse from raising to the surface for birds to pick at and destroy, or to wash to shore to decay in the worst way? Was this what the humans felt, before she pulled them to their deaths? This desperation, this terror?<br><br>No. She was kinder than this, with her song. Those who had heard it did not feel fear, but felt peace as she pulled them to their deaths. And she tried to take those that came out of the song as quickly as possible. They did not feel this prolonged horror.<br><br>She could not fight any longer, not much longer, anyway. Her limbs felt heavy, the burning in her lungs and chest was all consuming, and she had let too much water in, she could feel it. There was hardly any room left for the air she needed, and her stomach was weighed down with that which she had swallowed rather than breathed in. Maybe once more, she could push to the surface. Maybe just the once more.<br><br>Before she could try, something grabbed her arm, grabbed her wrist, and pulled. The terror she felt intensified, and she tried to struggle, accidentally took in more water before her head broke the surface and she was pulled onto something. Her hand, that one attached to the wrist that was grasped, pressed into something soft, warm, familiar. Skin? Her fingers scrabbled weakly against whatever had her, trying to grip, but her head was pounding and aching, and she couldn't seem to breathe in. It seemed dark, and the feeling of the water and the waves, the sounds of the storm were so very far away.<br><br>Something lifted her, and she couldn't make her hands work to try to hold on to whatever had been supporting her before, through the water. Everything faded completely away.<br><br>And then it was back, along with a pressure on her chest, externally and then internally while air was forced into her lungs. All the water that had managed to make its way in was suddenly coming back out, and she could move again, weakly. Coughing, the water burbled up out of her mouth, tried to flow back into her nose. She rolled to her side, her sensitive, sunburned cheek pressing to the rough surface she laid upon, and the coughed up the rest of the water, gasping desperately for breath after each expulsion. After her lungs were clear, she began retching up the water that had been swallowed, until that too was free and her stomach was empty as it had started out. Only then did she roll back onto her back, so that the wood that was below her did not further agitate her reddened, nearly blistering skin. The sun had not been kind while she had been floating face-up on the waves. Her entire front was bright red: face, neck, breasts, stomach, hips, legs, toes and soles of her feet, arms and the backs of her hands. Everything. While her back was still mostly unscathed, the brand new skin hardly exposed to the sun at all.<br><br>Eventually, after her breathing has slowed and she seemed to be in no danger of falling below the waves again, the not-Mermaid opened her eyes to take in her surroundings. <br><br>Humans! She was on a ship, and there were humans everywhere. Gasping, she struggled to sit up, and fumbled her way backwards, using her arms to propel herself, her legs kicking awkwardly and being of little help. Still, her head was swimming, confusion and residual fear spurring her to just try to get away, to distance herself from the enemy. And they were enemies. It was their fault, it was them and their greed that was contaminating her home. And it was because of a human that she was like this.<br><br>Her hair was tangled about her body, her limbs, it was too long, too coarse, too everywhere. Before, it had come part way down her tail. Now, with her shorter legs, it came to the back of the bend in them, and it was more than enough to wrap about and cling to her damp body, to be in the way. She struggled against it too, against everything, until she bumped into something. Turning to look, grey eyes wide, she had run into <em>another</em> human. She scrambled away from that one as well, still using mostly her arms as her legs seemed completely useless, until she ran into something else.<br><br>Upon turning this time, she found yet another human. But this one was familiar. It was <em>that</em> human. The one she had found interesting, the one she had allowed free. She had <em>warned</em> it! Warned it not to return, and it had! This was all the human's fault! She bared her teeth at it, her breath hissing out of her mouth as she tried to make sound, and none came. Her voice was gone too, her ability to sing the humans to compliance was gone, along with everything else that had made her part of the sea. <br><br>All the movement, all the fear, all the struggling had worn her out, made her tired. And she tried, even as she glared at the human she recognized, snarled at it soundlessly, to stay awake, to stay alert. But everything was fading again, and she lunged toward the human just before everything faded to black and her body fell limp to the floorboards of the ship...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>07-10-2013, 22:03:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Her shock and surprise, scuttling about on the ship as if her legs didn't work, clearly horrified, was something that in his opinion paled in comparison to what was going on inside of his own head. What he was seeing was impossible, not only was it her, but she was not the finned scaled beast as before, but a human, legs and all. Scuttling about even as the ship continued to heave, it was more then clear that she was not good with her feet, her movement was all done with her arms, and from the state of her she had to be in the water for at least day, maybe even two, to be as burned as badly as she was. He stood up, trying to keep his cool, trying to convince himself that it had to be a strict of his mind, that she had only to look familiar to the creature who had brought down his ship and his crew so viciously, and yet saw fit to ensure he lived through the ordeal in the end of things. It simply couldn't be her. <br><br>But as much as he wanted to convince himself he was seeing things, he knew his own eyes better than that, and knew what he was seeing was not some trick of the mind. But rather some other kind of trick, maybe he had not been as free of her spell as he had thought, maybe he had imagined her being a mermaid after all, his brain addled after crashing into the reef. It wasn't an idea he really believed, he couldn't do so, the memories were too sharp, his attention and reflection on them too detailed, he knew only all to well that whatever had happened, whatever she was, it was the same entity before him now, on the deck, moving back towards him and bumping into his legs, when she turned and saw him, all doubt concerning the excuses he was trying to give himself suddenly fell away.<br><br>Those glaring, accusing eyes, and the way she bared her teeth at him, there was not even a moments hesitation in the way she acted for him to believe she didn't know who she was looking at, and it settled it completely, that she indeed had to be that mermaid, as impossible as it was. Watching her collapse onto the deck he shook his head slowly, pushing a hand up through his soaked hair, trying to struggle through with the idea that the mermaid, now human girl, was before him. The other crew members were talking now glancing at him, but the main focus was on the woman, she was odd, clearly enough, and that didn't exactly bode well for her.<br><br>See, from her skin, how burned it was, and how white it was on the back, they all knew she was not a woman used to being out at sea, or at least that was the census from the crewmembers. They knew that she was landfolk, and transporting landfolk was not usually a generous spot in the Atha'an Miere's hearts, gold usually exchanged hands for such favors, but in this case, Keiran had jumped out and brought her on board, it changed the rules of things, and made things more complicated. <br><br>The few crew who still milled about suddenly straightened and rushed off back to their stations on the ship, they were still in the midst of a storm after all, and the lines needed tending too. But what had initiated the rush was the current ships Cargomaster, a particularly large man, who already didn't like the idea of Keiran, known for holding the position and doing it well, was on their ship. "Captain says ye brought her aboard, she do be ye trouble now Keiran, she gets in the way, it'll be on ye shoulders, keep her out of the way till we reach port and can get rid of her... And don't think for a moment ye will get out of ye share of the work." It was a cautioning, despite it coming in the gruff angry tones of the blue eyed sailor, because it was not he that was glaring towards them, but the Captain from the helm whom was doing the glaring. <br><br>Another person meant another body to feed, more water to use, less deck space to have. When it was a paying passenger they would have a cabin, and be tucked away from the rest of the crew, out of the way. But those cabins were full of cargo, much like the rest of the hold at the time, the Captain and Cargomaster having had no intention of taking passengers this trip. That meant this extra body would have to have space crammed in with the rest of the crew, where it was already tight and some shared space to monopolize on it, taking it in the shifts that they worked the deck in. <br><br>"Aye sir." The words fell from his lips, but they were reserved and displeased, the last thing he wanted to do was be responsible for whatever this creature really was, part of him was tempted to throw her overboard again right now. But that would not bode well for him with the rest of the crew, instead he glared at her on the deck, half clothed with her own hair and looking like a lobster from her burnt flesh. "Mother ye be a cruel mistress." He muttered glancing to the waves before he stooped to pick her up, he was not needed on the deck now anyway, throwing her over a shoulder, callously he made his way below decks to find a hammock he could toss her in, while he decided if killing her was possible, or if he would really have to see after the person responsible for so many deaths, and his current position. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>08-10-2013, 01:48:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She awoke, again, likely not too much later than she had fallen unconscious. Still, she tired, it was difficult to move, to think, and her world felt strange, head dangling down, some movement indicating she was grasped and carried by something. And then she was righted, thrown into something like cloth, it swayed like the ship swayed, like the ocean swayed, and her limp limbs seemed to tangle about themselves as the rocking created by her sudden entrance slowed to the timing of the storm outside. Her eyes were still closed, though she was vaguely aware of what was going on around her. It took a moment to force her eyes open, and then even longer for them to adjust to the dark. Where had the humans taken her now?<br><br>Into the ship? The space seemed enclosed in wood, dark, with more cloth like items hanging about. Some had bodies in them, some were empty. She, whatever she was now, was not sure what to do, but that she was feeling that terror again at being trapped. At least above, on the deck of the ship, there had been openings around, she had not been trapped in a space with nowhere to go. But now there was nowhere to go. Even now, struggling in the trap of cloth or net or whatever it was made of, she could not seem to get free. It did not help that her limbs still felt heavy, and now a sickly feeling was spreading on all of the parts that had been burned by the sun. It felt as though she were still baking, the skin was hot and ill and incredibly painful to feel any sort of touch upon. Even her hair, damp and clinging and tangling, hurt just to rest upon the injury.<br><br>The pain made her hiss again, it seemed the only sound she was capable of making, as it was made just with air and no need for voice to add to the sound. And as she wriggled, tried to move, to untangle and make herself free from whatever she had been placed in, she saw the human. It must have just dropped her in, perhaps her eyes had not been closed as long as she thought. Or perhaps it had stuck around to watch her. Something. She did not know enough about humans to guess what intentions it had. <br><br>More hissing, more pain, as she finally managed to upend herself and tumble to the floor. The impact hurt more than she had thought it would, and she had to lie still for a moment just to gather the strength and courage to move again. Moving hurt so much, especially since she was face down on the rough planks of wood, her burned skin screaming as she could not, causing pain to shoot throughout her body. Never had she felt pain like this, or pain hardly at all. The first pain she had ever felt was when her scales had begun to recede into her skin. Being a human was a painful experience.<br><br>Once she had rested a moment, the not-Mermaid, she would <em>not</em> call herself 'human', dragged herself away from the human, not even attempting to use her legs or stand, they seemed to be useless and strange. But she couldn't keep her back to the human, and laboriously flipped herself back over. That helped, too, not to be dragging the injured part of herself along the ground. Moving seemed faster this way too, she had done pretty well earlier, before blacking out. Eventually, she managed to back herself against the wall and scooted herself sideways until she met another wall. Now, in the corner, there was no way another human could sneak up on her: she could see them coming.<br><br>So positioned, she could see herself now, too. The strange legs her tail had become, her body, a human body, unclothed. Besides the nasty red color that skin had turned, she seemed hairless but for that which was on her head and wrapped about herself. Mother, in changing her, had only taken away what made her of the sea: Her scales, her voice, her tail and fins, her gills. Nothing had been added: no human voice to replace that which could hypnotize, no body hair where scales had been. Some things had changed shape: the bones of her tail had split into legs, her numerous pointed teeth had merged and changed shape, and were now odd and strange-feeling in her mouth. Unable to help it, she looked: examined herself and forgot for a moment that the human was there, that there were other sleeping humans in the same space with her. The change in her body sickened her, and her stomach churned and pained her in a strange new sensation. Everything was strange, everything was new. And she did not like it at all.<br><br>She knew, could tell, that the human knew her. The way it had looked at her for those few moments before she fell unconscious proved it. Was it going to seek revenge, now, for her mercy towards it? If she had not saved it, she would not be in this mess, and it would be dead.<br><br>Perhaps.. if she found a way to give this human back to the Sea, as a gift, her mother would return her to her previous state? That might work, but not now, not while she was weak and half of her body was useless. But if this human did not kill her now, perhaps she would be able to get it later and set everything right again...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>10-10-2013, 19:31:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Stepped back after depositing the creature into the hammock, he knew it was the mermaid, as much as he knew the ship beneath his feet was made out of wood. But going spouting off about how this woman had been a mermaid and had killed his entire crew, would only end him up shipped into shore, or worse, thrown overboard for being stark raving mad. He knew far better then to go on and on about how the woman he had dragged out of the ocean, had only days before looked him in the eyes after drowning most of his crew, and then drug him to shore. The story itself made no sense, her not killing him, like she had done the rest of his crew, and that was without even taking into account the fictional mermaid, let alone the implication that she had once been, and was now a human, burnt as bad as any castaway and near drowned when he had found her and yanked her out of the ocean. No, his story was one that he would have to keep to himself, for his health's sake, he remembered how skeptical he had been of those who would go on about sea creatures, he was not going to be that man before this crew. <br><br>By the time he'd sorted his thoughts some she was flailing around in the hammock, which made him frown, especially when she started to hiss at him again, like she was still some sea creature, or perhaps some woman with a sun addled brain. But she managed to dump herself back out of the hammock, landing chest down in what had to be a painful way, from the burns she received and he moved forward to grab her again, only to pause as she started to move, attempting to drag herself away from him, on her chest nonetheless. Shaking his head he watched her rather the intervene, if she wanted to torture herself right now, he was not going to stop her, there was a large part of him still sore, empty, and grieving for the death of his sister, whom he had been very close to. Her death, and all the others, as he saw it, were on this creatures shoulders, whether she be scaled or fleshed as any of they were, she was now in no position to drag anyone beneath the waters...though, that in itself was a curious notion.<br><br>Falling back to the familiar he watched her scuttle across the floor, using her hands rather then her legs, till she had placed herself in a corner, glaring at him, and the others swaying in hammocks for a few moments, before she seemed to take a closer inspection on herself. Why would she have changed? Especially if it was going to mean she drown out in the middle of the ocean, if their ship hadn't been bold enough to brave the storm, she would have ended up in a watery grave this very evening. And yet instead he had found her and dragged her aboard to her safety, though, from her reactions she thought it was anything but that. Perhaps that was far, he had thought she was going to kill him outright as well, and had not trusted her, despite what she ended up doing with him in the end of things. <br><br>Finally he shook his head and moved after her, she couldn't stay in the corner like she was, it was only going to cause more problems, like her nudity. The waist up was no issue with the crew, many woman aboard were dressed much the same, as they always were as soon as they left the sight of land. But stripped down to nothing, while not strictly indecent, among his kind, was not usual, and would draw even more attention to her, which she honestly did not need as a drowning rat dragged out of the ocean. <br><br>"Oi, woman.." He didn't know what to call her, part of her wanted to spit out mermaid, but he knew better then to think everyone in the crew hold was actually sleeping. "Get up, ye are not staying here on the floor." This time though he didn't make an easy grab to pick her up, but instead reached out to snag a hank of her long hair, figuring it would be a handle that would get his point across quite a bit quicker. As he did so he dipped closer to her, his eyes dark, and hard. "Ye listen here now woman, i don't know if ye understand a word that come out of me mouth. But ye saved me life, for what reason I do not know, but that debt be paid ye see? I saved ye tonight, I owe ye nothing, and ye still took me crew, me family from me, ye won't be forgiven easy for that." His words might not be understood, but perhaps the heavy, warning tone of his voice would be, perhaps she would hear in his words, how little he wanted her there, and how angry he still was, battling through his shock.<br><br>"If ye cause me trouble, I might just find it easier to deal with the crew hating me, then putting up with ye miserable self, ye won't want that.." A final warning, ready to haul her out of the corner she cowered in, and drag her back towards the hammock, not in any mood to be kindly about how he treated her. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>11-10-2013, 10:33:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It came after her again, following her, making her press further back in the corner as she could for a moment before her pride spurred her to different emotion. She was frightened, surely, but the emotion was new, strange, and she did not like it just as she did not like anything else that had been new lately. But to be afraid, to cower away from the human, a creature that <em>she</em> had spared, a creature that had been at her mercy just a few days before, fueled a deep anger. It was this human's fault, everything was this human's fault! And she hated the human, wanted it to hurt as she hurt: wanted the human's skin to burn and ache, wanted its lungs to tire from the labor of the fight to survive, wanted the human to be deprived of all it knew and be confined away from its home.<br><br>Baring her teeth in a violent not-grin, she snapped at the human's hand, tried to bite it, as he reached for her. But the human did not grab at her like she expected, and suddenly had some of her long, thick hair in hand. Immediately, she tried to yank back, shook her head to try to shake it off, but the movement provided a sharp and unexpected pain. Her mouth opened a moment, air escaped with no sound, and she stopped moving and simply glared as the human made mouth noises at her.<br><br>Obviously, they had some meaning. It had addressed her, commanded her before grabbing at her hair, causing her pain, but now it spoke in low tones, harsh and glaring into her eyes. Too close! The human's face was too close to hers, its voice hard and angry, frightening in the intensity, and beneath her anger and violent urges, the fear beat strong and fluttered in her chest. Part of her, the part that was still thinking aside from the anger and frantic fear, wished she understood more than the clear hate and threat in the human's tone. Why could they not be like her? Like she used to be? Allowing thoughts to be known without the need for mouth noises or misinterpretation?<br><br>Not that she wanted to know what the human thought.<br><br>Except right now, it seemed rather important to her survival that she know what the human meant, what the human intended. Her hands had grasped his wrist in the mean time, fingers digging in to try to release some of the pressure on her scalp. It didn't really work.<br><br>At the end of the human's words, it pulled her out and up, perhaps it expected her to move as it moved, using the legs that had replaced her tail. But she did not understand how to work them, and the bottoms of her feet were as burned as her front, and any pressure on them hurt to even <em>try</em> to walk caused agony to shoot up her legs. But, as he had her by her hair, and that hurt too, she tried. Her legs scrambled below, trying to gain purchase, but she couldn't seem to get the movement right. They could only rotate at the top, near her hips, a little bit, and then, too, at the join of leg and foot. The bend in the middle only went one way, but not the other, and seemed to not want to stay how she wanted it. She would manage a moment of support beneath, and then the join at the leg and foot would roll the wrong way, or the leg would bend when it was not supposed to, or the hip would rotate too far forwards or back or to the side.<br><br>And it <em>hurt</em>! Her skull most of all, because though both her hands, now gripped and clawed at his arm, she had only blunt nails not made for digging into skin, and her grip was weak. Her legs and the rest of her felt weak too, perhaps that was part of the problem making her unfamiliar legs work properly. In any case, the move back to the cloth thing he had set her in before was a long one, it seemed to last forever. An eternity of pain and struggling to find a way to relieve it, her mouth open, breathing coming in quick inhales and long exhales through her mouth. If she had been capable of it, the not-mermaid was certain she would have been emitting some sort of distressed sound. When her body was finally hauled up and into the trap, she gasped in relief and panted with exertion, as she had been panting after any laborious movement. Her hands explored her scalp, where the pulling had felt the worst, to inspect for injury, and she glared at the human while simultaneously attempting to shrink into the uncomfortable thing he had forced her back into.<br><br>Just to show she hadn't been beaten, was not submitting to him, she bared her teeth again, snapping so that her teeth clicked together loudly, though she did not move at him when she did. However, for all that, she did not try to get out again. Not yet. Perhaps if the human wandered away, she would escape again and find a better, darker, more concealed place to hide and get well. For now, she struggled against that heavy feeling behind her eyes, the one that had pulled her down when she had been on the deck, causing her to lose a bit of awareness for a while. It was a feeling that had been pulling at her after she had changed, and she did not understand it, and so fought.<br><br>Her limbs were in a jumble again, and uncomfortable. Carefully, keeping her eyes on the human the whole time, she began slowly moving and wriggling to try to find a better way to position herself. Would it find the movement objectionable too? Would it cause her pain again? If she could find some dark, safe place to conceal herself, she could perhaps let the heavy feeling take her for a while, but not now. Not with so many humans around....
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>11-10-2013, 21:40:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The process of getting her to the hammock was grueling, and part of him was glad she seemed to be mute for the most part right now, aside from those hisses. If she had a way to talk she would have been whining, and complaining, and making all sorts of noise in protest from the way she glared at him, and how her mouth moved but without any sounds coming out of it. Keiran didn't care, this creature was going to be trouble, no matter what, especially if it couldn't as much stand on her own two feet and walk properly. Again he was forced to consider, to wonder just why this creature had changed to what she was, and ended up on the decks of a ship, she clearly was not suited to the pair of legs that she had, despite the fact that they were fit enough and formed, she seemed incapable of using them properly, walking like a gimp, moving with stiff movements, and a ineptitude that spoke more then anything else, of the fact that she had never stood on two legs before in her life. Something that would be hard to explain to the crew. <br><br>Upon tossing her back into the hammock, releasing her hair in that motion, he glared right back at her when she bared her teeth and snapped them at him, he would have to remember to keep his fingers away from those. Even if they were not the pointed sharks teeth he remembered, they would do well enough to cause some injury, unlike the dull nails on her fingers which had barely as much as scratched his wrist as she clung and fought with him the whole way back to the hammock. She would have to fight a lot harder then that to sway him, perhaps she had command of things when she was finned and swimming through the water, which to her experience now, was much more difficult for a human to navigate,&nbsp; but now she was on two feet, and had to deal with things, without being able to drown anyone she disliked. <br><br>"Quit moving around or ye going to end up on the ground again." He muttered, though from the frequent looks of confusion it was clear, she was not understanding him when he spoke to her, it did still feel better to speak it then try to deal with this in silence. Bending down below another of the hammocks he started to dig through one of the bags that were tied down there. Finally he straightened up, holding a jar full of a pale white milky looking substance, though it was more of a jelly almost. Unscrewing the lid he stuck a finger in before pausing and eyeing her. "This will help ye burns, so ye not fidgeting as much cause of them." The need to explain came down to being human, and trying to communicate, he wasn't going to stop, though he did reach out to try to smear some of the aloe based concoction on her, where ever her might be able to land a dab of it. It'd be cooling, and help ease the burn, almost immediately, but with so much of her burned he couldn't be sure she'd notice and catch on. <br><br>"Put this on ye'self." Moving he put the jaw in the side of the hammock next to her hip wiping his fingers off on the leg of his trousers before glancing around the cabin. Trying to find one of the female crew members who would be about the right size, and have the right hips to have trousers that would fit the once mermaid. Pants were likely going to be a whole other problem, he could imagine, that she would be very unlikely to want them on her, but it was just another thing she was going to have to deal with. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>13-10-2013, 11:12:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The human glared right back at her, even as she wriggled to try to find some way to arrange herself in the..thing the human had forced her back into. She was careful, though, and tried hard not to rock it too much and fall back out again, even though she did not wish to be in it, it seemed that the human would simply drag her, painfully, back into it if she attempted escape once more. Not that there was much of anywhere to escape to, currently. But that did not stop her wanting to do it. The legs attached to her hips were awkward to move about, even when not attempting to put weight on them, it took her a bit to sort them out so that one was not tangled about the other, or dangling out of the net-like contraption she had been thrown into.<br><br>Just as she had sorted her legs out, and had set about trying to find some level of comfort in the situation, the human growled something at her, causing her to still. Grey eyes were still trained upon the human, trying to figure out its meaning and intent. This time, it had seemed like a combination of warning tone and command, but not with enough force behind it to be on par with the angry sounds that were emitted while her hair had been used to control her. Still, she stopped all movement in favor of not agitating the human further. At least for the moment.<br><br>Later, when she had more strength and command over her body, the not-mermaid would challenge the human again. Fight more. Show it that she would not submit to easily.<br><br>It had something in its hand, now. Something in a container that it had pulled from below. Before she could figure out what the human's intent was, it made more not-harsh mouth noises at her and put some of the thing from the container on her skin. As it had reached for her, she had raised her arm to try to protect herself, thinking it was going after her hair again to force more compliance. But, instead, a bit of the stuff from the container became smeared onto her arm.<br><br>Yanking back, the nearly-net thing she lay in swayed sharply with her movement, she eyed the white stuff on her arm warily. No good could come of it, she was sure. And then it set the container next to her: the surface of it was cold, and brought her attention to how cold she felt, but for the skin that burned hotly. Alternatively she felt far too cold and far to hot and sickly, depending on which part of her body she paid attention to. Long, damp hair still tangled about herself, but for the chunk the human had used to control her with, and it was not drying of its sodden and chilly state any time soon.<br><br>While she had felt the difference between warm and cold before, now that she was human the changes in temperature seemed to cause great discomfort. <em>Everything</em>, it seemed, about being human was uncomfortable or painful. Or both. How could they exist in such perpetual agony all the time? It was terrible.<br><br>When the human took its attention off of her, she immediately moved to wipe the substance off of her arm, get it away before it did whatever painful thing it was meant to do. But, when she wiped it and it spread, so did a level of comfort come to the injured skin. Pausing a moment, she eyed the goop and experimentally smeared it around a bit more. The skin there felt better still. Soothed. Not all hot and sickly, or at least not nearly so much. The human had left the container with her, did it know that this would help?<br><br>Why would it help her? It hated her, she could see it, hear it, feel it in her still aching scalp.<br><br>But it had put a bit on her, perhaps intending for her to notice the healing it was giving to the reddened, nearly blistering skin. The mermaid glanced at the human for a moment, then began to quickly smear more of the stuff from the container on her burned skin, starting with the soles of her feet, which hurt the most after her recent struggles. Then the tops of her feet and legs. Sitting up in the net she was in was interesting, it swayed precariously for a time in addition to the movement caused by the storm and the ship, but she managed to figure it out. Her hips, the joining of her legs, and her stomach came next, then chest and arms and neck and face. Everywhere that hut got the treatment, and the relief was immense.<br><br>What did the human mean, giving this to her? Cautiously, she moved the jar to her other side, tucking it in where it would be harder for the human to take it away again. If she started to hurt once more, she wanted to be able to make it stop right away. Only once it was settled in did she look up to figure out what the human was doing now. Had it seen her? She had tried to do it quickly so it would not see her taking advantage of the strange and confusing kindness that had been offered...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>14-10-2013, 10:04:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				&nbsp;Whilst she administered the aloe lotion to herself, to help sooth some of the burn that she was covered with, he was busy making his way between hammocks, trying not to wake anyone who might be sleeping at the time unnecessarily. Though he did stop at one hammock, and woke the occupant, one of the women who helped crew the ship, she offered him a glare, and one that followed from him to cast over at the hammock that held cradled the offending cause of her being woken before she focused back on Keiran once more with that same glare and sent him on his way to find another crewmember. The problem was, clothes were weighed, and a sailor in their position had very few personal belongings let alone spare clothes. A few sets of trousers usually, and a single shirt or two among the women. If they were going north to colder waters, they usually made a stop for warmer clothing to help, but usually, they wore what hey had, and him asking someone give up one of their pairs was a steep request, especially for a lowly crew member, and a landfolk woman who'd got herself lost naked in the sea. <br><br>Wading through the hold, avoiding bumping too many hammocks with the shift of the sea rocking most of them anyway, was a trick he had learned early in his days. Finding another woman of the right size he shook her shoulder leaning in to make the request, and barter a moment, everything was on deals, before she relented and reached below where the small box set into the floor held her belongings. Producing a pair of the trousers she gave a glance towards the girl across the hold before chuckling and making a comment soft like Keiran's whispers and rolling over. Whilst Keiran glared at the more generous crew members back he turned away and started back across the hold to where he had left the once mermaid in the hammock. <br><br>"Here, ye will wear these, and I don't want any of ye hissing or biting, ye as white as a fresh coat of snow where ye aren't burnt to a crisp it seems, wouldn't have thought that do be what under ye scales, ye shark toothed wretch." Tossing the pants at her, he didn't explain them, he wasn't really talking to her either, more muttering to himself, he was going to have to pay for the trousers, not money either, work, and he was going to make sure he took it out on her. Moving to a hammock just a space away from the one she occupied he sat himself into it, turned so he could watch her even as he leaned his back into the curve of netting keeping an eye on her. He noticed that she had spread the lotion over her skin, which was good, she would be useless with the debilitating burn keeping her from so much as moving around. <br><br>"We'll sort ye out in the morning, hopefully the storms passed then." Shaking his head some he closed his eyes, he didn't trust the mermaid, or rather once mermaid for even a moment. But right now she seemed useless, she could barely walk, she wasn't exactly going to be able to drag him into the water, and well, if she did, he had a better chance as making it then she did.. unless she could change herself back... but that was a disconcerning thought on it's own. "Sleep." He didn't bother opening his eyes with the last word, knowing well that if she started trouble, the crew would teach her a lesson quickly enough.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>14-10-2013, 10:49:10</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The human continued to wander around, it spoke to another human who glared at the interesting human and then at her, and then back again. It seemed whatever the human had bothered the other one for it did not like it, as the human moved on to another. This one, though, seemed less angry and eventually pulled out some cloth and handed it to the human. Even though it seemed to be what it was looking for, the human seemed displeased as it made its way back towards her.<br><br>Now, though, the not-mermaid watched how the human moved, especially its legs. It looked so <em>easy</em>. How did it do that? Her legs did not seem nearly so easily moved, they were far too flexible in all the wrong places, and too stiff in the others. It almost looked like it had to keep the muscles perpetually tense in one way or another for the movement to work. To even remain erect, it had to keep its legs tense, but not so tense that it could not react to the movements of the ship on the sea. Didn't that require all of its attention?<br><br>It made sounds at her again and threw the cloth at her. She fumbled a bit as it landed on her, and then took to examining it. It was like two tubes that became one. Strange, but familiar somehow.. oh. It was what these humans wore to cover their lower half. It was strange that they would do so. These humans were unlike most that she saw, in that they did not cover their tops. They had extra markings on them also. Some that she had taken, before, were like these. But most were of paler skin, of less or no extra markings, and often covered up much more in the fabric that would absorb water and drag them down so much better. <br><br>Strange, that it would give her some of the covering. She would not be putting something so ridiculous on herself. Already she had enough trouble controlling her legs, the last thing she needed was further encumbrance to her locomotion. But, the cloth did provide some additional insulation, and helped with the cold that parts of her were currently feeling due to the dampness of her hair. It would not hurt to leave the cloth over her body to help keep her warm. She set the covering back down, and managed to arrange it over herself so that most of her was warmed somewhat by it.<br><br>By that point, the human had put itself in another bit of the empty net-thing, facing her, but eventually closed its eyes. Her eyes felt heavy also, had felt that way for days. The feeling had taken her earlier, on the ship when she had blacked out for a few moments. Now it was getting difficult to fight again. But the other humans in this place were still, silent, with their eyes closed as well. Even the interesting human was the same. So the feeling had to do with being human. Just another thing to dislike about her condition.<br><br>Really, now that she was not being watched, she wanted to roll back out of the net and find her safe, dark place. But, the container of healing stuff was breakable. She recognized it as such from the many ships she had sank. Objects of this sort of material tended to break when met with a hard surface. If she rolled out now, she could break it and lose the healing stuff with it. Right now, the relief from pain was more important than finding a dark place to hide. She would wait here, for now, an when she was better able to control the fall, then she would go.<br><br>But now, that heavy feeling was pulling, pulling, pulling...<br><br>____ ___ __ _<br><br>The former mermaid slept deeply through the night. It was a deep, healing sleep brought on from the injuries, exhaustion, and complete lack of sleep for the days she had fought the waves and the sea before the humans had found her. Even the movement of the crew, coming and going around her, and the storm as it reached its loud and angry peak before calming once more to clear skies, did not wake her. The sleep was so deep that she did not roll about or move at all, but for breathing deeply in her dreamless state of rest...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>14-10-2013, 22:16:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Keiran slept well, or as well as a man who had lost so much recently could, which in common terms meant poorly. His dreams were clouded with images of his sister dead on the decks of their ship. Of men, a women vanishing beneath waves, even if he had not seen any actually being pulled down, his mind was more then capable of conjuring the sight out of nothing. He heard screams over the sound of waves, pleading, begging, faces in the water, just below the surface mouthing up to him, their words silent, and horrified, while the screams from the distance continued, like a pale echo surfacing where others had fallen before. He was stranded on the reef clutching at the rock, which was like razors, the sharp stones cutting into his back and burning with the tinge of salt laced through everything in the sea. And he watched as his blood colored the water, impossibly staining the ocean all red, to watch the sinking members of his crew vanish in to the dark crimson depths, just before him. There cries never quite fading, never drowning like their bodies, instead bubbling up to haunt him. <br><br>Suddenly a webbed and grabbed his shin and the surprise and shock of it, even in the dreams, tore him out and woke him up, startling him and almost sending him falling out of the hammock the he occupied. It was before dawn, but just by a few hours, if the grey light in one of the port holes was any indication. Reaching a hand up he rubbed against his eyes faintly working his fingers along the edge of his nose and then his forehead next as he tried to clear thoughts of the dream from his head. The screams, though, lingered at the edge of his mind, and the bloodied water. Their deaths was a memory he was not soon going to forget, and the dreams amplifying it and making it that much more vicious a tragedy would not help him do so either. <br><br>Setting his feet to the floor he looked over to the hammock he had left her in, and saw that she was still there. The cause of the nightmares, of the deaths, of it all, the woman there, no creature, whatever she truly was, was responsible for it all, for all the pain and suffering, the blood, and the screams. It made him want too reach over and strangle her, to choke the life out of her and watch that horrified look come to her face, rather then the face of his friends, and family. The idea of it, alone, was a very satisfying and tempting notion, but carried with it the weight that she was helpless, he could see that much, and the crew would not stand by while he strangled the life out of a helpless land woman whom he himself had saved from the sea taking her. <br><br>Finally he stood up pushed a hand up through his hair and made for the stairs up to the deck, he would have work to do soon enough and if he started now he could get some of it out of the way. Giving him time to try to make more sense of the mermaid on legs. She couldn't talk, and couldn't understand him clearly enough, getting her to pull her weight on the ship, among the other crew, till they could find port, was going to be difficult. Especially since the Captain had made it clear, he had saved her and brought the trouble onto the ship, she would be his trouble until he could find a way to get her off of the ship. And despite his wishes, throwing her overboard once again was not an option. Hopefully though, she would sleep long enough for him to get most of his duties taken care off, before waking up to give him more work. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>15-10-2013, 10:06:32</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Eventually she woke, slowly becoming aware of sounds around her, of movement of the thing she was lying in, of the light that filtered in through the holes in the side of the ship. At first, she did not know what was happening, and the panic sent her suddenly jolting awake, the netting swaying with her movement and disorienting her more. And then it all came flooding back: the human, the change in herself, nearly drowning and being saved, fighting with the human, being thrown into this thing. Looking around now, she saw very few humans with her, but could hear what seemed like many of them moving around above.<br><br>Her skin was hurting again, though not nearly as much as before, it felt hot again and achy. Immediately, the former mermaid used more of the healing stuff from the container the human had given her, spreading it about on her body as she had previously. It helped. The soothing and cool sensation washed over her once more, and the mermaid could stop feeling quite so frantic for relief. Besides the burning, there was a bit of an itching sensation, or had been, before the healing not-quite-liquid had been applied to the injured skin. Now it wasn't hot or itchy, and that was better.<br><br>The rest she had had was good, too, she felt less confused, less frantic, less weak. That heaviness, giving into it, resting, seemed to be essential for humans to function properly, and now her as well. And though her legs were still confusing and strange to think of moving, she was better able to pay attention to the few humans she did see, and take in just how they seemed to move. It now made sense, somewhat, to think of her legs almost like another set of arms, in that they had the same sorts of connections and ability to bend and flex. Her shoulders and hips had nearly the same flexibility and range of motion, as did her elbows and the bend in the middle of each leg, and her wrists and the join of leg and foot. Thinking of them that way seemed to make the thought of moving them easier. The idea of moving using them was a little less intimidating.<br><br>When she would use her arms to drag herself, she would have to tense all the muscles, as she had noticed the Interesting Human doing the night before. She would bend her elbow, then straighten it to propel herself in the direction she needed to go. Her wrist would have to be tense also, and not floppy, or her arm would drop to the side. Moving using legs must be similar, at least. Getting out of the net that the human had put her in to rest would be hard, though. She still did not wish to ruin the container of healing stuff.<br><br>Thinking a moment, the former mermaid wrapped the container in the fabric covering that had been thrown at her the night before, then leaned over in the netting, reaching towards the floor to set the container down. Leaning, leaning, leaning. She was nearly there, her arm straining, and then the netting flipped and she smacked into the ground again. Head slamming into the floor, elbow banging, chest landing right on the container she had been trying to protect, knocking the wind out of her. Now breathing hurt, making her gasp for air for a few moments until breathing was easy again. Easier, anyway.<br><br>She did not know, did not notice if the other humans were paying attention to her. It did not seem as though they liked her much, just like the Interesting Human did not like her much either. But he knew her, just as she knew him. These humans did not know her, and still disliked her. Perhaps all humans disliked one another. Like she disliked other mermaids. But then, why would they choose to live so closely to one another? Humans were strange.<br><br>Dragging herself across the wood was much faster this time, though she did not use her legs yet, she had plans to try as soon as she made it to the corner again. Once there, she scooted her back against the corner and eyed her legs. First, she practiced flexing her ankles, first together, and then one at a time. Next: her knees. Together and then one at a time. Then she tried moving her knees and ankles at the same time, first together than one limb at a time. It was awkward, still, but she seemed to have a better handle on it than earlier. Once she was confident in her ability to move her legs at least more than she had before. They might even support her, if she did it carefully. So, she braced her back against the corner she was in, the wood dug into her spine, made her feel secure and supported. Pushing with her legs and knees, and using her arms braced against the corners, the former mermaid slowly levered herself upward until she was standing, albeit shakily, in the corner...<br><br>____ ___ __ _<br><br>"Oi, Keiran, ye land woman be flopping about below." one of the crew chuckled as he came up the stairs and passed him on the deck, shaking his head at the predicament the man had gotten himself into, but unwilling to help or do more than mention that Keiran might be falling down on one of his duties in keeping the woman he had rescued out of trouble...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>18-10-2013, 01:00:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Was on his knees to one side of the deck, he had been in the work of replacing some worn planking, having pulled it up and was using reserve supplies to fix some of the pieces which were rotting with the constant seawater. It was a task that they would normally never give to a newer deckhand, but the Captain knew well that he was well learned above his station, and it was a task that was grueling, exhausting, and took forever to really do, covering the whole deck with new wood was something they could only do at a ship builders port, but doing spot repairs on places they could do even as sea if they were careful. What it meant of course was long work on his knees, doing a job that nobody else really wanted to do, because he knew how to do it, and keeping his mouth shut rather then complaining about the work that he was given, since if he did, he would likely find himself let off at the next port they found, a issue he may face regardless of his stoic acceptance of whatever jobs given to him. <br><br>When the man came past him he lifted his head towards him and nodded with a faint groan, wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his forearm he pushed himself up glancing around the deck. He had replaced all the pieces he had to tear up already, and had just been finishing the last place, repairing the removal and finishing the wood with an oil to keep it more hearty against the salty ocean. It left his skin smelling of oils, and wood, scents that were more accustomed to new ships rather then like the one they were on, which had seen many good years on the sea, and would continue to, in part due to his work today. Glancing back towards the stairs that led down into the greater extent of the hull he gave another exhale knowing that he was still not in the right mind to deal with the creature below, but also that ignoring her down there wouldn't be tolerated. <br><br>Padding bare foot across the deck he took the stairs easily dipping his head to avoid knocking it against the ceiling, and letting his eyes adjust to the dimness of the cabin area. His hair was pulled back away from his face so he could work on the deck like he had been, and it left his face even more clear, and slightly more harsh then it was when it was shrouded comfortably by hair. Swiveling he immediately made his way through the hammocks though his frown came when he found the one he had left her in empty, his gaze turned around the cabin, where many were sleeping there turn of the shift, to find her in the corner, pressed up to it tight, and obviously attempting to rise to her feet. A task that looked about as awkward as a fish on land, but at least it was clear she was not going to subject him to having to deal with her scooting around or clambering like a gimp crab. <br><br>Though, of course, the pants were still definitely not on her, and it took him a moment to spot them on the ground next to where she was attempting to stand, apparently wrapped around the jar he had given her, from the shape of things. Cutting across the room now he slowed as he came close, resisting the urge to hurt her just for the hell of it, to make himself feel better, to make the pain on the inside go away he clenched a fist to one side. "Ye are supposed to wear those." His other hand pointed to the trousers before pointing to her legs as well, though with the way she was shaking, like a leaf, he figured the maneuvering necessary to get ones legs into the trousers would end up with her on the floor again, bending he snagged up the trousers, giving them a flick and then holding them open.<br><br>Of course attempting to get her to step into them was more of a challenge then he would want to endure, at least he believed, so instead he reached out to take one of her ankles, rather then urge her to step forward, but to guide her foot into the trousers, like one would a unwilling child. "Ye will wear these." 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>21-10-2013, 06:22:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It was not until she was standing, barely, shaking against the wall and concentrating on keeping her ankles tense and not allowing them to roll to any side and topple her over, that the former mermaid noticed the human. The human stood in front of her, holding the cloth covering it had thrown at her previously, and was making more mouth noises at her. Always with the mouth noises. Clearly, it was trying to communicate with her. Did it not understand that she had no knowledge of the meaning to the sounds it made?<br><br>And, as always, it seemed angry with her, with harsh tones and expressions of dislike. The same feeling, truth be told, ran through her. This human had ignored her warning, had caused her this agonizing form, had made her not of the sea any longer. Now she was trapped trying to do as humans did, whatever that was, living amongst a creature she despised. If only she had killed the human as she had been supposed to, none of this would have happened. While she hated to admit it, part of this situation was her fault. Still, she hated the human for its involvement, for its creation of the situation, for making her think it was somehow different than the others. <br><br>The human advanced on her and she bared her teeth at it in warning. It needed to stay away, to leave her to trying to work out how to use her limbs. She would fight it, this time, if it tried to put her back in that net. She would <em>not</em> be kept in that net forever, like a fish to be eaten later. The human would not confine her like some kept thing. Now that she had rested, she felt better, more able to fight, more willing to struggle for her own way and show that she would not be overpowered by this creature she despised.<br><br>But the human advanced, perhaps not even noticing her expression, her warning. Though, instead of grabbing her to drag back to confinement, it grasped her leg. Immediately, she yanked back, or tried to, tried to stop it from pulling her off balance. The human saw her weakness in her legs and took it! The moment her leg was off the ground, she wobbled fiercely, trying to keep her balance. Even leaning against the wall did not help, the join between foot and leg of the limb left supporting her on the ground began to flex. It was harder to concentrate now that so much else was going on. The unfamiliar muscles only half-listened to her anyway, at this point. As the human tried to force her leg into the cloth covering she lost her balance: knee buckled, ankle twitched, and she pitched forward, arms flailing in an attempt to catch herself. One arm caught on the human's shoulder, and she almost managed to catch herself, but that her knee also hit the human there, and unseated her already flimsy grasp so that she landed on top of it. Quickly, she attempted to scramble off and away, and could barely tell if it had let go of her other leg or not in her hurry to escape and get her bearings...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>24-10-2013, 19:54:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Everything, everything was more difficult dealing with this odd creature he'd dragged out of the damn sea, and saved from drowning. A mistake he was regretting more and more by the moment, when she tumbled onto him, unable to keep even a few moments on one foots balance she fell against him knocking him back some, but to be fair, as she was she was small, nothing like the length he had seen when she carred a long scaled tail. Waifish as she was, it was not much of a hindrance having her fall on him, but the fact that she immediately started to flail and try to scramble from him, limbs flailing, had him giving a frustrated groan, whilst that hand that had caught her ankle before, only tightened down harder. He was not going to scuttled all over the cabin floor trying to chase her down to put pants on her, it was ridiculous, and even more so, it wasted his time, every moment dealing with her, was another longer he would have to work past his shift to make sure he did all he needed to do on the ship they were on. <br><br>"Stop ye damn wiggling woman!" His voice a growl, his temper stemming through yet again as he gave her weak leg a jerk, his hand likely bruising tight around her frail ankle. He was going to get her into a pair of pants if it meant dragging her around the cabin floor and forcing them on her every inch of the way. Perhaps persuasion and kindness would have gone a lot further to convincing the once mermaid that he was not trying to harm her. But honestly either of those were behind him at the time still, she was a murdered, and he was instilled as her guide, and to see after her, it sickened him. But he also knew how crazy it would be to openly suggest that this woman had once been a mermaid whom had been at fault for his sister, and their crews deaths, let alone that for some reason, she had seen fit to keep him alive in the mix of it all. <br><br>"Just stop flailing and put these on woman."&nbsp; Of course he didn't really expect her to stop, but airing his displeasure was going to happen one way or another, he did keep his voice pitched to a lower volume though, there were crew members sleeping, and he didn't exactly want to be spotted flailing on the floor with the weird woman he'd pulled out of the sea. All the while he was still trying to close the distance and work the leg of the pants up her ankle, she was going to wear it, whether she liked it or not damnit, even if it was mostly his own stubborn drive that was behind it, rather then approaching the situation with a clear head on his shoulders, that just wasn't there, and it wasn't going to be changing anytime immediately either. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>31-10-2013, 10:37:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Her leg was still caught, held fast by the human's strong grip. A grip she could not seem to break, no matter her pulling and attempting to wriggle free and drag herself away from it. Damned human. What would it do to her, now that it had her, nearly helpless on the ground? Did it intend to cause more harm, to pull her hair again? Drag her back into that net that kept her suspended above the ground? Was that where it meant to keep her, locked up and away forever? She would <em>not</em> be kept like the bones she collected, not while she still lived. She would <em>not</em>!<br><br>Already, the human was causing her harm. The hold it had upon her leg hurt, and it pulled upon her limb, tightening the grip until her struggled to pull that leg away ceased for a new tactic. Now, she tried pushing at the human's chest with her other foot, and curled herself awkwardly forward and to the side, so that she could grip at it's hand holding her. Blunt nails tried to dig in, to pull the human's hand from her leg, though it had the same force as her attempts to loosen the pulling of her hair previously. And the human was making those mouth noises again, the angry ones, with a voice low and rumbly and dangerous sounding. It was the tone it had, the threat in it, the one that reminded her of the pain from the hair pulling, that caused her to stop suddenly. The former mermaid did not want that discomfort again, did not want that pain, and if stopping the fight would prevent that, she would do it.<br><br>For now. When she was stronger, and knew how to work her legs better, she would fight again. She would seek her revenge for the way the human treated her.<br><br>It was as she stopped fighting that the human's intent became clear: without her kicking and struggling, the first pant leg slid easily up her slender leg. And she watched, eyes narrowed, muscles tense, teeth bared at the human that dared to touch her and cause harm again...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>02-11-2013, 03:24:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Finally getting the legs of the pants up her legs was an exhausting process but when he did, and pulled them up to her waist before quickly tying the strings, in a hard knot, hoping to dissuade her from being able to get them off again he let her go finally lifting a finger to point at her. He was wary though and kept his finger back, she flashed those teeth just a little too often for him to be stupid enough to stick his finger in her face, he was fairly positive she would not be above biting him. "Ye keep these on, ye understand?" His words were slow and he reached down to grab the waist of the pants giving them a slight jerk to be pointed. "These stay." Repeating himself in simpler words, his eyes hard on her still, he was tired of her already, and it was just the beginning of the day, but at least now she wouldn't be running around the deck stark naked, she was decent, at least as far as Atha'an Miere were concerned. <br><br>Standing up he paused watching her, half tempted to grab her by her hair and drag her up to her feet again, but he imagined that would lead to more hissing, glaring, and fighting him. Instead he held his hand out to her, palm up and waited watching her while he did so. He was going to try to get past his own issues with the mermaid gone human, if he could, which meant attempting to make things easier for her. Only for the reason of needing it to also be easier on him, if he spent all his time fighting and trashing the woman for her ineptitude, then they were going to in up all of no where, and the crew was going to want him off ship immediately. Something he feared was in the works anyway. <br><br>"Take me hand, woman, ye need to learn to use them feet, or else ye are going to be worse then useless...we don't keep useless folk." He doubted she'd get tossed over the edge, but it would definitely get a lot less pleasant for her, they didn't feed useless folk either, she would have to earn her keep one way or another...and if she wasn't as red as a lobster, and the murderer responsible for so much in his life, he'd say she was not ugly thing to look at, which meant there could be work, that had nothing to do with the legs she found so useless to earn her food, but that was an unpleasant work, and even that would only come out of pity likely. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>07-11-2013, 08:26:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				After she stopped struggling, stopped wriggling and writhing and trying to claw her way away, the human managed to pull the cloth covering over her legs. First one, and then the other, and then it secured the covering about her middle. Immediately, her hands went to the joining of strings, and started to pick at the knot, attempting to undo it, but it was stuck fast and hard, and would take her quite some time to work off. Then the human spoke, yanked her in the covering, and shook its finger at her as it spoke, its voice full of warning, sounds coming slow. <br><br>Did it understand that she did not know the meaning of the sounds it made? Though that sound 'these' must refer to the covering, it had made that sound often enough that she understood the meaning of that word. The warning seemed to mean that it would be displeased if she were to remove the covering, and so her fumbling fingers reluctantly let go of the strings and drew away from the 'these', though she bared her teeth at him in expression of her displeasure.<br><br>It was with great shame and displeasure that her instinct drove her to flinch and shy away from the human's hand as it reached towards her. Those hands that harmed her, that hurt upon their touching, that yanked on her hair and bruised her ankle and forced the hindering cover onto her legs. The former mermaid feared those hands, and her body took over, jumping her back, ducking her head, cowering her and allowing the human to see her fear. <br><br>But then the human did not touch her, but held out its hand, and seemed to wait. It spoke, gave direction, but she imagined that its tone was not so harsh, not so angry. Why did it offer up its limb towards her? Hold it out? She wanted nothing to do with that human, that creature that had caused her so much trouble and so much pain after she had been kind enough to refrain from killing it and tow it to safety. Dragging herself backwards, away from the human, only got her a short distance away before she was back in her corner, and once more she began struggling to her feet alone, eyes trained on the human as her wobbly legs pushed her upwards. It went faster, this time, with her legs a bit more used to the idea of supporting her now; she shook less. Though she still leaned heavily against the meeting of wooden walls, she was standing more on her own than earlier.<br><br>The entire time, her eyes remained focused, unmoving, nearly unblinking, on the human. If it came after her again, she would be ready, and perhaps better able to hold herself up now that she knew what it might do to subdue her...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>09-11-2013, 21:36:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Being usually, something of a patient man, he understood why she flinched away from his hand. He was not stupid after all, and he was not treating her with a kind hand, he hated her just as much as she seemed to hate him after all, always bearing her teeth at him like she was going to bite him, something that would earn her a fair bit more soreness then he had dealt to her as of yet. But he had also saved her life, much like she had his own, even if she had been the cause of his own misfortune, feeling as if he was justified in his anger, whereas his saving her should have merited some sort of gratitude, unaware of her own change and current condition, being his own fault, or rather, her's for the choice she had made. <br><br>When she scooted herself back into that damn corner again he id have to grind his teeth a bit, resisting the urge to simply grab her and haul her out of the hull. It would mean dragging her flailing, while she tried to scratch and likely bite the whole time, and he knew he didn't want to have to deal with that, it would also make everything more difficult. Instead he waited, watching her straighten herself up onto her feet, leaning against the wall. She was not going to get anywhere unless she learned to use those legs under her, and she was going to have to learn quick, or else she was going to end up suffering more for it all. <br><br>"Ye have to come with me." This time he stepped forward, but he didn't close the distance fast, and the hand that he had let drop, extended to her again holding it out, holding tight to any bit of patience he had built up inside of him, and looking at her expectantly. "If ye don't learn to pull yet weight, ye will be tossed overboard." He knew she didn't understand, she was useless for such things, but he didn't know how better to communicate, didn't know how to bridge that gap. <br><br>"Take me hand woman." He took another slow step towards her, not threatening, and his voice was low, not angry, calm as he could muster. Trying to coax her out of the corner without having to resort to grabbing her was annoying, especially since she couldn't understand a damn thing he said. "For bloodys sake, woman, should have left ye in the damn sea." It was a frustration, trying to keep his voice down to not wake the sleeping crew members, and not lose his temper with her. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>11-11-2013, 12:41:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The human approached her again, making more noises at her, though with a different tone than before: much less angry and much less forceful. At least, at first. It's voice was softer even as it approached her again, but slowly, as though to allow her time to adjust to the idea. Was it attempting to sneak up on her? To fool her into allowing it closer? But, if it wanted that, it already knew she was next to helpless, that mostly it was the wood behind her stabilizing her stance and keeping her upright. What could the human gain by its current actions? Why did it hold out a hand? It held nothing in it.<br><br>Did the human want her to grasp it? Was it offering to.. assist her? But it hated her, she could tell from how it behaved earlier. And her feelings were much the same way, though she did not understand just why the human had cause to dislike her so much. She had saved it, after all.<br><br>But now the human's voice carried some frustration, some hard tone, though it was trying to keep it low and quiet. Trying to convince her of safety that did not exist. Though, when the human became agitated, it tended to cause her harm. Perhaps she could play along? Bend to it now for a better chance later? Perhaps that would be the best thing for now, until she was stronger.<br><br>Tilting her chin down a little and rolling her eyes to keep her gaze on the human, the former Mermaid reached out towards the hand the human offered. However, her reach was not long enough, so she leaned forward, and forward, and then shuffled one of her legs forward awkwardly, then leaned more, trying to keep one hand on the wall to stabilize herself. Long, gangly legs splayed out, one in front, one behind, and seemed easier to keep herself up with than when they were together.<br><br>Finally, her hand brushed his; fingers grazed his, and she stumbled forward, grasping his hand and leaning heavily into his grasp, hoping that he would be able to support her while she tried to get her feet under herself and stable once more...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>11-11-2013, 21:12:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Her slow, cautious attempts to come forward, played at his patience, but she was making the effort, and it subdued the annoyance that was already swimming just below the surface of his thoughts. Walking was a challenge for her, doing anything was going to be even worse, which meant he would have to work twice as hard to see that she would make it to the next day, and then the next. Letting he starve, or die, was not really an option, the crew would blame him, especially if i was apparent that his dislike, and his disinterest in helping her were the reasons he was not doing more to see that she learned the ways that she needed to to make due on the ship. He was already stripped of his rank, his crew, his family, being labled a murderer, even indirectly, would be the final hole in his ship. <br><br>When she took his hand and put her weight into the hold she was placing on it, he caught easily, and while he held her grip tight, it wasn't as tight as he had her ankle, he wasn't aiming to give her another bruise after all. Rather to just keep her up on her feet, though rather then remaining still he turned. "Ye need to come up onto deck now, work needs done, and ye are taking up my time as is." What he was going to have her do though he hadn't entirely decided, making her help along with him felt like it would be miserable, dealing with her ineptitude was going to drive him insane, but setting her to any other kind of task was asking not only for failure, but likely injury, and her causing all sorts of other issues with the crew moving around the ship, at least keeping her close would keep her from stumbling into someones way. <br><br>Of course, that all meant getting her across the hull, to the stairs, and keeping her on her feet the whole time. Something he couldn't exactly guarantee seeing as how she was worse then even most landfolk when it came to being on their legs at sea. He didn't think though, that the sea was to blame for this one, she seemed to have trouble with the legs period. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>15-11-2013, 11:01:32</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The human did not harm her as she finally made contact and grasped onto it. It even held her up as she finally let go of the wall and attempted to propel herself over to the creature, her feet shuffling and stumbling along in small, careful, near-steps. Taking one foot off of the wooden surface seemed far too unstable, made her too uncomfortable, so all movement was a sort-of slidling forward of one foot or the other, and then gaining balance and moving the other up to match. Eventually, she made it to the human.<br><br>Eying the human cautiously, the Mermaid wobbled and tried to remain upright and have to lean less heavily on the human. Success came in turns. One moment she was doing well upright, and the next a knee or an ankle would weaken, bend when it shouldn't, and throw her off until she had righted herself again. But rather than let her get used to just standing without an entire wall to her back, the human turned and began moving, speaking to her in those sounds that it must know by now that she did not understand. Except for about the 'those'. She was pretty sure she understood that sound.<br><br>Speaking of the 'those', they were uncomfortable, but not so much in her way and hindering her movement as she thought they might be. That was a pleasing development. Or, rather, not a <em>displeasing</em> development. <br><br>But, the human began to move, and she had to follow and move with it or be left behind, or dragged by her wrist. The former Mermaid knew that the human had the strength to grip her painfully tight and drag her about if it so wished, and that was not something she wanted for at all. Her steps still slid, clumsy and awkward, until they made it to the stairs. And then she realized that it intended to take her up above again, and intended for her to traverse the series of small ledges leading up there. Nervous, looking at her new and slightly-more-stable-than-before feet, she pulled back a little on his grip to signal her desire to remain below. There was no way she was ready to try to go up there, and then she would be trapped, in the open, with no dark, safe place to retreat to...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>16-11-2013, 19:36:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Was patient, well as patient as he could be walking with her across the hull, it was difficult, she was slow, and she kept moving her legs in funny ways that would end up with her on the floor if she was not gripping him like she was. He didn't let her go though, figuring if he did, she would use it as an excuse to scuttle back across the room into the corner of the hull and hide herself again, or try to learn how to balance with the walls. Something that would never really help, the walls were a handicap, she needed to learn how to do it, sink or swim style, by being up on her feet and moving, getting used to the waves and the way the ship would roll under your feet. It was natural to him, the motion a second nature that he didn't even have to think about, even in some of the worst churning seas he didn't notice the pitch and roll. <br><br>When she tugged at his arm though, offering resistance, something she hadn't done for the distance across the hull he paused actually, rather then just pulling onward without notice. Turning his head towards her he caught her gaze and could see the less then eager look at the stairs but he shook his head. "Ye need to come above with me, ye can't stay down here." Trying to explain, he knew she couldn't understand, it wasn't as if he thought she was just mute and ignoring him, no, he knew she couldn't grasp what he was saying. But still, the only way she might is if he continued to use words and talk to her. <br><br>"Ye aren't going to fall, but ye need to go up." He spoke and while he still had a grip of her he shifted and moved trying to get himself behind her slightly putting his other hand against the small of her back and giving a small press, not shoving at her, but again goading her forward. He had to get back to work, and he had to get her to start pitching in, there wasn't time for adapting, nobody would want someone aboard who couldn't carry their own weight, and he did not need that reflecting upon him, jumping into the sea and saving her had thus far been the worse decision he had made in some time. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>17-11-2013, 12:18:48</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It wasn't even that the movement of the sea and the ship upon it were upsetting her, as her dubious control over her own limbs: no muscle memory. <em>That</em> was the problem. Though she sea's movements certainly didn't help. She had legs and limbs that remembered how to act like a tail, and learning to move one separate from the other was difficult. If the Mermaid did not concentrate hard, her knees would bend at the same time, her ankles would do the same, or would go limp and floppy and have her almost pitch forward or to the side or backwards. Except that the human was there, and it kept her from tumbling to the wood beneath her feet.<br><br>Why it was helping her, she did not understand. It hated her, and had made that very clear with the pain it had caused, with the way it had spoken, with the look in its eyes and its expression as it looked at her. The human disliked her even though she had saved it. But then it had also given her that substance that had made her skin stop hurting, even though it disliked her it had done that. And now it was supporting her as she tried to learn to walk.<br><br>Humans were strange, and she would never understand them.<br><br>Unless it was taking her above to attempt bodily harm? In some act of hatred?<br><br>But if it wished for that, it could have just picked her up. It had transported her that way before, and could likely do so again. So why was it bringing her up? And that did seem to be the goal, it made mouth noises at her again. It kept saying 'Ye' and 'me' a lot, they had to have some major significance as well, but she had not figured out their meaning quite yet. Perhaps one referred to her? It was difficult to tell.<br><br>The human moved behind her now, but held on, and began to push at her, pitching her off balance enough that she made a shuffling movement forward and her toes bumped into the first ledge. It was giving her no choice but to try to go up. Toes drug against the wood as she concentrated on picking her leg up, her other knee bending slightly before she got the hang of making it stay straight as it should. Finally, the first foot set solidly on the ledge, and she only had to straighten her leg to bring her up one level.<br><br>Easier said than done. Taking her weight completely off her supporting leg was a mistake, since the other was already bent, and for a moment she panicked as all her weight fell back on the hand that rested on her back while she tried desperately to straighten one leg and bring the other to rest next to it at the same time. But the two movements were difficult to coordinate at the same time. The former Mermaid found herself hoping the human would manage to hold her up until she found stability again...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>18-11-2013, 20:17:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Keeping his hand to her back had been a good idea clearly, as if he had not she would have likely ended up on the deck again, with stars in her eyes. Feeling her weight fall back into his hand he shook his head. "No, ye have to lean forward, not to relax back, lean your weight forward." Knowing she wouldn't be able to understand him he released her hand, but kept the hand on her back. With one free hand now he moved it to press against her stomach, not pushing but holding against her stomach slightly, just to keep her upright, before lifting the hand on her back up, from the small to her mid back, doing so sliding his hand rather then removing it.<br><br>Part of him wondered if the balm for her skin had soothed the burn enough, but the thought was quickly dismissed as he couldn't find himself caring enough anyway. The hand that was to her stomach was not pressing hard, and only just hovering against her flesh almost, giving an act of resistance even as he pressed against her back slightly, his hand on her stomach holding still. <br><br>"Just slightly now, ye have to lean into your steps." Pressing with the one hand, and holding in place with the other, he tried to help her shift her weight onto her forward foot more. "Ye will tip over if ye try to take both feet off the deck at one time woman." The tone was chiding, but not especially rough, impatient maybe in a way. He was teaching a woman grown and living to walk, she moved like a child. It was clear, these legs were nothing she had done before, any amount of flailing would have given her more knowledge of how to use the appendages then she seemed to show. <br><br>"Up another." He said, his hand on her back pressing more, though this time his hand at her stomach drew forward some to allow her body to ease forward but he didn't push hard, kept it slow. She needed to be able to walk damn it, if she was going to live. And only her living, and carrying her weight, was going to keep him from worse positions among the crew. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>19-11-2013, 11:51:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The human let go. Frantically, her fingers scrabbled after the hand that had released hers, attempting to grab it, to have something to hold steady to, but the human was too quick. It did not leave her to fall as she had expected though. No. The human wrapped the arm about her torso, then pushed her forward until she bent slightly. Her skin ached slightly at the touch, the pressure, but that substance she had rubbed all over seemed to be helping with the pain. Enough so that she did not feel the urge to try to squirm away. What was the human doing?<br><br>But, in this position, she felt less likely to fall over, even though she wrapped her fingers around the wrist&nbsp; and arm that was about her middle, clinging as she had been clinging to the human's hand just a moment before. The foot she had managed to get up the first ledge still would not support her with a bent knee, but the human had her, and that helped her concentrate to straighten the leg and shuffle her other limb onto the ledge. The&nbsp; former Mermaid would have felt more accomplished if there weren't many more ledges to traverse.<br><br>Still, the human kept speaking to her, as though she could understand it. Or, perhaps it was to make itself feel better? Or try to get her to understand the meaning of the sounds? Humans were difficult to grasp, but it might be the last. This one seemed determined to assist her, even if it disliked her, and she still could not grasp why.<br><br>It pushed her forward, let its arm go from her center, and she knew the next ledge was expected. Again, she bent just one knee, concentrating to keep the other supporting her, and managed to get her foot to rest on the next tiny wooden cliff. This time, though, the Mermaid tensed her knee and straightened it, leaning forward as the human had made her do before, and just ignored her other leg. That seemed to work, and she did not wobble except when the ship pitched slightly to the side. Without prompting, this time, she made for the next one, though her hands never leg go of the arm in front of her, needing to hold on to <em>something</em> to feel secure and safe. Up and up and up, so very slowly, but by the end, she seemed to have gotten the hang of the awkward movement, though she still needed the human's support to do it. Now, though, they were above the wooden cave, exposed to light and air and all the other humans, and the Mermaid was not sure she cared for that at all. But, there was no choice: getting back below would be difficult on her own, she did not like the idea of tumbling down those ledges one bit...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>22-11-2013, 02:53:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Stair by stair, the slow progression rose up, taking as much time to climb from below decks as it would have taken him to clean most of the deck and been onto another chore. But she was moving, and making progress, and despite the lack of speed he bit his tongue and concentrated on the fact that she wasn't trying to bite him, and he didn't necessarily have to be goading her with a hand, or a threat to get her up each individual stair. Instead she started to take them on her own, though still quite desperately clinging to his arm, leverage he understood, the whole way up the process. <br><br>Finally though they stood on the deck, in the sun, the warmth of it warming his skin pleasantly, the storm had cleared over the night, and the waters were easier sailing now. Thank the gods though, cause if they had been rough getting her up the stairs would have been a nightmare to make the last effort seem silly.&nbsp; But now there were eyes on them, other of the crew moving about their duties, rushing from rope to rope to check them, before they could settle aside to await an order, or to take care of another task. A ship that sailed efficiently had crews that knew what was needed to be done, and had it done before it was asked more often then not. Which meant time when many could relax back, a shift did not have to be gruelling the entire while.<br><br>Unfortunately, the time he might have been spending easing his aching back from working on the deck, or relaxing and continuing his recovery from his shipwreck, cause by her, had instead been spent below decks, dealing with her. This meant he was behind and needed to catch up, rather then being ahead, it looked poorly on him, even if there was a hint of consideration cause of fishing her out of the sea, like himself, they expected the woman to be able to pick herself up and come to her senses. Only unlike him, none of them would give chance to believe that she had never walked before. <br><br>"Ye need to get to repairing the starboard side Keiran! Now! Have ye landfolk wench help do it ta get it done quicker!" One of the regular crew members shouted, he was hanging from some of the rigging tied to the main mast, one leg was wound up tight amid the ropes, and the other pressed close against it. He was working with line to secure it tightly to the mast, whilst the other end of the line connected to some ribbed sail, being bound tighter to the adjacent beam where another of the crew was working to help the process and bind the sail down.<br><br>"Aye!" His voice lifted, right back, not offering an excuse, or disagreement but giving her back another push. "Move, creature, or ye will end up over the side be it damn me or not." His voice was low, but not rough, again more frustrated. He needed to get her over to the railing before getting his tools, then going over the side, one of the port fixtures needed repaired, to ensure the cannon could be operated best in a pinch.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>06-12-2013, 12:40:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The other humans bustled about, moving quickly and with an ease the former Mermaid envied. Even the ones that walked, they climbed fast and nimble, moved about as though there was no pull back to the ship-deck as there should have been. Above the sea and out of the water, humans should not be able to move like that. And yet, they did.<br><br>She had never really watched them before, when they weren't being pulled to their death by her song. This was interesting, honestly, but not nearly so much as to distract from her present situation for long. The ship swayed, and so did her ability to hold herself up, grip tightening on the human's arm as she stumbled and tried to keep her legs under herself. Locking her knees straight had not helped, and only seemed to hinder, but keeping her knees slightly bent was difficult, and hard to maintain without wobbling. Moving seemed to be easiest, easier than standing still anyway.<br><br>One of the humans above yelled at her human, drawing her attention even as the one she clung to made sound in response, then pushed her again, towards the side of the ship. Then came the process of walking again, though now that she had conquered the wooden ledges, the flat of the ship's deck seemed easy in comparison. Well, easier. Not as hard, anyway. She still needed the human's help, but it seemed to understand that and did not relinquish its grip as it made more noises at her. Was it trying to teach her the meaning of the noises? Did it understand that she did not know their meaning? She was identifying oft-used sounds, though puzzling out their meaning was difficult with no context clues to help. "Ye" and "me" seemed to be the most used, and at first, she had begun to think they might be indicators for individuals, but then the other human had used them too, one of them, anyway. So perhaps not.<br><br>In any case, they made it, not as slowly as before either, to the side of the ship, and she relinquished her hold to grab the railing instead, her knuckles white from their tight grip. Then, she looked out, and away from the ship.<br><br>Longing gripped her chest, even as she feared the sea now, feared her home and all she had known because it had tried to kill her, she also wanted to go back. The rejection hurt, and all she could do was stare out at the beauty of the rolling waves, the water stretching on and on and on forever. For a moment, the urge to flop over the side and return home almost overwhelmed her, and it was not until she found herself leaning over, half way there, that she stopped and slid herself down to lean against the half-wall beneath the railing, pulling the sight of the water from tempting her. All she would do, were she to give in and reenter her former home, was drown. She would be taken by her mother like any other human, no mercy, nothing.<br><br>The mermaid only then noticed that the human had left once she took the railing, and began to peer around, trying to figure out where it went. Perhaps it had wanted her to go back. It knew what she was, it hated her. She knew that. It probably wanted her gone, and had given her the opportunity to do so. Perhaps it planned to catch her off guard and throw her back in; get rid of her. Maybe she would let it...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>08-12-2013, 19:00:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Almost as soon as she clung to the rail, seeming distracted from her usual panic, and more so, suspicion of him, he moved away from her. He needed to get his tools, and crossing the ship with her, to gather them, would have taken a length of patience that he didn't have at this point. It was less so because of how slow was at the moment now, and more so because there were more crew eyes on them now, he didn't want to be seen favoring and babying the land woman, elsewise some conclusions would be drawn. He had to keep near her, and to teach her, because she was his responsibility, but she was only that, and would remain that until they could make port, a destination that was close to a week away depending on the winds. A week keeping her from getting him in worse sorts with a crew who didn't know him already, was going to shred any patience he might be able to muster. <br><br>Hefting up the tray of tools, which he had left in a safe spot earlier upon going down to get her, he closed back to the railing where he had left her, spotting that she had sunk down to cling to the small wall of the railing and keep her self in place. It made him shake his head, for a mermaid, something had happened to her, she didn't seem to like the sea. It wasn't something he could deduce, making sense of a creature that was impossible all on it's own was not something he was going to fight for. Instead he set the tray down at the base of the railing next to her. <br><br>"Ye keep this in place, don't let it slide away." He spoke and reached out to try to snag one of her hands and put it over the handle of the tray, just trying to place it there if he could grab it. Though if she was stubborn as she was won't to be he'd continue anyway hefting some of the rope from it and tying one end of it to the top of the railing. Giving the knot a firm testing pull, he unfurled the rope, but grasped the end tying a loop in the base of it, and again knotting it tightly. Finally he slipped his bare foot through the loop before throwing the slack over the side of the ship. Once the rope was dangling he leaned over the edge, peering to make sure it was the right height, and adjusting it by wrapping more of the rope around his leg, much as the crew member up in the rigging had it. <br><br>Satisfied he swung first one leg, then the other over the edge of the railing his toes gripping the edge, he leaned over and snagged up a hammer, and a blade from the box, fitting the blade between his teeth, and holding the hammer before starting to descend the side of the ship. He did so till the rope was tight, and he could rest his weight on the loop he had fit his foot into, keeping himself steady with a hand on the hull as he suspended himself near the particular porthole he needed to ensure was up to keep. "Just keep ye head up there, and don't be wandering off." His voice lifted over the splash of waves against the hull hopefully to ears above, even if they wouldn't understand him, before getting to work. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>13-12-2013, 12:04:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				In looking around, wondering where her human went, the former Mermaid started noticing just how many humans there were on the ship. The number shouldn't have surprised her, after all, she had drowned a large number from any ship she came across, but it was different and far more overwhelming now that she was weak and powerless amongst them. They were not all so similar looking as she had once thought: humans used to look all the same to her, nearly all the same, anyway. They sometimes had different hair color, and varied in lightness and darkness and tone of skin, and weather they had breasts or not. But now she had time to really <em>look</em>, and see that there was more differences than that. Taller and shorter, with different face shapes and sorts of hair, different markings on their skin. Not all humans had markings, but some did, like these ones. It was surprising, now that she thought about it, that she could pick out her human easily from the rest, had known it when she first saw it.<br><br>Was that part of being human now? Or had she just never taken the time to notice before?<br><br>Some of the humans seemed to glance at her, but mostly she seemed to be being ignored, so far as she could tell. Except when that one had yelled at her human, it had seemed to look at her a moment also. Why was her human the only one that seemed to interact with her, notice her and pay some sort of attention to her? Why did it give her the healing substance and the cloth covering and help her to use her legs?<br><br>The Mermaid did not understand, and could not come up with a good reason for any of it. And it bothered her that the human had become 'her human' in her head: as if she were possessive of it, as if she wanted its attention. She did <em>not</em>. But how else to differentiate that human from the others in her mind?<br><br>It was back again, while she was deep in thought and observing the other humans. It set something next to her. Many somethings, actually. They seemed to be items piled on another object in order to carry them all efficiently. Were they for her, as that jar of healing substance was? So distracted, she did not avoid the human's touch, though she tensed as it grabbed her hand, and offered resistance until it was placed upon the handle and let go. Curiously, she pulled the whole thing a little closer, leaning over to peer down and examine the contents. <br><br>The human was speaking to her again, using that 'Ye' sound that she thought might be a personal indicator of some sort. Then it grabbed some rope from the collection of items, though she made a grab to take it back she was too slow to succeed. If these were hers, why did it take some away again? And what was it doing? She watched, head tilted, as it made knots and shapes with the rope, then threw part of it over the side of the ship. It took more items, and then went over the edge.<br><br>What was it doing?! It would fall into the sea and be swallowed up, and she had just saved it from that! In her hurry, she fumbled a little, letting go of the handle of the object with more objects, and half-pulled half-propelled herself to standing while grasping the railing of the ship. Her legs scrabbled a moment before her soles found purchase and she was able to fully stand with one foot on either side of the carrying-object, legs splayed wide. She was then able to cling and lean over so that her torso hung out over the water, hips resting on the railing and fingers gripping tightly. Some of her long, black hair fell off her back and shoulders to dangle down by the sides of her face and extend down down down after the human.<br><br>It had not fallen into the water. The rope was keeping it in place, it seemed, part-way down the side of the ship, the human seemed to be planning to do something to the side of the ship. It made sounds at her again, she assumed they were directed at her, anyway, and then it began doing something to the side of the ship. The mermaid watched, shifting a little, more and more strands of her long hair falling about the sides of her face to hang down below. And she was too afraid of letting go of the railing to shift them back into place. The ship would rock with the waves, and it was hard just to remain standing and leaning over. Especially when the carrying-object would slide a little one way or the other, bump into her feet as it was prevented from moving too far.<br><br>She did not move from her position of leaning-over and watching, unable to identify just what about the situation was causing her such anxiety, except that the human might fall into the water. But wouldn't that be a good thing? Would the sea, her mother, take that and return her to her true shape? Maybe, but maybe not. Perhaps she had to be the one to cause the human's end, with her own hands, in the sea. And that.. was not something she could do right now. Not with the panic that filled her every time she thought of re-entering the water...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>13-12-2013, 21:59:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				With the rope taunt around his leg he was comfortable in his position affixed to the ship as he was, even with it swaying, and the waves splashing the ship not far beneath him he was not bothered. He was at home on the sea, and that was something that wasn't going to change, even after nearly dying at the hands of the creature looking down from above him. It did make him consider the risk of having her right there, with the rope being all that kept him aboard the ship at the time, if she cut it, he would be dropped into the ocean, and unless he raised alarm quick enough the ship could move on without him. He could swim though, and he was certain someone would hear him if he called out, plus the fact that the former mermaid could barely as much stand on her own, let alone anything else. Not that she had come to figure out that he was her only chance to survive this, no, it would take time for that, even if it frustrated him, he could see she would be continuing her difficult streak. <br><br>Fitting his blade underneath the door that would cover the porthole, in times of rough weather and storms, he used it to off balance the door before taking a closer look at the hinges. The salt from the sea constantly ate at anything metal on the ship, it came with sailing, battling rust and corrosion, and that rust and corrosion did tend to make the doors stick in appropriately, or cause the chains which could be used to work them from inside of the hull to bind in the socket they were fed through. Fortunately getting the rust off typically meant a good smack, and some oil being applied, the hammer was there to knock what rust had been gathered off for the moment which he started to do. Carefully of course, not wanting to dent or damage the hinge itself but clear it of the rust. <br><br>With the first part taken care of he glanced up to her hanging half over the edge of the railing after him, her dark hair like a shroud pulled around her head and reaching down for him, like some small octopus reaching out through water towards him. And yet she seemed more worried and anxious looking then anything else, which was odd seeing as how she used every opportunity around him to claw, hiss, and look as if she wanted to find a way to bite something. Part of him wanted to ask her to get something from the tools he had told her to keep in place, but he knew well enough that even if he did she wouldn't understand a word her said. Instead he let the hammer fall into the porthole before dropping the blade there as well. Finally he gripped the rope and used it to pull himself back up the side of the ship to the railing. <br><br>"Move." She was standing right over the tools, making it harder to get to them, he put a hand against her leg to give it a slight push, not enough to send her spiraling off balance, but enough to try to get her to shift so he could reach into the tool box and grab the oil he needed to use to treat the hinges and chains.&nbsp; But upon doing so he noticed some more of the crew turning looks on them, clearly catching sight of them. "Need to find ye something to work on, woman, or ye going to end up in a bad way..." Even if she was a wretched evil mermaid, though a small part of him still thought he might just be crazy, she didn't deserve to be used as entertainment on the long voyage. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>16-12-2013, 13:09:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Whatever the human was doing, it was interesting. It seemed to be making the strange, round little holes with covers over them easier to open and close. She had seen those in ships she had sank, and had always opened the ones she could, to make a better section of reef. All manor of sea creatures liked having holes to swim in and out of. And somehow, her human was managing to stay secure on the rope and not fall into the water. The Mermaid's anxious thoughts settled down after a bit, seeing how the human clearly knew how to stay safe in such a strange position.<br><br>Why should she worry over its safety, though? Well, except that she needed it to die by her hand in order to return to the sea. That had to be it.<br><br>The human's actions were fascinating, though, and she hardly noticed the time stretch away until the human looked up at her, then stored the objects it had taken from the object carrier, and drew itself back up to the side of the ship. Why did it not bring the objects back up?<br><br>It spoke to her again, as it arrived on even height with her. Another sound she did not understand. But the push she did recognize, and slowly, she slid her foot back and to the side, carefully keeping her balance as she exposed the object carrier so that it could take another thing. And not knowing what to call everything in her mind was frustrating. Everything was an 'object' or a 'thing', and that would get confusing soon. Not that she had someone to transmit ideas to, but even for herself, it was strange and a bit disorienting.<br><br>As the human paused, looked towards the other humans and made even more noises with no indicator of what it meant, the Mermaid took the opportunity to grab her human's arm above the wrist while it reached for another object. When she had its attention, she pointed at the object it seemed to be reaching for, then brought her other hand up, fingers curled, to brush her fingertips along her throat, open her mouth, and gesture outward with her hand. Miming the movement of sound from a mouth; an act she could no longer accomplish. It would be prudent to learn what the mouth-noises meant, even if she could not make them, if she could understand them she would have a better idea of what was going on around her, and perhaps be able to protect herself better from the humans. Though... her human might not be quite so bad, since it seemed to be taking care of her, most of the time.<br><br>Humans were strange. If she had been in its place, and it in hers, she would have killed it by now. The dislike the human displayed was hard to mistake, and yet it helped her rather than harmed her. Well.. mostly, anyway...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>17-12-2013, 01:45:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Frowned when she caught his hand immediately ready to jerk his arm away with a sharp reprimand that she shouldn't grab at him. But it caught in his throat when he saw her gesturing along her own throat and mouth. Communicating, rather then just looking scared and hissing at him, it was a development he supposed, even if he didn't necessarily feel like being a teacher he knew it was the roll he had been pushed into when he saved her from the ocean. He should have let her drown, then he would have been just done with it, and everything would have been fine, he would have minded his own business till they reached port, and then been on his way to find a ship with his own clan. <br><br>"Oil skin." He said before continuing the reach to grab up the skin lifting it to hold it in front of her face. "An Oil skin." Pulling it close he used his teeth to pull the stopper out of it, one hand around the railing keeping him in place the other holding the skin still before he dipped it onto the top of the railing just a bit, the oil dabbing out in a droplet on the well worked wood surface. "Oil." Pushing the stopper back in with his teeth again he eyed her for a moment before he started to loosen his grip around the railing, he needed to continue, and finish his work, in timely matter, she could look at the oil if she wanted, but he needed to it applied to the hinges. So like before he started to lower himself down the side of the ship into position to get back to work. <br><br>Perhaps if she could learn, she could talk...he doubted it though, if she could make sounds, she'd of screamed plenty when he was trying to get her into pants, or worse to get her to stay put in the hammock, it seemed the most she could manage was hissing at him. But still, at least she wasn't deaf too, she obviously could hear him, so talking to him as he had been was of some sort of use on the matter. Glancing up he gave a frown, some of her hair was still hanging over the railing, dangling left behind from when she drew back from it. He was going to have to do something about that hair, before someone stepped on it walking behind her. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>17-12-2013, 11:44:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The human did not like when she touched it, even though it felt perfectly permitted to touch her without consequence. Humans were very difficult to understand. But it seemed to grasp her meaning, her want for it to give her useful sounds, in a useful way. Though it said three different things. The first two, though.. one was the same as the other, except for an extra sound at the beginning. She discarded that sound.<br><br>So, 'skin' was the container, and 'oil' was the substance inside? Curiously, she poked the liquid 'oil' with the tip of her finger, smearing it about a little, then lifting her hand to look at it on her digit. She had never seen a liquid like that before. Where it made contact with spray from the ocean on the wood, the water and the oil beaded up, and seemed to quite dislike one another. That was interesting too.<br><br>After a moment, she shuffled her foot back, and leaned over the edge again to watch her human some more. If that substance disliked the water, and kept it away, why did the human have it? It had knocked off the red that inevitably came to all metal surfaces while exposed to the sea. Was the oil to protect the area it had just cleared? What did the development of the red matter? What did it change about the metal that made it undesirable? Personally, the Mermaid quite liked the color better than the metal by itself. The red was interesting, bright, like coral.<br><br>When the human seemed done with the oil, she pounded the flat of her hand against the side of the ship, above the human's head, to make noise and attract it's attention. Then, she pointed at the oil skin and then to the round covering it had been working on, expression quizzical as she leaned forward a little more. With her feet firmly planted in the wide stance on the ship, and her other arm gripping the railing tightly, she felt pretty secure in her position. It would take some great movement to dislodge her, and the sea was not so wild today.<br><br>It meant, though, that her hips were resting on the wood railing, her rear and legs probably most of what any of the crew could see of her: her black hair had all tumbled down to hang off the side again, around her face, growing damp with the spray and starting to cling to her outstretched arm and the sides of the ship...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>19-12-2013, 20:34:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lifted his head up to see her outstretched over the railing, as if her previous fears of the water had evaporated with her curiosity, half stretching down for him, the tendrils of her hair reaching far further then the hand that she used to point with. It was annoying being called to with her slapping the ship, like a man trying to get a dogs attention by rapping on the table, but without any speech of her own, he supposed she would have to find some way to communicate wanting his attention, and it was better then her hissing and having some kind of a fit about something. Following her hands direction to where she pointed, the work he was just finishing up with the oil making him pause to consider, how could he communicate what he was doing to her now? Did she know that metal rusted and made it worse for use? <br><br>"The hinge..." He paused to point at the joint where the port hole door attached too, so she knew what he was talking about. "Needs Oil." Lifting the skin some. "To keep the rust off." Scraping up some of the orange leavings that had clung wet to the side of the hull and lifting it to show the red dusted finger. "It makes it hard to move." He lowered his hand to grasp the door and ease it back then forth slightly which it did smoothly with the lack of rust, and the addition of oil. Needing an example of it not doing so he used his hands to pull himself over to another of the hatches, one yet to be worked on, and grasped it giving it a shift, which sent a fine screech into the air as the rusted metal rasped against each other.&nbsp; <br><br>Finally he looked back up to her, wondering if she understood anything of what he had said, he used more words this time, explaining the process rather then the simple act of pointing out exactly what he had in hand. Letting his weight continue to rest on the rope, he eased back to the original position with the simple pull of things hanging over the hatch he was just about finished with, wondering if he was going to have to explain every bit of thing he did now to keep her from making a racket. <br><br>Of course, he was far from the only person on the ship to be paying attention to the woman clasping the railing. After all, despite her seeming assumption that no one was paying her any attention, they simply had the luxury of doing so casually, rather then having to actually interact with the odd silent woman who could not swim. It did not mean that eyes were not turned on her, a few more with the particular positioning she had taken for herself, making a mighty fine angle for some of the men to appraise whilst they worked. If it had been left at that though, there would have been no issue. <br><br>But it wouldn't be left at just that, and one of the crew noticing the perilous position she was in made way over towards her, bare feet quiet on the deck. Almost casually he reached out and cupped his hand to her exposed butt, giving the curve a good squeeze with his tough hand, before letting go seamlessly and continuing his stride. If he had done something like that to any woman on the ship, other then the helpless lands woman, and they hadn't wanted the attention, he wouldn't have gotten another stride without a knife to his throat. But, there was no risk in it from this pitiful unbalanced waif. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>20-12-2013, 12:16:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Her human did not seem pleased at all to have its attention called for. It did, however, stop its work and give her the information she wanted, after a fashion. The thing that attached the covering to the opening was a 'hinge', and the oil was to prevent the red he had knocked off from coming again, if she understood correctly. The red kept the opening from working properly. And that was true, the redder the coverings got, the less able she was to open them in the sunken ships. So it was important that they did not turn red.<br><br>The noise that was made, though, as the un-attended-to hinge was forced to move made her flinch and hiss at the sound, eyes narrowing at the object that had caused such an unpleasant sound. She bared her teeth at it, even if it could not see it, being an inanimate object and all. It made her feel better to express her displeasure in the only way she knew how. <br><br>They were making progress, though, and that was good. Her human seemed to grasp that she was trying to collect information and gain understanding, and it did a fair job of giving her the information she wanted. Sometimes it used too many sounds, but the meaning was clear, even if the sounds attributed to the meaning was not. She returned her second hand to the railing, and continued to watch. Or, rather, she had planned on it, anyway.<br><br>It was not a moment later when she felt something grasp her backside, just below her hips. Swiftly whipping her head up, she swiveled unsteadily and found the only human that could have touched her. She bared her teeth at him, too, hissing as loudly as she could manage, having no voice behind the air to enhance it. For good measure, the former mermaid snapped her teeth, not once, but twice. That human had no right or reason to grasp her, especially for no reason she could fathom. Her hands still grasped the railing, but she leaned a little, glaring scathingly after the creature.<br><br>If it came near her again, she would bite it in return for the discomfort it had given her. She took note of what it looked like and committed herself to remembering which one it had been.<br><br>Then, she turned back and resumed her former position, wishing to see if her human had more to do on the opening, or if it would move on to the next. Would it retrieve the objects it had put in the hole? The mermaid thought she would like to look at them closer, and learn their names as well...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>21-12-2013, 23:19:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Rather then be warned off by the display the crewmember who had caught a swipe at her rear only laughed when she turned, hissing and snapping her teeth. She was fiesty, and it was something the was desired among their kind. There were not very many meek Atha'an Miere, which mean either a man liked a woman who could bite, or their people would have faded away long ago. As it stood, the man wasn't the only one to laugh, others who witnessed shared in his chuckle, a couple of the women to, mocking the woman. They all knew if one wanted to really put someone out of mind of touching them, that they had to be a fair bit more volatile then that, what she had responded with had bordered on flirting, except for that it had been odd in it's own way.<br><br>Kerian frowned at the noise up above, her hissing and scrambling about making him look up, but he wasn't able to see the encounter of what was going on on the deck, and the laughs were lost on the sea wind. "What's going on...." He started to ask before shaking his head, asking a mute transformed sea creature to explain to him anything was stupid, even if she seemed to be trying to understand him, the other way around would be even more difficult, because she couldn't even attempt words. <br><br>He did fetch the tools out of the port hole, reaching in to snag them before using his hands to pull him over to the next he had to keep his balance a little better at this one, but he didn't want to have to climb up, shift the knot, and climb back down. Instead he rested his hip into the ship more, and braced a leg against the hull, his foot pressed against the grain while he went to the same work he had before with the first hatch, de-rusting the hinge, so before applying the oil. The task wouldn't take him long, if he managed to avoid interruptions this time, and he would finish with it, before letting his body wing back past the first hatch, and re-positioning closer to the hatch forward of the original. Taking care of three at a time while down meant less time climbing back and forth up the rope needlessly, and meant he could move onto other tasks. <br><br>"Might need to find something to call ye woman, once a mermaid isn't going to cut it." He was thinking out loud again, somewhat towards her, but he knew not to expect a response from it, not any one that he could hear at least. "Simply saying hey ye, c'mere isn't going to work very well for long, though I don't think ye can tell me ye own name now, so I'll have to make one up for you...And cut that damn foolishly long hair to me thinks." 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>05-01-2014, 13:50:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The mermaid heard the humans carrying on after she shifted her attention away from them. Their noises were annoying and unlike the ones they normally used for communication, and there were many making it. It had her bearing her teeth again, but out of annoyance; she would not give those humans any more of her attention. They were not important anyway. Her human was important, and that was the one she should focus on. <br><br>Her human did not seem to care for the sound the others made either, as it looked upward and its lips pulled down in an expression of displeasure. It began to communicate with her, or at her, but seemed to change its mind. Clearly, it knew she could not understand. Frustration built, though, because though she could not understand, if the human never <em>tried</em> to illustrate the meanings of the sounds, she would never catch on.<br><br>Perhaps it did not want her to learn.<br><br>Or.. perhaps it did not understand just how much of the sounds it made held no meaning to her? That could be it.<br><br>Now, though, her human was moving over to the next covered opening, taking the objects it had brought down with it. She shuffle sideways so that she could still clearly see what it was doing, even though she had seen the process before. Interesting how it could stay on the rope even while the boat rocked in the sea and the water crashed against the wooden sides every so often. The process was somewhat mesmerizing, actually, as she tried to imagine how it would be to do that. <em>She</em> would never be so foolish as to attempt such a feat, especially since her legs barely supported her now, and when they did it was intermittent. <br><br>Well, no, that wasn't quite right: she was doing better now, holding onto the side of the ship. Just the act of staying upright, holding herself up, was allowing her legs to get the feel of the motions of the ship, and to practice the small movements that were apparently needed to remain upright. It was a far cry from holding herself up on her own, but the former mermaid felt quite pleased as she realized the little movements she was making without thinking over-much about them.<br><br>Her human was making sounds again, must be at her, though she still did not understand them. And it used 'ye' again, quite a few times. That, and 'woman'. 'Woman' had been coming up quite a bit as well. Tilting her head, she eyed her human curiously, and once it had completed the task on all of the covered openings it could reach, she reached down towards the human and the objects it had brought down with it. Before, it had been unable to take them all down in one trip, and she did not like seeing it dangle so near the water, making two trips to retrieve the objects seemed silly. She could take one, and then the human could stop its task and stop tempting her mother like and angler-fish tempts its prey. Except the sea was the angler-fish, and the human was the prey...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>06-01-2014, 19:35:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Finishing with the last of the hatches within reach of where he anchored himself on the railing about he did gather his tools up getting ready to make the first of the climbs to get everything back up to deck. He could throw things in through the port holes, but then he'd have to go below deck to retrieve them, and that was longer then climbing a second time to bring the tools up to where they needed to be. Though when he finally glanced up to begin his climb he paused to see her stretching down again, leaning over the railing like she hadn't been afraid of drowning all over again with her hand dangling down. The suggestion was not lost on him but he still hesitated a moment before finally passing up the oilskin to her. Fitting the blade between his teeth again he tugged the handle of the hammer into his trousers before scaling up the rope again in easy hand over hand pulls, till he was throwing a leg over the railing and setting his feet back onto deck once more. <br><br>"....Thanks." The comment was delivered after he pulled the knife from between his teeth, dropping it back into the tool box followed by discarding the hammer to the same place and turning to untie the rope from the railing. That task was done but he was sure there would be another waiting for him, still doing everything more slowly then he usually would with his accompanying responsibility hovering about. But those tasks could wait a moment, because he had to sort a couple things out. <br><br>Lifting his hand to point at his own chest. "Keiran..." He waited for a moment before repeating his own name touching his chest, finally he poked his finger at the middle of her chest. "Nerissa" If she had a name of her own, he didn't expect that she would be able to communicate it to him, her voice seemed to be completely muted while she was like this, for whatever reason. Regardless, calling her woman constantly was going to be problematic and he needed something to call her so she could identify herself when he was calling for her. "Ye understand? Ye name is Nerissa now." Again when he said the name, he poked at her again. <br><br>The next problem was of course both easier, and likely going to be much harder to resolve, it was the thick, long hair that was dangling and clinging everywhere with the sea air. It was in the way, and was going to get caught on things, and likely end up with her tangled in some uncomfortable situation, thrashing and hissing at people like a wet cat. "Ye hair need's cut." He made an attempt to grab at a lock of it, trying to explain what he wanted was going to be had, especially since he expectd if he grabbed up the knife and brought it up to her like that, she'd freak out again, if she didn't for him grabbing at her hair again at all. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>07-01-2014, 00:32:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It understood her offer, after hesitating a moment. Perhaps it had been puzzling out her meaning? But eventually her human passed up the oil skin, and she wrapped her fingers about it deftly before straightening her upper body so that she was standing once more. It did not take the human long to bring itself over the edge of the ship, but by that time she had already set the oil skin in the carrying object, just where she remembered it being before it had been taken out. Though she had scooted along the railing to follow him, she had been bringing the carrying object with her by pushing it clumsily with her feet as she moved. Now, though, they were back where they had begun.<br><br>The human returned the other items to the carrying item as well, then undid the rope to return also. The Mermaid still wondered if the object was hers, now, but suspected that it was not. Not if the human needed items from it to remove the 'rust' from the hole coverings. And there were other items in it too, that probably had a use as well. Had it just wanted her to keep track of the item?<br><br>Why was she helping the human, anyway?<br><br>Well... she was not strong yet, and not able to complete her task. She had to try to keep the human alive somehow, didn't she? And if it thought she was helpful, it would keep her around and possibly not suspect her later.<br><br>Was that her plan? Something like that, maybe.<br><br>It was noising again. Just one word, at first, but she did not want to know the sound the human had to identify its chest. How useless. Though.. the sound was a familiar sound, and when it repeated it she recalled that another human had called that out, and her human had responded. It must be the sound it used to identify itself. 'Keiran'. She would remember that, and even moved her lips, tried to make the sound back to show she understood. And still, no sound came, she had no way to make it, nothing in her throat to vibrate to make the mouth shapes produce the correct noises. <br><br>The poke to her chest came as a surprise, as she bared her teeth, as had become her habit when startled or displeased. The second poke, though, and the repetition of the sound he had said at first, was familiar. He had touched himself in the same way while identifying his personal sound. This must be what hers was. She returned her expression to normal, though she did poke him back in retaliation, her eyes narrowed slightly.<br><br>But what did 'ye' mean? It was using it again, even now, as it tried to grab her hair again. Quickly, she stumbled back, one hand on the railing, still, to help support her standing, the other flashed up and snatched his wrist. Her reflexes were still quick as they had been in the ocean, quicker, even, without the resistance of the water. And though she, yet again, showed her teeth, her brows were drawn up in confusion and hurt. What had she done to displease the human now? To make it wish to cause her pain by pulling her hair again?<br><br>Without thinking over much about it, she pulled her other hand away from the railing, now needing her grasp on the human's arm to hold herself up, and began to push her hand along the sides of her head, pushing her long strands of hair over her shoulders and as far from the human's reach as possible. All her balance now depended on the human remaining upright, which was foolish, but she needed to prevent it from pulling her hair again. That had been nearly as painful as her reddened skin, which now simply ached dully from the heat of the sun. She would need to put more of that healing substance on herself again when she could...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>07-01-2014, 02:55:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Oi, I'm not going to hurt ye if i don't have to Nerissa, but ye hair is too long." She was quick, he wasn't expecting her to catch his hand like she had, but she had managed to, keeping his grip from taking a hold of his hair. Frowning trying to think of a way to communicate to her, while she clung to his wrist still, now to keep her balance as she defensively tucked her hair further away from him, a job in it's own with it's length. That itself was part of the problem, it was in the way, there was too much of it, and it was going to be a mess to deal with, perhaps underwater it was never an issue, but above water, on deck, it was going to get tangled in ropes and the nets of the hammocks even. He was surprised it hadn't already, but it had been more damp then. <br><br>"Look." He lifted his other hand for a moment before dipping down some to grab the knife up out of the tool box, but the didn't advance on her this time. But he did have to try to pull his arm back some, possibly bringing her closer unless she grabbed for the railing again. But with his free hand he caught a piece of his own hair, and brought the blade up cutting a few inches from a lock casually and holding it up. "See, it doesn't hurt, ye have too much hair Nerissa." He tossed the strands over the railing letting the wind catch them to carry the dark strands into the sea. <br><br>With that though he waited looking at her, wondering if she grasped on what he was trying to convince her of. After all, nobody else on the ship had hair nearly as long as her own, even most of the women crew had hair shorter, that or tightly bound and wrapped up out of the way. Everyone had a purpose, and anything that got in the way of serving any kind of purpose was trimmed away. "Do ye understand Nerissa?" He waited, the knife still in hand but held casually at his side, part of him wondering how long this would take, and if holding her down while she hissed and thrashed while one of the crew members hacked at her hair would be easier or not. He supposed it all depended on how she reacted yet. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>07-01-2014, 10:23:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				'Nerissa'. The human kept saying it, as if to cement into her mind that it was the sound she should recognize as indicating her. She knew, though. She understood that, at the very least. Though what else it was saying, it was indicating, she did not know. Except that the Mermaid was beginning to suspect that 'ye' also referred to her, but not, perhaps, the same way that 'Nerissa' did. And she wondered, just what the sound he had assigned to her meant, other than that it meant her? Did such sounds have more than one meaning?<br><br>The human did not fight her, though, did not force itself closer, past her arm, to grab her anyway. Had it taken her meaning?<br><br>Good, because she was still trying to relocate all of her hair and had not managed to get all of her hair over her shoulders. She could only push so far with her one arm, and all the little strands were still clinging to her chest, to her arm, draped half over her back and half over her front. Everywhere. It was not like before, when she had first emerged from the water. Now, as it began to dry out, it was becoming very difficult to deal with. The Mermaid liked it better when her hair was wet, when it clung to her like extra skin and was manageable and easier to control.<br><br>It made another sound at her, tipped down to get one of the objects from the object carrier. The sharp object that it had carried in its teeth. She had seen those used before, had found many in the wreckage of ships and the hands of humans. She liked those, they were often very shiny and reflective of light. There had been a whole lot of them in her reef, collected together and spread so that they would shine like a much larger thing.<br><br>But the human then pulled her closer, on purpose she was not sure, but that she relied on her grip on the human's wrist and it moved its arm closer to itself, lifted it up, and she stumbled a few steps nearer. Too close. Too close. It could grasp her hair now, if it liked. It could cause her pain again. It could--<br><br>It used the sharp thing to shorten its own hair. The mermaid tilted her head, looking at the human's hair, the bit it had separated, and then watched as it let that hair go. Like a tribute to the sea. The human wished to shorten her hair, or wished for her to think that was what it intended. And so she looked back at her human a moment, head still cocked to the side, watching it watch her, and interested that it had not tried to grab her again. Perhaps her human wanted for her to allow it to cut her hair?<br><br>That would give it the chance to hurt her again. No. She did not want her human to touch her. No no no.<br><br>Sidling back a step, but still keeping her grip on the human's wrist, she pointed with her previously busy hand at the sharp object the human was holding, then held it out, palm up. She would cut it herself, if the human would give her the cutting thing. And perhaps she could keep it after; she quite liked those objects, having one here would be.. comforting somehow...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>09-01-2014, 20:13:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Perhaps she understood what he wanted to do with her, that he wanted to cut her hair down so that it was not in the way like it was now, just perhaps the message had got through to her, the way that she stopped trying to struggle and panic. She had watched him do his own hair, and hadn't gone into a fit again, so things were looking up for the most part. But then she stepped back away from him, still watching him as if he was about ready to catch her up by her throat and shake her some, before pointing at the knife and holding her hand out expectantly.&nbsp; It was the confirmation, she had at least understood what he had been trying to drive her towards, to getting her hair cut down, but the fact that she pulled away and essentially asked for the knife, was not something that pleased him. <br><br>"No, ye don't get to have my knife, Nerissa." He shook his head at that, it was simply too much, she hadn't been acting like she was going to try to kill him, but the fact was he remembered that she had pulled one after another his crew members down beneath the waves to drown. He remembered a voice, that had made it seem like everything was sound, and they had barreled their way into the reef because of it. She had been the cause of so many deaths, including his sister, he was not about to lay a knife at her hands, even if she had been the one to save his life alone. No matter how helpless she might seem now, he was not going to be fooled into thinking he could trust her. <br><br>"Ye are going to let me cut that hair, now or later." As he spoke he pointed at her hair again and lifted the knife, but he didn't extend it towards her, showing it to her, giving her something of a warning before shifting his hand to tuck the knife into his belt. There was more work to be done, and there was enough people watching them already, he wasn't going to stand about all day debating her getting her hair cut or not. It was well past time that he put her to work. <br><br>"This way." With her grip till on his wrist, he used his other hand to pick up the tool box and gave a tug to her, drawing his arm along. He didn't yank her, but he started to move, and while he kept the pace reasonable, he was definitely pushing her to get used to being on her feet more, she was going to have to get used to it one way or another, unless she was going to try drowning again. Guiding her towards the aft portion of the ship he stowed the tools for the moment, and grabbed a bucket and a fair sized piece of pumice rock, before making his way to the railing again. Dangling the bucket down on a rope he scooped out a good bucket full of water and hauled it up again. <br><br>"Watch Nerissa." He tossed the bucket of water out onto the deck before crouching down with the pumice, holding it up to her he then brought it to the deck giving a rough scrub. The decks, like the metal on the hinges collected things in the salt water, a slime, that was dangerous if it built up. Scrubbing the decks was a routine, laborious task that essentially had to be done over and over again. Straightening again he held the porous stone out to her, and pointed at the decking that was wet.&nbsp; Work had to be done, they had to keep busy till the shift was over, till the crew sleeping would wake and take over for the later half of the day and into the night. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>10-01-2014, 11:15:52</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Of course the human would dislike her compromise, because humans were unreasonable and difficult to understand. It even made sounds again, as it seemed much more likely to do now, to accompany the refusal to turn over the cutting thing. The expression on its face was interesting, though, in that she could tell, somewhere in the instinctive part of her, that it was one of displeasure. The shaking of the head must be a denial as well. Good. That was a cue she could use later, one that did not need voice.<br><br>Again, it tried to tell her something, something about her hair or herself, probably reiterating its desire to use the sharp thing to shorten her hair, it seemed as if some sort of threat, but then the human put the sharp thing away. Or, rather, on itself, rather than in the object carrier it had taken it from.<br><br>And that bothered her too. The sharp thing belonged in there, where the human had found it. That was where it went. It had a place and now was not in that place. But then, humans did not care much for putting things where they were supposed to go. At least, she did not think that they cared much for it. Her human did not seem to care, anyway.<br><br>Even though she wanted her hair shorter, the Mermaid decided she would not let the human touch her there again. It liked to use her hair to hurt her, and she would not let it do that. Even to achieve something useful. Somehow, she would shorten her hair herself, now that she knew it could be done. Maybe one of the other things in the object carrier would be sharp enough to do the job?<br><br>Lost in thought, though her eyes were still narrowed suspiciously at her human, the former-mermaid was caught off guard when&nbsp; the human began forward. Her steps were stumbling at first, as she almost fell at the first pull, but soon she was taking reasonably steady steps, finding it easier after having stood at the side of the ship for so long, supporting herself while getting used to the ocean's movements. Still, her grip remained tight on her human's arm, and she did rely on the human for quite a bit of support. But, not as much as before. Soon, she would be able to move around without needing to touch the human, and that would give her much more opportunity to disallow injury from the human, Keiran.<br><br>The object carrier got put away, causing the corners of her lips to tug down in disappointment. So much for fining something to take her hair off with. Instead, the human took out a rock, the sort that reminded her of some coral, and that was found near islands in the sea. Then she had to follow the human back again, to watch it dip the other object into the water and draw it up to spill out all over the wooden ground. Wasn't the function of the ship to keep the water out? Her frown grew perplexed, until the human dipped down, causing her to grab at the railing for support as she watched.<br><br>Apparently, the human was using the stone to loosen debris from the wooden ground. But only a little bit, and then it stood and held the rock out to her. Tilting her head a little, as was becoming her habit, the mermaid extended her hand to take the stone, wondering what the human's word for it was but feeling somewhat frustrated by its refusal to hand over the cutting thing. She would not ask the human for the word. But the process of removing the build up on the wooden ground was interesting, and it seemed that the human wanted her to try it.<br><br>Lowering herself to the ground was not as difficult as she had thought, she did not flop, but managed to bend her legs and get down to her knees without incident or assistance. Good. She did not need help from the human that withheld things from her. Experimentally, the mermaid began moving the stone around on the ground, but it had little effect. Not nearly the same as her human had managed. What had it done differently?<br><br>Pressed harder, perhaps?<br><br>Leaning forward, her hair dragging about on the damp ground where it had pooled as she knelt, the once-mermaid leaned all her weight on the stone, flexing her strong stomach muscles and her arms to move her body forward and back, and managed some progress after a few moments.<br><br>This was an interesting activity, and was actually letting her <em>do</em> something rather than just watch and get glared at by her human Keiran. She continued, and only after she had knelt on her own hair and pulled it while trying to shuffle further into the wet puddle on the deck, did she look up. And that looking up entailed a hiss, as she whipped around, assuming that it was the human harming her again...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>10-01-2014, 20:11:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				When she turned around hissing already he was standing off next to the railing a bit more, hauling up another buck of the sea water, having nothing to do with her hair being pulled on. In fact, her hissing is what brought his attention back to her, catching the look on her face and shaking his head. "Ye, did it to ye'self woman, I would cut it for ye, but ye don't want that done. So now ye just have to deal with it how it is." He knew she had wanted to take the knife from him, but he was not entirely sure that was to stick him with it, or to use it to cut her hair like he had done to his own in example. Either way, it hadn't and wouldn't be, worth the risk of doing so, she didn't need a weapon available to her, no matter how much her hair was in the way, it would make herself more miserable, then anyone else, and perhaps it would drive her to actually letting him hack the tangled mess away sooner. <br><br>Moving now he walked around her, giving her a wide berth, he didn't need her grabbing at him to try to get the knife out of his belt or anything, though she hadn't attempted to while walking close to him, he didn't trust her when she started to hiss at him again. Setting the bucket of water down he pointed at the deck. "Deck." It was like trying to explain words to a child, but children could at least respond. "Bucket, water." He pointed at each of the items before pointing towards her hands where the stone was housed. "Pumice." Finally he gestured wide across where the water was, and pointed to where he had left a scrape of cleaner deck, as well as where she had started to work at it. "Washing."&nbsp; The last was kind of a leap, unsure if she would make the connection, he had to try though.<br><br>"Wash the deck." He finished finally gesturing out towards the rest of the decking around them, if she didn't understand he would come and give her a nudge in the right direction, but setting her on a task to keep her busy at this point freed him up to take care of other duties as well. "Nerissa, wash the deck." He repeated using her name to try to cement it and another gesture at the decking before he turned and started away from her, though with a glance of his shoulder, wanting to make sure she didn't try to get up and follow after him something that with wet decking underfoot would likely end with her spilled out on the wood with a knot on her forehead or worse, but she didn't seem like she was going to rise after him so he turned his gaze forward needing to get on to other things. <br><br>The next couple hours he continued his work, clearing many of the other portholes along the sides of the ship, as well as replacing damage planking, as best that he could. While most Atha'an Miere treated their ships like their children, this one was definitely getting older and worse for the wear of things, he was proud to know none of the ships among his clan were falling into disrepair like this, but knew if he mentioned something it'd end in someone trying to stick a knife in him. Getting off this decaying disgrace was his priority, and living to be able to do so came right in line with that. <br><br>Through the day, between tasks he did check on his responsibility, but fortunately found her doing the work he had tried to explain to her, scrubbing away at the deck, he didn't come close to check how good a job she was doing, rather left her at it, like the other crew members did like wise, if she was working, presumably she wasn't getting in anyones way. A healthy place for a useless land woman to be after all, and the crew for the most part went back to their duties like Keiran knowing the work got done faster if it was concentrated on. <br><br>Finally though, the other crew members below decks were starting to rise and come up top, relieving people of there positions and letting them free from the jobs they were doing. The sun was diving towards the horizon, and the crew that manned the ship through the night as much less then those they were replacing a skeleton crew to handle what needed done while the others ate and slept. Keiran knew there was no direct crew member to relieve him, but knew his shift was over and thus stowed away the tools he was using, having finished with the piece of planking that needed repaired before casting his gaze around to find Nerissa, it would be too dark to scrub the deck anymore soon anyway. <br><br>He wondered though, how she would react to finding out that the job she had done most of the day wold be her job again on the morrow. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>12-01-2014, 04:59:57</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It was not the human that pulled her hair, though it seemed perturbed that she had hissed at it, though she had not harmed it in expressing her displeasure. Wriggling a little, she managed to yank her hair out from under her knee. If the human would just give her the cutting thing she could fix that and keep it from happening. The whole mess was tangled and damp and becoming more and more unmanageable in a way it never had in the water, and it needed to go. Not to mention, it was a way for the human Keiran to injure and control her.<br><br>But it seemed to know what she was thinking, as it shook its head in the indication of denial while speaking to her, so many more sounds than she could understand. The human avoided her too, not coming too close. Good. She had frightened it with her hissing. Perhaps she was becoming more intimidating than before. It gave her the meanings of more sounds, explaining the word for the wooden ground, for the water and the container it was in. And then indicated the whole thing, which seemed odd. Why would it not just use the individual sounds? Or did that mean something different?<br><br>Oh. The repetition, the putting together of the sounds plus one she did not recognize, seemed to indicated it wanted her to continue the activity she had started. Narrowing her eyes, she regarded the human for a moment, displeased that it would order her around. Finally, though, she decided that she did not mind the task, and it was something to do that would keep her from being bored, so she turned back to regard the 'deck' and the small spot she had cleaned on it. The former mermaid found herself wondering if she could get it cleaner, or if that was as good as it got. Curiously, she applied herself to the same spot for a while longer, and discovered that if she worked at it, she could get it even cleaner than before, and a bit cleaner than the patch that Keiran had left. It did take longer, but she found she liked the result. But starting in a random spot towards the back of the ship was odd. So she half-pulled, half-crawled herself the little way towards the corner of the decking, where it met the side of the ship, and began to start in the corner. The water had spread that far, anyway.<br><br>As the day wore on, and the sun baked at her back and made her skin ache more and more, the mermaid found herself pleased with the spreading clean patch on the ship. At first it was rather small, but for a while she had gotten rather good at it: scrubbing to the point when nothing more would come up. The deck was visibly lighter in color in the areas she had passed over, even with the wood wet from the water.<br><br>The first time she had had to pull more water up had been challenging. First, standing at the railing, pulling herself up while also dragging the bucket with her, had taken a while. But then, keeping her balance while lowering it down, and then having to haul it up without anything to hold onto left her stumbling and wobbling greatly. That first bucket had spilled all over her, soaking her half-wet 'those' and all of her top half and a goodly chunk of her knotted hair. She had better luck the second time, though just barely: only half of the bucket had spilled. But that was alright, she needed water on that part of the deck anyway.<br><br>Towards the end of the day, though, she began to feel odd: her mouth had felt dry and her tongue sticky for most of the day, and that had been a feature of being human-shaped, she was sure; her limbs were a bit shaky and felt weak; her stomach ached and clenched and sometimes made strange noises as though it had been where her voice had gone. It was hard to continue on at the pace she had set, which was not that fast to begin with even though it was thorough. How had the humans let the deck become so unclean? There was a great satisfaction in seeing the clean patch she had managed to make, even if the task was making her feel strange.<br><br>The mermaid became aware that more humans were coming out of the lower area, the place where she had been taken the day before. Some of the humans she had seen milling about were going down also. Perhaps her body needed to rest, as it had the night before? Where was her human? She had realized at some point that Keiran had left her, but that was fine, she had been busy anyway. Now, though, it was difficult to keep going, her hands shook and she felt it difficult to focus. Instead, she sat up and looked around, her hair hanging stringy and tangled about her. For most of the day it had dragged through the water and the dirty deck, as well as had the occasional spill soak part of it. The lower leg coverings were also damp and sticky, and the mermaid realized that she felt rather unclean. Like the deck was, except where she had purged it of its uncleanliness.<br><br>Where was her human?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>13-01-2014, 00:40:10</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				With his tools put away, and the shift seemingly changed appropriately he went to find where she had got to. Coming to the back of the ship, he noticed, with the light still present, she had actually did something of a good job, the ships deck looked a great deal better. Unfortunately, she didn't get to much because of the attention to detail she took to what she had done, it was significant, yes, but a good ships boy could do the whole deck, perhaps not as stark and clean as she had managed to get what she did done, but they would have finished the expanse and it would have been suitable. Now on the next day, the rest of the deck would be even worse, the seas grime was never ending, he supposed if she did it her way, by the time she finished the deck, where she started today would be as dirty as what she finished cleaning and she could start over. But he would have to explain to her the need of the deck being scrubbed over, so it was not too slick for the barefooted crew. <br><br>"Nerissa." He spoke her name as he came up, padding across the still unclean surface of the deck closer to the brighter worked decking she had worked on all day. "The day is done, we will get something to eat now." He knew it wasn't going to come across but he crouched down and grabbed the edge of the bucket he had given her drawing it to himself. "Ye need to stow these." Lifting the bucket and tipping it to make sure all the water was out of it he straightened again and moved to place the bucket out of the way, somewhere it wasn't going to pitch and roll with the ships rocking, and get in somebodies way, conveniently, there were many such places tucked into nooks and nets along the deck. He turned back to her and pointed to the bucket again. "Stow, put away." Coming close again he pointed to the pumice stone in her hand. "Put away pumice." Before he pointed to where he had put the bucket. It was the best way he could teach her both what she needed to do, and what he was saying. She wasn't stupid, at least he didn't think so, she seemed to pick up on the words she was asking for, even if she couldn't speak them. <br><br>Standing up, he held his hand out to her, they needed to get down below decks to where the cook would be serving out dinner, the made enough for everyone, but if you didn't get there quick enough, you didn't always get much, and seeing as how he was not one of them really, they were not going to make any favors to him keeping a good meal for him. They weren't going to for her either, another relatively useless, and greatly unwelcome addition to the ship, which had earned him no further standing among the rest of the crew. Again he found himself missing the gold medallions in his ears, and the ranking that they had given him, that he had not had to do much of the grueling working that he was doing now anymore, holding next to only his sister the captain at the time. <br><br>"C'mon Nerissa, ye need to hurry ye'self." His patience, was waning. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>13-01-2014, 09:35:43</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The former Mermaid was trying to figure out what was wrong with her human-shaped body <em>now</em>, when she heard the identifier that had been given to her by her human. Stilling from her exploration of her stomach with her hands, she looked towards the sound and saw Keiran approaching her and speaking to her. By now, she was used to the human making noises at her as if she could understand it, and found herself hoping that soon she would have a better idea of the meanings of the sounds it made.<br><br>Her task was not done, and yet her human was taking the bucket away, dumping the bit of water that was in it out in the process. Why would it stop her when she was not done yet? It would probably only take her through the night, the next day, and another night again to finish the task if she were to keep going. Even at the halting and shaky pace she had been going at for the last quarter of the day. She had been getting better at it, and faster, before she began feeling so strange. It reminded her a little of when she had swum so far into the human-occupied portion of the sea while she had been whole. The feeling was odd, and she did not like it.<br><br>Apparently the human had realized that she was trying to learn the meanings of its sounds, as it repeated new sounds as it put the bucket out of the way, and then mentioned the stone, the pumice, and gestured towards the bucket. So, she was to be done for the day. Frowning a little, she shook her head and gestured towards the portion of the deck that was not clean yet. How could her human want her to stop when the task was not complete? This must be why the deck was so unclean, if the job was only focused on sometimes.<br><br>But the human seemed insistent, so she crawled, as she had gotten quite good at, over to the bucket to drop the pumice in, then back again to take Keiran's hand. And since when had she started using the human's identifying sound in her own head? That was somewhat troubling, actually.<br><br>Cautiously, she took the hand offered to her and pulled herself up. She had gotten quite good at that too, having to do so to dip the bucket down and pull it back up. She even almost had standing on her own down, for the most part. Once standing, she took Keiran's wrist as she had earlier, though she did not lean on it quite so hard. After a second, though, she used her free hand to try to push her hair away from him again, though that was even more difficult now that it was a half-damp, tangled, sticky mess. Last thing she wanted was for the human to think she had forgotten that it wanted to use her hair and the pain it could cause to control her actions. As soon as she could, she'd find something sharp to get rid of it herself and that would be that.<br><br>However, another problem was pushing at her attention. While they made their way towards the entrance to the under-part of the ship, she stopped pushing at her lanky locks and poked her human in the arm, then gestured to her red and irritated skin on her front, then turned so her back was turned towards him slightly, where her skin felt hot as she remembered her front had felt just before it had begun to get really painful. It was difficult to ask for help, and she wasn't really looking for help so much as to remind him that she would be wanting that healing substance again.<br><br>It would be hard to put it on her back, though, but that was beside the point...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>13-01-2014, 21:29:59</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Noticed how she was leaning into him less then she used to, it was a good thing, she was getting better at using the two legs that she had, which meant she wouldn't need to depend on him as much. She could carry her own weight more, only that meant he would have to watch her even more, there were enough weapons around deck that if she could move around freely on her own, then she could do any number of things to him ,or the rest of the crew. While she had saved him, he had seen that she had no problem with methodically killing off his entire crew when they had crashed into the reef. There could have been a chance of them surviving if they had all survived past the wreckage, they could have found a way to get free of the reef. But she had seen to that, drowning each and everyone whom could have lived had it not been for her. <br><br>Though even as she started to walk with him, she was already shuffling at her hair, trying to get it further away from him. It made him just shake his head a bit, he wasn't intending on yanking on her hair at the moment, he still wanted to chop a lot of it off, but he wasn't going to hand her a weapon to be able to use against him. "Ye need ye hair cut Nerissa, it's just gonna keep getting in ye way." Perhaps he would give another try to getting her to let him to cut it later, but for now, she was just going to have to suffer with it because of her own refusal. <br><br>The poke brought his attention back to her, from walking towards the stairs down into the galley, a frown on his face till he noticed her gesturing at her reddened skin. It drew a bit of a chuckle. "Sunburn." He spoke pointing at her reddened skin. "Ye have a sunburn, and it is pretty bad, and spread to ye back out here in the sun, being pale as milk does not fair well in the hot sun." Of course, he and the rest of the crew were used to it, out on the decks under the sun most of their lives, their skin was a rich tan that took the sun much much better then her pale white skin. "Ye can have some more of the balm when we are settled, later, we need to eat now." <br><br>The stairs, of course the stairs were going to be tricky again, especially since before she had been going up them, this time she was going down them and that as another sort of adventure, she could end up tumbling down them if he went behind her like he had so instead, of course, he stepped down first this time turned slightly so he could watch her. "Come down." The galley was a level just below the sleeping deck, and from the sounds, and smells drifting up, was already filled with most of the crew that had been working all day. He was hungry, and from the way she seemed, a little shaky, unsteady, and a bit pale in the face, which was hard to tell from the burn, she was likely just as hungry if not worse, who knew when she had eaten last. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>16-01-2014, 10:16:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As often as the human made the sound 'hair', the mermaid was beginning to suspect that it had to do with her hair, since it seemed to mention it only when she was touching it, or when it seemed to feel that it needed to try to shorten it. But <em>she</em> would shorten it, so as not to give it a chance to cause her pain that way again. That might be what it was really after.<br><br>Though, if that were true, it was foolish of her to follow the human around and be so compliant with it. But, what else was she supposed to do, could she do? Right now, her human seemed to be taking care of her, and the rest seemed, at best, disinterested in her, and at worst far too free with wanting to touch her. At least she liked Keiran, while she held disdain for the rest of the humans she had seen milling about.<br><br>She was pretty certain, now, that 'ye' was another personal identifier, as 'Nerissa' was. But perhaps it was more general, as it had been used to mean Keiran by another human earlier as well.<br><br>It gave her the name of the painful reddening of skin, though it made that odd sound at her while doing so. The same sort of sound the other humans had made when she hissed at the one. She dismissed the sound as unimportant. The human did not seem overly concerned with the sunburn, and knew what it was, so she found herself hoping that it would help her take care of it as well. But she still did not trust Keiran with her hair. Keiran had helped her with the sumburn before, but had only caused her pain when touching her hair. It was prudent to assume that the trend, in both cases, would continue. All things were creatures of habit.<br><br>Now they were back to the little wooden ledges, and the former mermaid paused unsurely. Going up had been difficult, but going down? She wasn't quite sure how she was even going to manage that. Perhaps the reverse of what she had done before? Extend the first leg, bend the one supporting her until the straight one touched the lower ledge? Keiran went down first, and she held herself up using the wooden siding next to her. Carefully, she extended one leg, leaned forward as before, and bent the other one. Her leg bent too fast and she nearly fell, lost her balance, but her forward foot caught her. She repeated for the next two steps until the ship shifted unexpectedly and her shaky legs could not support the sudden change; she pitched forward, landing heavily against her human. <br><br>She had been far enough down that she did not fall a long distance, and clung tightly to Keiran, hoping he would not fall due to her weight hitting him so hard...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>18-01-2014, 22:00:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It seemed like she was figuring out and managing the stairs pretty well, at least she had got down a step or two without too much trouble, a little stumble, but getting used to it. He thought for a moment that she was getting a little more used to the legs and things would start going easier then they had been soon. That was until a wave made the ship pitch unexpectedly, and her attempts and coming down the stairs turned from optimistic, into disastrous, with her losing balance of her own weight, and coming down the stairs quick and unexpectedly at him. <br><br>Keeping his own balance wouldn't have been an issue, the pitch and sway of ships were his home, and he was more used to them then the flat solid land he avoided. But having his compromised balance attacked by her weight coming at him, almost at a dead drop with seemingly little effort to do otherwise. He was unable to stop the inevitable tumble of his own, her weight clinging to his own like a barnacle and bringing them both down. Of course, he was at the bottom of the pile so hit the stairs with her weight piling on top of him as well. A grunt of pain stole his breath away, even as they tumbled another stair or two, his hand flinging out rather then protecting his chest, to catch the sides of the narrow stairway, and stop their tumbling. <br><br>"Ye damn woman!" His voice rung even as they came to a still, piled on the stairs her on top of him, and more then a few spots of his own aching, likely bruised, though they hadn't fell hard, or far enough, to break anything. It was not good for his body, which was still recovering from the shipwreck he had made it through so recently. "Get off of me!" Loud, angry, temper flaring he gave her a push to try to dislodge how she had clung to him, attempting to free himself so he could get back on his feet, and off of his now aching back, and check his ribs, which ached from the contact with the very edge of one of the stairs. <br><br>Was he fated to be tortured by this creature, in whatever form she might take, for the rest of his days? However few she truly aimed to make that be! 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>19-01-2014, 14:09:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As soon as she got her bearings, the mermaid began to squirm to try to get off of her human, try to stand up. It had fallen too, and hadn't been as stable as she had hoped during the brief second she had had to have the thought before hitting him. She had been banged up a bit too, during their tumble, but even she could see that Keiran had taken the brunt of it. And that greatly displeased him.<br><br>Her human's tone was angry, harsh, and frightening. It was worse than any other time it had made noises at her like that, and it terrified her more than she could even comprehend. Before she knew it, she had scuttled as far away from Keiran as she could get, cowering and crouched down against the wall, shaking, her head ducked down and eyes fixated on the human, wide and afraid. She had not meant to fall, it had been far from a pleasurable experience for her as well, but now the helpful Keiran was gone, and only an angry, loud, violent human was left. And she was afraid, pressed against the far wall of the little downward-sloping tunnel with the little wooden ledges, her confused legs somehow supporting her in a half-kneel half-crouch.<br><br>Try as she might, she couldn't seem to press herself any more into the wall, flatten herself any better. The trembling was worse, though, and she knew it. It was a blatant fear response, and some instinct told her that it would be a terrible idea to hiss in defiance now. Not with how the human's voice had sounded just now. Not when she had inadvertently caused injury and made it react in such a way.<br><br>Perhaps if she gave it something to compensate, to trade in order to calm its anger, that would help? But she had nothing to give up, nothing to offer, nothing to sacrifice to the human. They took sacrifices, didn't they? Like her mother did? Like the land used to before it had been overrun with humans and had lost itself? There was nothing to give up, though. It was a strange notion anyway. The human hated her, what would it want to take from her?<br><br>Why did it look after her when it hated her so? Why did it teach her and give her an activity to occupy herself with? Why did it not just throw her back in the sea? Perhaps it would have been better if it had...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>20-01-2014, 21:24:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As soon as she moved off of him, he rolled up from this back, easing back to sit on the stairs he had fallen on, his hand immediately going to his ribs, which he knew were going to be bruised, not to mention worse on his back. Despite wincing he pressed at the bones feeling, trying to test them to see if there were any fractures, he knew how dangerous a broken bone could be, and his already battered body really didn't need anything more to heal. Normally a short fall wouldn't have been too much a problem, more a stupid embarrassment, but adding the weight of another person on top of him, turned a simple stumble, into a uncomfortable crash against the stairs. <br><br>Finding that nothing felt broken, his concentration, and ire, swung back towards the source of his discomfort. Oddly enough, their thoughts were closer in sync then either one of them would have ever guessed, as he wondered just why he didn't throw her back into the ocean and watch her drown. Only he already knew the answer to that, it would alienate him to the crew he was working with, he would be worse off standing among them, then he was having brought someone unwelcome aboard the ship. Many cared little for landsfolk, but he had saved this one, it was his responsibility, if he threw her over the edge, he was shirking responsibility, which was never a good thing to his people. <br><br>It was satisfying to see her cowering against the wall like she was, trembling, she should fear him, he could be done with her one way or another, let her be abused by some of those crew who cared so little about landsfolk, earn her keep that way, and do only what was needed to keep the crew from turning judgment onto him. Yet despite him seeing the debt between them settled when it came to saving each others lives, he couldn't quite bring himself to subject her to that, even if it was all the abysmal creature who killed his sister deserved. <br><br>"Learn to keep on ye damn feet." His tone wasn't as loud, but it was still unhappy, angry, low and grudging, even if he knew she wouldn't understand a damn word he said. "Get up, move it." Even as he said it he got to his own feet, putting a hand out against one of the walls as he winced, his hip had hit one of the sharp edges as well and was protesting the quick action, but he couldn't let it put him off. His other hand lifted and he pointed downward. "Move." Getting something to eat, and then some rest was his priority, even if he wanted to string the mermaid up and let her flail. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>21-01-2014, 01:08:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Fearfully, she watched her human as it stood and began to feel around itself. Checking for injury, perhaps. That seemed right, it was what she wanted to do, except that she was afraid to move at all and draw more attention to herself. She had landed on Keiran, so she had far fewer aches than he probably had, the little ledges were probably painful to land upon.<br><br>She had not meant to injure it; the fall had been an accident. Why did her human act as though she had attacked it when she had not? Unless it thought she had. That must be it, then. And there was no way to communicate that harming Keiran had not been her intention at all. Not even a little bit. All she had been doing was trying to follow the human down, as it had indicated she was supposed to. And she had been doing fairly well before the ship had moved so suddenly.<br><br>When the human barked at her, she flinched and tried to curl further into herself, away from the angry being near her. It was clearly giving her an order, the tone showed that it expected to be obeyed, but she had no idea what it wanted. Until it pointed down. She looked between the human and the direction it indicated a few times, before she scrambled awkwardly down on her hands and knees, since she had gotten very good at moving in that way. That way she could not fall and upset Keiran again, and once she reached the landing at the bottom of the little ledges, she pressed into the corner, as far away from the angry human as she could get.<br><br>Perhaps her response was not quite logical, did not really make sense, but her head felt light and strange, her body weak and trembly even without the fear adding to the tremors, her middle hurt and her throat and mouth were so sticky and dry. It was difficult for her to really do more than act on the fear instinct she felt, to think through her actions or try to come up with a way to communicate an apology to the human. Instead, she just wanted to stay out of its reach, since the last time it had sounded like that, it had caused her harm.<br><br>But maybe it was like a human to seek to harm as compensation for injury that was caused to it...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>21-01-2014, 03:04:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Perhaps it was the best way for her to manage to do so, and that would have made a legitimate excuse for someone who would be able to lift their voice and say so. But for some reason her scuttling down the stairs on her hands and knees, rather then getting back up on her feet again, like he had told her she needed too, annoyed him, it made him frown deeper. She needed to learn to be on her feet otherwise he was never going to be able to keep up on the ship, she would be underfoot, and in the way of everyone constantly, she couldn't always be kept out of sight on one side of the deck scrubbing away after all, eventually she would be called to some other task, and she would need to be able to respond, and quicker then crawling like an infant would allow her. <br><br>Following her down those steps to the landing where she had reached and found another corner to shove herself into, cowering still, he eyed her, but the pang of falling fading, while still throbbing some in his side, his temper waned, enough that he was not as tempted to grab her and drag her by her hair as he had been when he told her to get off of him. Now though he eyed her. The trembling was obvious, she was shaking like a leaf at this point, and while he knew it had to be a dose of fear, it was more then that as well. <br><br>"Ye need to eat, before ye get sick." While not friendly, he was trying to restrain his temper, and explain, but doing so to someone whom couldn't speak was an act of frustration on its own. He moved towards her, but made his approach slow again, not only for the ache in his hip. But because he was intelligent enough to know she was in a corner again, much like when he had to drag her out by her hair.&nbsp; Holding out his hand, he tried to put on a patient face. "Come here Nerissa" They still had another, smaller, set of stairs to make it down, but the smells of food were on the air now, not being overpowered by the sea air below decks. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>21-01-2014, 03:18:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Though she huddled and trembled in the corner, the former mermaid still kept her eyes on her human, watching it carefully, trying to figure out what it would do next. If it was coming to harm her. And if it was, should she let it? If she let it, it might decide not to be violent towards her once it was satisfied, but then, it might also damage her. She did not want to be damaged at all. Not any more than she had been already, with the heat of the sun causing her skin to burn and ache and redden angrily.<br><br>No, she did not want the human to harm her, even if it would calm its anger and make it use the less harsh tone of voice it usually used.<br><br>The human came after her, and she flinched but did not move further away. There was nowhere to go, anyway, that it could not follow. It was faster than her on its upright legs than she was on her four limbs, moving in a way she had just barely learned.<br><br>Besides, something smelled very good, it made her stomach ache all the more but she found it pleasant all the same. It was a strange sensation, and she was not quite sure what to make of it. And then her human spoke, not quite as harsh as before, like it was trying to change its tone but having trouble doing so. But it came at her as it made those noises, used that 'ye' sound that she was not almost positive were an indicator that Keiran was directing the words at her. The human moved slowly, though, and did not grab for her as she feared. Instead, it held out a hand, said the name it had given her. Had it forgiven her, then?<br><br>Hesitantly, she stood, using the wall to help bring her to her feet. Not because she did not want Keiran's help, but because she was not certain if her human would take kindly to her using its arm to pull herself up. What if it fell? What if it thought she was attempting to make it fall again? No, that would not be good. Instead, once she was on her shaky legs, she reached out and took Keiran's offered hand, her grip alternating between very light and nervously tight, as if she couldn't decide what it was Keiran wanted, what she should do to keep her human from growing angry once more...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>25-01-2014, 20:01:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Watched her, waiting, somewhat less patiently then he had been through most of their occasions today, the dull ache in the points of contact with the stairs a reminder of his displeasure even if he was doing his best to not focus on it. Despite being angry with her, he knew she had not done so intentionally, it was a clumsy, stupid, mistake, but at the root of it, it was just that, a mistake, she had not attempted to drive him down onto the stairs, and that was the key factor allowing him to push aside his anger. The quick flare of a temper was one thing, but knowingly holding a grudge against something incidental as her falling, when he knew how difficult walking was for her, was a matter of foolishness he didn't feel like being. <br><br>As she reached her feet and finally took the offered hand, which he had kept hovering their waiting for her, he nodded his head simply and gave her hand the faintest pull, motioning that they were going to be moving with that indication, and started to the smaller set of stairs that would take them down to the galley. "Be careful this time, Nerissa." He commented and lifted her hand, still gripping his own and pressed it against the wall, before taking a step down to the next stair, pressing obviously against the wood, letting weight rest against it and stabilize him more. Though he was doing it, trying to communicate the example to her, wanting her to use one of her hands against the wall, it wouldn't help if the ship pitched certain ways, but for some it would help keep her balance a little better. <br><br>The smells of course, of the kitchen below would be even more rich and warm there in the stairwell heading closer to the source and where the sounds of the other crew members were coming from. Their voices thick on the air, as the men and women talked over their meals, the sound of dice rattling over a table to one corner, men gambling wages, or chose, between each other, the environment was simply a more relaxed one then strict ways that were witnessed above deck. Though, the volume did dim slightly as the set foot off the stairs, more then a few eyes turning towards the pair of them, him guiding her by hand into the galley. <br><br>"Oi, if I had felt like a outcast before, i might as well be a leper now cause of ye." His voice was soft, more to himself then to her really, since she wouldn't understand it anyway. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>26-01-2014, 13:35:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Safely on her feet, and now carefully clutching her human's hand, the former mermaid followed the direction she was pulled in. Having Keiran to hold onto made moving easier, but what helped the most was when her hand was placed against the wall. That was something she understood, and the human was showing her how much it could help. Yes. She should have done so in the first place. With her free hand, she pressed against the wall that way as well, turning some to be able to do so. She had to take the little ledges sideways now, but that was almost easier, actually, than going down in a forward facing way. So that is what she did.<br><br>The ship did not pitch again, at least, not enough to throw her off and send her falling again. If it had, she would have tried not to land on her human. The last thing she wanted was to anger it again. <br><br>Whatever that smell was, it was growing, and it was clear that they were heading towards it. Her middle seemed to celebrate that fact by making a loud noise again, as it had been off and on during the day. So perhaps whatever was making that odor was something that this human body recognized, and finding it would somehow alleviate that gnawing pain in her gut. That would be great if it were the case.<br><br>Once they reached the landing, the human voices grown so loud it was somewhat disorienting, the former mermaid looked around, taking in the sheer number of them squished into such a small space. It was worse than the area with the nets she had been in before. They were everywhere, and acting much differently than they had when out in the open air, or even in the net place, since mostly they were resting as she had done there before.<br><br>Except they quieted some when she and Keiran made it down onto the same level. Why did so many look over at them, and have such strange pullings to their features?<br><br>It wasn't until her human began guiding her again that she was brought back from her wide-eyed staring around. What did all those humans want? What were they doing in this tiny space? What was that <em>smell</em>? Keiran spoke to her, but she still could not understand, though his voice was low enough that she looked over at him quizzically, tilting her head. And then her stomach made that noise again, and her brow furrowed. With her free arm, she gestured to her stomach, then to her ear. Then, after a few seconds, she had to express another concern, and motioned to her nose with an upward gesture, like breathing in, then to her stomach as it made yet another sound. So many, many sounds...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>26-01-2014, 22:50:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Yes yes, I know ye are hungry woman, that's why we are down here." Was his answer to her combination of gestures, indicating the noise from her stomach, and from what he could tell, something she was smelling. It was the stew he was smelling, he was positive of that, and even he could hear her stomach, she was hungry, he'd saved her last night, and who know how long it had been since she had eaten before that, but the meal had been served for the night already. There was only two meals prepared a day, with small rations for meals between if you had any saved up or could gamble up some. At least, for those as low standing in the crew as he was. <br><br>Ignoring the glances from the rest of the crew, especially after her display of communication, her lack of talking being even more apparent to those around them. She was not only a landsfolk, but a ill one, with something wrong with her. His standing just lowered a little more, bringing someone broken onto the ship, he couldn't wait for making the next port and getting off this ship. They were his people, but not his tribe, and he knew his standing would never grow among these men and women, in fact, he only thought it might get worse, with Nerissa dragging him down every moment he was responsible for her on the ship. <br><br>They closed on the far end of the galley, where the kitchen of sorts was, and the smells were the strongest, the cook glanced at him and shook his head. "Almost ran out Keiran, ye need to learn to move a little faster if ye want to get a meal on this ship." Tossing a glance towards Nerissa he eyed her for a moment before shaking his head. "She work yet?" The question came with a look of doubt towards the mute mermaid. <br><br>"Aye, she did scrub the decks all day, Johan, give her something to eat, and me as well while ye at it." He snapped, just a bit irritably, and despite the tone Johan just chuckled grabbing up two bowls and ladling a large scoop into each of them of the thick stew, there was a couple vegetables in it, they were fresh from port, he snagged a couple chucks of hard bread setting them with spoons in the bowls,&nbsp; before catching two mugs from the wall carrying the bowls in one arm, one balanced on his forearm, and the mugs in a crook of his finger. <br><br>"Its mead tonight, Keiran, no water." Nodding to the cooks words he reached out taking up each of the bowls in a hand then glanced to Nerissa. "Take the mugs." He pointed to the cooks outstretched hand which still had the mugs hooked with a finger.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>27-01-2014, 11:27:09</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Keiran did not seem to think that her concerns over the sounds her middle made and the correlation between the increased sound level and the smell she was experiencing were anything to be worried about. At least, if the dismissive tone of his mouth-noises was anything to go by. Her human seemed frustrated, perhaps. Something she had probably done, as was generally a good assumption, as it seemed to often be the case. Though, the other humans were looking at them strange, strangely enough that she narrowed her eyes at them, disliking the expression they turned on her and her human.<br><br>The former mermaid really did not care for those other humans. Yet, she was stuck with them. And Keiran. But Keiran was not so bad, all things considered. Except when he was yelling at her or causing her pain.<br><br>Continuing to grip her human's arm, the mermaid followed his steps, getting better at it still, with only a bit of leaning on his weight sometimes to keep herself up and moving properly. Her body seemed to be picking up on this mode of movement rapidly. Which was good, because relying on her human to support her all the time was frustrating, and put her too close to it.<br><br>Now her human was communicating with another human at the place where the good smell was coming from. And she knew the other human was talking to Keiran because it used the sound that indicated him. That was quite useful, actually. And now, seeing the 'ye' sound in action some more, she decided that it was a personal identifier, but not for a specific human. It seemed to indicate whomever they were directing their sounds at during that particular time.<br><br>Humans were strange.<br><br>The other human brought up two containers, and put the good smelling stuff into them, plus two other items, and then grabbed other holding containers. Keiran took the good smelling things, while speaking to her and pointing at the other ones. Since he had taken the other containers, she reached out and took the last ones, taking care not to let her hands touch those of the other human's, lest it grab her. Once she had the items, one in each hand, she stood cautiously on her own, wondering if she was good enough at walking, yet, to make it on her own. She thought so, perhaps, but only if it was just a short distance. <br><br>Eyebrows drawing in, she looked at Keiran worriedly, then down at her feet, then back up at him, hoping he would understand that she did not want to fall but thought she might if left without support for too long...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>30-01-2014, 19:42:48</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It would have taken someone blind to not see the lack of confidence in her gaze when she took up the mugs in each of her hands, the hesitation blank on her face. Shaking his head some he shifted the bowls in his hands, so one was balanced on his forearm, and against his chest some. "No, Nerissa, like this." He reached to her taking one of the mugs from her, then the other, and closing both in his fist, the sides of them flush, while hands fit through both of the handles so he could hold both easily at once, she would have a free hand that way, thought once they had liquid in them, he was sure things were going to get more difficult. <br><br>"Ye see?" He could have just walked away like that, holding everything himself, but he wasn't going too, she needed to learn. Setting the mugs down on an upturned barrel he gestured to them. "Ye do it now." While he wanted her to learn, the ever present eyes on his back were hard to ignore, the crew watching, the cook observing from the corner of an eye. They were all curious, amused, and annoyed all at once, by the combination, mostly for her intrusion and ineptitude, but amused because of how clearly inconvenient it was being for Keiran, clearly being put in his place as a stranger, as much as she, aboard the ship. <br><br>Waiting long enough for her to grasp the mugs, either the way he showed her, or snatching them up again the way she had before he didn't care, he started towards another corner, where there was several casks piled on each other, one towards the middle had a spout in place. "Here, Nerissa." He knew though he couldn't explain it with words, he hadn't taught her enough of them, so again he shifted the bowels, the heat of the stew warming the bowl partially cradled against his chest somewhat uncomfortably. "Ye put the mugs." He paused their to point at the mugs. "Mug." Giving her yet another word before he reached to try to hook a finger in the brim of one, intending to guide it under the spout. <br><br>"Ye would have better luck training a dog, Keiran! What a catch ye brought aboard!" The voice lifted from behind them, though Keiran didn't bother turning merely ground his teeth as the rest of the crew laughed. Despite it being to his expense, it did serve one positive thing, the talking started again, among the tables, and attention seemed to slip from them, some. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>12-02-2014, 11:31:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Tilting her head slightly, the former Mermaid watched, paying close attention as her human indicated her by using the sound 'Nerissa'. Usually it was attempting to gain her attention or show her something useful. And she hated to admit it, only to herself even, but she needed the human's help, and it was helping, even when it clearly disliked her. The expression it wore earlier, and usually wore while interacting with her, seemed hostile, and was clear even if the sounds it had made at her were not. Keiran hated her, but it almost looked like the other humans felt about her human what it felt about her. She hated them all.<br><br>Except that her human was not as bad as the others, she didn't think. But only sometimes. She did not have a soft enough spot for it to consider sacrificing the chance to return to her true self just so that it may live.<br><br>But her human showed her how to better handle the containers, keeping one hand free while carrying the two in the other, she followed the example it set. Her palms were smaller than Keiran's, but her fingers were long, and while it was a bit of a handful, she did manage both in one hand. The other she used to grasp her human's shoulder, as the wall would take her further away from her human and set her on her own around so many other unknown, and watchful, humans. She did not like them at all, especially how they were all paying attention to her and Keiran.<br><br>While somewhat wobbly on the walk to the large round things along the wall, the Mermaid was pleased to find that she did not have as much trouble as even earlier in the day. Her legs were getting much better at supporting her, and she was beginning to understand how to move to compensate for the odd motions the ship made on the water. As her human called for her attention again, she allowed it to guide the containers under the odd shape sticking out of the large round things. What was it to do now? It gave her a new sound to learn, and she absorbed the meaning, they were the containers in her hand. 'Mug'. The other containers, 'mug' also, perhaps? Contained the odd looking substance that smelled so good, that made her stomach move about and ache strangely. She wanted what was in there, but knew that Keiran would not react well to her attempting to take anything away that had not been expressly handed to her. The last thing she wanted was to make her human angry when there were so many others around. <br><br>The odd noise, loud and from another human, caused her to turn, narrowing her eyes defensively as her human reminded her of a mussel attempting to ignore a starfish. Bearing her teeth in the direction the noise had come from, she turned back, after a moment, to regard her human, the hand she had on his shoulder tightening for a moment in response to her odd, warring feelings. She was angry at the other humans for upsetting her human, and that was rather confusing...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>14-02-2014, 21:06:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ignoring the men behind him was easy enough, they were not his friends, they were not even people he cared about in the least. They were his kind, and that was the only connection they really shared with one another, it would be easier enduring his lowered rank once he was among his tribe, with people who at least knew him, and trusted him. Rather then around those whom enjoyed goading him for his fallen position. Their lives were hard ones, that their rank was dependent on their whole crew, rather then simply themselves, that they could go from strong leaders, to the lowest of the crew in a mere shifting of the tides was something that could be hard to accept, but something that was always there, and everyone was well aware of. Trust and loyalty could not simply be traded from ship to ship, it had to be earned over again. <br><br>With his finger caught into the rim of one of the mugs, he pulled, not hard, he didn't want to dislodge her and end with both of them on the ground again, but he needed to position one of the mugs beneath the spout. Once there though he lifted his hand and turned the handle, releasing the mead into it in a steady stream, only turning it again to close it off. Then dropping his hand once more to re-position hers, so that the other mug would keep beneath the spout and turning it open again. He was hoping she didn't falter with the heavier mugs, filled as they were now, and he intentionally kept the top of the liquid from being too close to the rim of the mug, he didn't want to increase chances of her spilling it. Unlike water, mead didn't spoil easily, and spilling it could be overlooked, in small amounts, except the crew needed no more ammo to use against them. <br><br>"Hold it steady, Nerissa." Turning the spout closed again he eyed her for a moment, assessing before he turned, still holding the pair of bowls to one arm and started back through the room. There was a table that was empty, closest to the stairs, usually for crew whom were stealing a quick bite and would need to rush back up to deck. Seeing as how there were none such occupying it then, and sitting next to any other of the crew seemed a unwise choice, it was worth the journey back across the mess, hopefully without any spills to once again draw the waned attention their direction. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>26-02-2014, 11:55:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The mermaid wondered, as she watched her human pretend the others were not making noises at them, if humans were like her kind: did they dislike when others were around? But then, why would they live so closely with one another if that was the case? Why would they choose to be around others they disliked rather than alone and content? No..humans were not like her: they were not territorial and upset when their space was invaded by another. So why were these humans so unkind to her human?<br><br>Maybe it was because their markings were different? All humans looked mostly the same to her: legs and arms and hair on their heads and small almost-fingers on their feet; they made mouth noises at one another and invaded the sea; they had no regard and no knowledge of her mother the sea. She had never really paid attention to the differences in the humans before, except that she could tell her human, Keiran, apart from the others. Well, and some appeared more like her with differently-developed chests, but that was about it. Perhaps if she paid attention, she could discern the difference and figure out why they disliked her human so much.<br><br>As she contemplated the odd behavior of humans, the former mermaid allowed Keiran to direct the mugs under the odd out-sticking thing in the round thing, and watched the liquid come out of it. And then it filled the other too. The containers were heavier now, but she still managed, though she did have to quickly bring them to her chest, and brace her arm against her side, and the mugs against her ribs, in order to keep them steady. This seemed to work pretty well, though, at least when standing still.<br><br>Her short, faltering steps sloshed the liquid a bit, it did not look or smell like water, but it only wetted her chest a little, and did not spill over except for the few drops that got on her. Good thing her human had not filled them up further, they would have been all down her front, then, and not still in the container. Whatever it was. With ponderous steps, she made her way after Keiran and over to the tall ledge that the humans seemed to sit at using shorter ledges, and, seeing that it seemed to be their destination, she set the mugs on the taller one. They thumped loudly with the unexpected force of her near-stumbling, but she had made it, and felt rather pleased with herself. Though she had walked with her hand still on Keiran's shoulder, the last little bit, where she had set the containers down, she had done on her own with no support. Now, though, she stood, wobbly and insecure, not quite sure what to do but to remain standing and look after her human for direction. Was she to situate herself as the other humans had? Upon the shorter of the types of wooden ledges, facing into the larger one? Was this not where they were supposed to stop?<br><br>Why were they here?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>27-02-2014, 21:36:03</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Despite Nerissa nearly slamming the mugs down against the table, which aroused more attention their way again, he was glad that she had not ended up spilling the mead over the deck. He had to get her used to doing things, but waste, when it came to food and drink on a ship, was akin to stealing the bread out of a mans hand. Communicating as much to her, wouldn't be possible, but perhaps once she ate, and drank, and made herself feel better, she would be as possessive with the food she was given, as she was with any other item she was handed.&nbsp; A trait that could also get her in trouble, yet serve her a purpose at least in the mindset of handling the food she was served delicately. <br><br>"Ye need to sit." Lifting a hand he put it to her shoulder and gave her a bit of a press towards the bench, he knew it was not going to be easy for her, lifting her leg over the lower bench and settling before bringing the other up and over. It was bound to cause issue, but rather then stand and wait, he went around the table and sat at the bench on the opposite side. Though he did sit slower then usual, going through the motions a bit slower, so an attentive woman might be able to catch them and mimic them, regardless he pulled one of the bowls of stew closer to himself and brought a spoonful to his lips. "Eat." Before he took the spoonful into his mouth, repeating soon after with another. <br><br>"Ye don't understand me, I do know that. But ye could not have washed up at any worse a time, woman. Ye are a complication, an added belly to feed, when they had already taken on another hand with me." He had sat, so that his back was facing towards the exit of the mess, but so he could look past her and observe the rest of the crew in the mess, eating, talking, catching the eyes that came his way and returning their looks with a flat look of his own until they would return to their meal, or their talk. "Ye are learning, and that do be good, or ye would end up entertainment." Sooner then she'd be tossed overboard, she would be earning her keep in a far worse fate, everyone earned their bread, everyone. <br><br>His attention focused on her again, her skin was still red, her hairline, and likely under, across her breasts, and down to where the table blocked, her back too, from the work she had done today, had earned some of the burns that her front already sported. "Ye are burned again too, when ye finish eating, we will go below and ye can slather some more of the ointment on." Despite his distaste for her, he could see that she wouldn't be tossed overboard, she was shapely enough that some would get over the fact that she was a lands woman, even if he knew she was otherwise. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>03-03-2014, 12:16:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Apparently this was where her human had intended them to stop, it pushed her closer to the taller ledge and, after a little stumble, her knees bumped into the smaller one. The one that the other humans rested on while seeming to do activities on the taller surface. She hadn't quite figured out just what they were all doing, but it was something that Keiran was clearly intending that they participate in as well. And why was that smell making her stomach so loud and energetic?<br><br>Watching closely as her human arranged its limbs so that it, too, could settle upon the short ledge, the former mermaid knew that she was expected to as well. That push had been more than enough of an indicator, if not the commanding sounds that had been aimed at her, then the fact that she was the only one still on her feet. Swallowing some of the liquid that always seemed to gather in her mouth, she looked down at the smaller ledge, bracing her hands on the taller one for support before lifting one of her legs in an attempt to copy Keiran. Her foot hit the edge and it was difficult to lift her leg any higher. Wobbling, now only on one leg and leaning over to brace herself, the mermaid began to lower her leg back down and attempt it again after regaining her balance, but then stopped as her knee brushed the sitting surface. A lot of her time this day had been spent supporting herself on her knees, and she seemed not too terrible at that. Instead of standing solidly on two feet again, she, instead, rested her knee and lower leg on the wooden surface in front of herself, then slowly drug her other up to match, then flop over to mimic how the humans were sitting.<br><br>Then, she rocked to the side and straightened her first leg out from under herself again, until she was seated as all the rest were, albeit that her journey to the position was slower and more awkward. It had still worked. The mermaid felt pleased with herself.<br><br>The human said another word to her, but offered no explanation, except to move some of the contents of the maybe-mug into its mouth. Was it consuming food, as fish and whales and other sea creatures would? Did humans have to do that?<br><br>Did <em>she</em> have to do that? She never had had to before; her sharp teeth had been mostly for show, she had never actually used them for anything except as displays to protect her territory from other mermaids.<br><br>The process looked disgusting, and she found her nose wrinkling in a display of her impression of the situation. But.. her stomach was screaming at her, now, and ached so much. Perhaps that was what happened when humans did not consume food? Slowly, her hands reached out for the second container, sliding it cautiously towards herself in case the human did not wish her to have it. But it seemed that it was meant for her. Following Keiran's example, she took the even-smaller container and use it to lift the small portion of food-stuff to her mouth. The sensation on her tongue almost made her spit it back out in surprise, the taste was intense! Different from the salt of the water or the dry of the air. There were no words, no thoughts, that described the sensation. There were larger chunks of food things in with the liquid part, and the mermaid determined that those would not probably go down her throat well so large, so she squished them smaller with her back teeth, then swallowed.<br><br>Her stomach seemed to like that. Eagerly, she slid the food closer to herself and took in another portion, and then another, and another. So consumed in the act of satiating her hunger, the mermaid did not notice, at first, that her human was speaking again. Things she did not understand, sounds that had no meaning to her.<br><br>Yet. Soon, she would understand, and know what the human was trying to convey to her. She would understand, she would make herself understand, if only to know what Keiran was plotting to do with her and why it was treating her kindly while all the other humans seemed to detest her. She hated them too.<br><br>When the container with the food had gotten so empty that the smaller one meant for bringing portions to the mouth did not have the ability to pick up any more, the former mermaid took her finger to scrape the last bits of the tasty liquid out of the mug-thing and lick it off her hand; thoroughly disappointed that there was not more to consume. Only then did she look up at Keiran, tilting her head to the side to regard the mugs that she had transported to the table. Did they hold something good to consume as well?&nbsp; And what was that lump of other stuff, that had come with the food-stuff in the short container? She took up that hunk of odd-textured stuff and held it up, glancing from it to Keiran purposely, trying to determine if it was good for eating. She would <em>not</em> simply shove things in her mouth to see if they were edible or not: enough sea birds did that and died that she knew better...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>03-03-2014, 22:54:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She went about getting herself settled into the the bench seating, of course, she looked like a complete fool doing it, and it didn't go unnoticed among the other crew members either who watched her. They had to think there was something more wrong with her, for her to be as inept as she was, and there was. Except he couldn't explain it to them without sounding completely crazy. While many of them might believe in the idea of mermaids or other sea creatures, after all, many of his own crew had, even if he hadn't been one of the ones to do so. But the fact that one of those fabled creatures, was not only here now, but in the shape of a clumsy flailing land girl? It wasn't something any of them would believe, and it was justified, their disbelieve, after all, she had been drowning out in the water, what kind of mermaid would drown? <br><br>Instead of fussing over it more, he knew he couldn't tell anyone on the ship and that was that, he focused on her eyeing the bowl. When she scooted it towards herself more he nodded his head, though he chuckled faintly when she had a look of surprise cross her face. The cooks cooking wasn't that bad, but he didn't say anything instead taking another bite of his own, rather then sitting and talking at her, which was more to himself then anything else. <br><br>Reaching for his bread he broke off a chunk of it and used it to sweep the bowl, catching up the dregs of the stew he had finished while he watched her work at the stew, seeming to learn how to like it in the few bites she took. It wasn't surprising, she probably had been starving and just didn't know it.&nbsp; "Spoon." He spoke lifting the utensil they had both been using, before setting it down, and putting his finger on the edge of the bowl. "Bowl." With that he lifted the hunk of bread. "Bread." Before tearing another piece of it and taking a bite of it while watching her, she needed to learn, and unfortunately, he was the only resource she had to be taught by. <br><br>With a finger he dipped it into his own bowl scooping up a small bit of the stew that clung to an edge. "Stew." It was simple not descriptive but it was all that was needed for now, and he licked his finger clean before reaching for one of the mugs. When he did, he eyed her though, because she had a tendency to cling possessively to anything he passed her to carry or not, and he didn't want her trying to make a grab at it and knocking it all over the table. Closing his hand around the handle he drew it back and dripped his finger in it, this time flicking the droplets of mead at her. "Mead. Drink." He said before lifting it up to his lips and tilting it to take a draw of the warm liquid. <br><br>Sooner she finished the sooner they could slip away, and he could get some sleep, the day seemed a little more exhausting with dealing with her, then it did usually. But then, he was not used to all the different work, he'd gotten softer over the years, being of higher rank and able to do different jobs. Coming back to working as he was was a hit he was not relishing.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>14-03-2014, 11:29:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Keiran gave her the word for the lump she held in her hand: 'bread'. It was apparently edible, and so she tore off a piece as well, working it into her mouth as she contemplated the now useless 'spoon'. There was nothing to scoop with it now, but she rather liked the shape. Perhaps she should keep it. Keiran did not like for her to keep things that were handed to her, though. And the human would probably notice if the spoon was missing from the table, so keeping it would probably not work out.<br><br>Still, she scooted it close enough to her that it sat right in front of her on the food-eating ledge.<br><br>The bread was an odd texture: dense on the outside but fluffy and chewy on the inside. It was not of the texture of the lumps in the food stuff, 'stew' as Keiran gave her that sound as well. It took her much longer and more squishing and mashing about with her teeth to get it soft enough to swallow just that one mouthfull. It was interesting, and not distasteful, so she took another bite, and then another, until she had steadily consumed the bread food.<br><br>The other food thing's sound was 'stew'. There were so many sounds, it seemed every thing that existed had its own unique sound, and none seemed to correspond with other similar item's name-sounds. Everything had to be learned by rote, then?<br><br>At least her mind seemed to be absorbing the meanings well enough.<br><br>Her human took one of the two mugs, and brought it towards himself. While she liked having possession of both things, Keiran had shared the second bowl with stew, spoon, and bread with her, so she allowed him to take the mug she had been made to carry. And the liquid inside the mug had two sounds associated with it: 'mead' and 'drink'. It appeared she was supposed to consume it like the food items, even though it was liquid. Perhaps she could just swallow it without having to mash it up? Liquid was already soft and had no need for using her teeth on it.<br><br>Hesitantly, the former mermaid lifted the mug, with both hands, to her mouth, tilting some in and then swallowing it. The liquid helped her dry mouth feel more moist, her gritty lips felt softer too. And it filled her belly more, made her feel even better; good as the food had had her feel. Again, she lifted the mug, but kept it up, slowly consuming all the liquid held within, before finally setting it down and regarding Keiran, scooting the bowl and mug closer to her as the spoon was. Did the human plan to take the items back again? With so many others around, she would not put up a fight for them as they might swarm upon her like a school of fish, but she would very much like to keep the items, they were all very interesting...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>15-03-2014, 21:19:10</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Finishing his own mead, he observed her scooting the various items she had used for the meal closer to herself. She seemed to like to attach herself to the things that he handed her for some reason or another, it was a habit he didn't understand, a seafaring individual like himself did not hold onto many possessions, keeping it simple in a life where the weight of the ship could mean profit. Having been a cargomaster for a time, he understood, more then most, the necessity to keep things light. Thus her attraction, and desire to lay claim to anything that she used seemed to be a rather tedious fascination. <br><br>"Ye have to give those back, Nerissa, ye cannot keep them." He spoke before pointing at the gathered utensils she had in front of her before unfolding his fingers and holding his hand out palm up expectantly. "Give." He added, eyeing them pointedly, knowing that in this case his meaning would come across, but whether his meaning came across or not, it was her willingness to listen to him that was in the question. She had gotten better, seeming to do what she could to try to obey what he said, and follow his examples. Perhaps it was her fear of him grabbing her by her hair and dragging her around again. A legitimate fear, as it was something he would do if he had to, but it was not something he explicitly intended to do. <br><br>"Ye need to have that hair chopped off yet, Nerissa, it is still in the way." He wondered if she was going to let him do it, she had been stubborn about that yes, but so had he about not allowing her to use the knife in her own hand either. Tools, spoons, and other objects were one thing, but equipping her with something she could actually do substantial harm with seemed unwise yet, especially with the fact that she could already still bite hard. <br><br>"We have to return the dishes, then we will go below." Rest, with a full belly, he was more then happy to return further below to the sleeping quarters and shut his eyes. That was the part of him that was hoping she was going to be cooperative, and lay in her hammock like she should without a fight this time. Though, she knew what fighting him got her, and seemed to not like being yelled at anymore then she had enjoyed having her hair pulled. He was beginning to stand up when one of the other crew members lifted his voice again. <br><br>"Ye and ye'r landfolk pet have second night watch, Keiran, get back on deck." The words were sharp, and held no room for question, coming from the second mate, a woman with hard eyes, her hair pulled back and braided tight. And though it made him stiffen, and his eyes narrow into a glare, he didn't voice the immediate protest that came to mind, that they had just worked all day. He knew they wanted him to disobey commands, they wanted an excuse to make him suffer. "Aye, First mate." Was his only response, though his tone was acidic almost, the small relief being that they were only on watch, which meant they could find a place to sit and keep an eye on the water, while others covered the positions to keep the ship sailing straight. <br><br>"Hurry up Nerissa." His voice again, was not pleased, not sharp like when she fell on him, but less pleasant then it had been in discussion before the new order. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>20-03-2014, 11:57:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She had known it, had guessed: Keiran would not allow her to keep the items that had been given to her. If the expression on the human's face wasn't clear enough, the gesture and obvious commanding tone of it's voice was more than enough. Clearly, it had understood her gesture from before, when she had wanted the sharp shiny object to shorten her hair, because it used it again to clarify the sound 'give'.<br><br>Sighing in defeat, the former mermaid looked about, taking stock of all the other humans, before deciding that keeping the only one that seemed to wish to help her pleased was probably the best strategy for now. Slowly, she pushed the items, in one conglomerate, back to the middle of the table, her fist closed about the spoon, which she placed in the human's open hand. The frown pulling at her lips, she hoped, expressed her displeasure perfectly.<br><br>Why was she not permitted to keep anything? The other humans clearly had items they preferred, they kept. But even though her human helped her, she knew that it did not like her at all. Perhaps that was why she was not allowed to hang on to anything she was given.<br><br>And the human addressed her again, mentioning that sound 'hair', that she took to mean the hair on her head. It probably wanted to hurt her with it again, and so she scowled, eyes narrowed, frown pulling all the deeper and brows furrowing deeply in dislike. She would not permit the human to touch her hair again, and as soon as she could get a hold of one of those sharp objects, she would fix it so the heavy mass would never be used to cause harm again. And then maybe she would keep the shiny sharp thing; especially if she could keep Keiran from knowing she had acquired it. That meant, though, that she could not take the one that belonged to Keiran.<br><br>The foodstuff that had been consumed now sat heavy in her stomach, dragging her down and making her feel that itching pulling sensation in her eyes and head, like she had before needing to rest before. Perhaps her human would take her back to the little nets, and she could close her eyes and regather her energy. Keiran began to stand. and so she struggled her legs out from under the eating ledge and then over the sitting ledge, pivoting on her rear so that her legs were outside and her back was facing the eating ledge. It was then, while she was pushing herself unsteadily to her feet, that another human addressed her human in an angry-sounding voice. In turn, Keiran responded, suddenly sounding much angrier than earlier.<br><br>And then Keiran addressed her, suddenly angry with her again, sounding nearly like when it had been so angry with her before on the stepping up and down ledges. Hesitantly, she got herself all the way standing, then used the table to help support herself over to Keiran, lightly grabbing onto her human's shoulder as if afraid to touch. And she was afraid to touch him: it was sounding as it had before, when it had been so angry with her. Back then, she had easily believed that Keiran would cause her injury and been pleased to do so. Now she worried that that threat was hovering yet again...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>23-03-2014, 21:50:52</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The thought of spending more time up on deck, rather then getting to go back down and settle into his hammock, had the tension tight between his shoulders. He wanted to grab someone give them a sound smack and send them out to do the work, that he shouldn't have to do. But it was the old position weighing on him, that made him feel that way, how his life used to be, before the Mermaid had made his ship go down. It was her fault, he was in this position, they would have been fine had she not managed to trick them into wrecking the ship, killing so many of his fellows, losing his livelihood, his position. And now, he still had to walk beside the creature which had ruined his life, and deal with it, despite wanting to get beyond such things and regain some of his former position, something he knew would take longer then he ever wished. <br><br>When she managed to make her way to him, and grab onto his shoulder he eyed her a moment, but started to move, though tempering his pace as usual, despite his agitation, he didn't want to end up on the floor again, especially not in a spot where the crew could mock the situation. Taking her to the stairs, and up, was a task of patience, but it was one he gritted his teeth through, forcing himself to keep to a slow pace, and take the stairs one at a time, so that she could do it, as independently as possible, and get more used to the steps, without leaving her behind. The ship was still sailing fairly evenly, but if they came on a storm, he imagined that it would be hell trying to move around with her, even she would be able to get to her feet at all amongst the pitch and roll. <br><br>"We do be given another task, Nerissa..." To be fair, it was not a grueling shift like the day before, it was watch, which meant staying awake and keeping eyes peeled open essentially, something he knew he could manage, but doubted he'd bother forcing her to. He wouldn't send her below though either, not on her own, she'd end up in some kind of trouble, and it would end up on his head. "Ye will sleep." Coming out onto deck, the sun had sunk more in their time below, and men had already gone about lighting some of the lanterns on deck, providing a glow to the deck, that the rising moon complimented, but couldn't entirely replace. "Up here for now, then below when the watch is finished." <br><br>Tapping his foot against the wood of the deck. "Deck." He added, trying to help teach her words too, instead of just talking to her, though he didn't hang about standing still for the time either, walking over to where there was extra netting bundled up and some crates on deck he moved to take a seat, turning his attention out to the water. "Sleep." With that he pointed at the pile of the netting it wouldn't be the most comfortable, but it wouldn't be a terrible place to catch a nap. "Ye get to start over tomorrow." Working, was day to day, and she was burned and likely exhausted, he didn't know what sort of exercise she was used to in the water, be it killing sailors being her only sense of duty and work, but she was to have to be able to keep up here. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>27-03-2014, 11:47:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Keiran was angry, she could tell. The human was tense and she could nearly feel the anger, and when she touched it to steady herself and it looked at her, she almost pulled back, worried that the human would lash out and cause her injury. But she did not pull away, and Keiran did not cause her harm. Instead, the human lead her up the little wooden ledges, slowly and with the annoyance and anger still rolling off like the waves of the sea. She did not care for this new, more violent attitude.<br><br>But, they made it with no mishaps, as she had worried there might be. If she lost her ability to stand again, and pulled the human down with her, there was no doubt in her mind that Keiran would to more than just make loud mouth noises at her. To avoid that, she moved extra carefully, noting that she was getting even better at moving while standing. Good. Once she regained her strength, and got used to moving, she would be able to complete her task and go home.<br><br>..Even though her human was not causing her harm, and was actually helping her. That was a bit of a quandary, actually. Something to examine later, perhaps.<br><br>It used the sound that indicated Keiran was speaking to her, but she did not understand the words given. Then again, her human liked to make sounds at her, probably hoping she would catch on to the meaning eventually. And she was, slowly. They were above, and not below in the sleeping net area. The mermaid found she liked the look of the sky at night, but then again, she always had, and once they had stopped, she tilted her head to look up for the moon, and then the stars. They were the same, even if she was different, and that was somehow comforting. Or, it would have been if she could see them in all their glory. It was not quite time yet.<br><br>In the mean time, the humans had made little boxes with trapped stars in them, and they lit up the ship enough to see by. That was interesting. She had always seen those from afar, but never up close: the little star always grew dark when the container hit the water. <br><br>While absorbing the meaning of 'deck', and wondering at 'sleep', the former mermaid tilted her head, touched Keiran's arm, and then pointed toward the small trapped star in the nearest container. Perhaps her human would allow her to see it, it would be interesting to see up close. There were nets around where Keiran had lead her, though, and they reminded her of the sleeping nets, and the weight of the food-stuff stew and mead and bread in her stomach was somehow making her eyes feel heavy again, as they had before she had fallen asleep before.<br><br>Did humans really need so much sleep? And would Keiran be angry if she were to sleep now? But, the human had gestured towards the nets.. Slowly, she lowered herself onto them, sitting, unsure if she should fully lie down or not...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>28-03-2014, 02:47:43</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Felt the touch to his arm and turned on her, an annoyed expression that she had not done what he told her to do, and settle down to sleep, but was pulled from saying something to her when she gestured. Glancing to where she gestured he caught sight of the lantern and paused thoughfully on it, he supposed she wouldn't understand fire very much, being a mermaid and all, she would not have had much interaction with it. Except maybe to spot it on the horizon and tempt the ships it belonged too closer to their deaths, that thought though only made him grit his teeth slightly, trying not to focus on the harm his 'companion' had caused. <br><br>"Lantern, it is for light." Explaining what something was for, was as useless as talking to her though, but he stepped away from her, over to the lantern and lifted it from its place coming back with it and setting it on one of the crates next to the netting. Lifting the glass shield from it he pointed, keeping his finger back. "Fire." Though he closed it as the wind came and licked at the flame making it dance and flit about quicker, threatening to extinguish with faint huffs of smoke from it's oil wet wick. <br><br>Though she had settled down into the netting some, by the time he had come back with the lantern and he nodded at her. "Good, sleep Nerissa." She wasn't needed to keep watch, and he could see that she was tired, he was surprised she did as much as she had, waif of a woman she was. Settling himself on one of the crates he turned his eyes out towards the sea, wondering again if the goddess hated him that much. Did she really believe he deserved this kind of punishment? Losing his family, his crew, and his ship was not enough, but to be tortured with this creature was something of another kind of cruelty. <br><br>Drawing out the knife he glanced back at her, pondering cutting her hair off once she went to sleep, if she would sleep deep enough, but turned it to trimming his nails for the time being, his eyes making regular quick lifts to survey the distance, not expecting any trouble on the sea.. But then he hadn't before, and he had found more trouble then he had ever imagined was going to come to him.<br><br>He kept a casual eye on her too, glancing back towards her occasionally, between times of checking the darkened horizon, waiting for her to sleep.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>01-04-2014, 10:30:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The tiny star trapped in the box was fascinating, and when Keiran brought it close for her to look at, she had gotten back up on her knees to see better. The netting below her dug into her knees and legs painfully, but it was worth it to see into the little box, to the 'fire' that Keiran named the tiny star.<br><br>It did not much seem to like having the box open, because it danced about and released something into the air that reminded her of squid ink, except that it was ink made of air, and dissipated much faster. Keiran shut the little box, and the frightened star calmed down and more evenly lit the area again. Perhaps the humans protected that little star, rather than kept it prisoner? It had seemed very frightened at the thought of freedom, which was odd. <br><br>Perhaps that was a thing to ponder later. For now, she was happy to have the one near, and to be able to see in the growing dark. Keiran had out that shiny sharp thing again, but she did not ask for it again. The human did not seem to be trying to turn it on her, so she let it be, and slowly lowered herself to lying on the netting, her eyes feeling heavier and heavier.<br><br>Sleep came rather quickly, dragging her down, and she began to dream. First it was of being in the sea again, and being of the sea: She swam and was a part of her mother, tending her reef, sorting through the white bones that the humans all eventually became, arranging them just so. Her collection of shiny metal things was there too, and all the other interesting items she had scattered about, while the fish and sea creatures made homes of the wrecked ships that expanded the original reef. It was beautiful and just how it should be.<br><br>But then, suddenly, she was so far down and couldn't breathe, and her tail was gone and legs in it's place, and she couldn't make it to the surface. She couldn't..couldn't..<br><br>Gasping, the former Mermaid sat up sharply, eyes wide, glancing around, her feet feeling tangled in the netting. She must have been moving in her sleep. What was that she had just experienced? It had felt so real but now she knew it was not. Blinking slowly, she tried to take in what was going on around her, her mind feeling confused and slow in the aftermath of sleep...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>03-04-2014, 19:48:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Keeping watch as a dull job, especially when they were so far out in the ocean, the chances of them coming upon anything that would damage the ship were slim, unless they came on another ship in the night. Few ships would attack and Ath'an Miere ship, they were too experienced a sea fighters to be the easy prey for pirating landsfolk. Few except other Atha'an Miere of course, rivalry was a strong emotion among the clans, which was part of why he was being treated as he was, aside from the normal loss of rank that happened with his ship, this clan did not have much love for his own, and only helped him by honor of their people, rather then goodness of their hearts. Keeping watch in the dark often was a moot point, but the seas were relatively calm, and the clouds in the sky darkened the ocean, the still strong sea bearing wind carried them through the black waters, and if a ship were to intend to attack, they might do so in the imagined safety that the night provided. <br><br>Thus far though, this night, he didn't see anything out on the water at all, an seemingly endless rippling blanket of darkness upon which they road. Some would be surprised that he had done what he did, coming right back to the deck of ships after the horrendous death of his crew, and ony family. Yet that wasn't the case for those of his kind, they were not made for land, it was in their blood to be out on the sea, the air, the feeling of motion, the salt on their skin, it was all part of who they were. And no matter the tragedy of what happend, they would be tugged back to their home, however bitter it seas might taste. <br><br>Turning partially, he glanced back to Nerissa, sleeping in the netting, she had moved around, getting herself more tangled in the net. Anger, pain, hate, it all boiled beneath the surface, and yet she was simply to pathetic to truly despise right now...if she had still been as she had, a mermaid in the water, he'd of likely taken his knife and dived off the side of the ship to try to carve her heart out. And yet, looking at her there, on the deck, frail, burnt all over from the sun kissing pale skin, he couldn't find it in him to put his foot down. It was not like him to kick a man whom had fallen, and it felt like that was what he would be doing, whatever reason she ended up like this, she was not able to help herself, and it was distasteful to imagine executing someone so helpless. <br><br>Shaking his head he turned away from her again his hand catching the railing and gripping hard, hard enough his knuckles whitened some through the tan of his skin. The pain of it, of his the loss of his sister was still there, and strong, heavy on his shoulders. He was still there, tense as he was, when she woke to find that he was not sitting where he had been, instead the lantern remained there, and his knife, tip buried in the wood of the crate, glinted with the reflected light. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>15-04-2014, 10:42:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Whatever that vision had been, that memory and sensation returned to haunt her for a bit of time, it was over now, and she was back in what hat become her reality. Not that it was much of a good reality, or even one she preferred, but it was better than the remembered sensation of water filling her lungs, of dipping below the waves and the burning sensation of needing air. Now, though, there was clean air to breathe and the little stars in containers lighting small areas about the ship, and though it was mostly dark, there was enough to see.<br><br>Her human, Keiran, was gone. Moved, actually, but not where it was when she lad lain down and fallen into that state of rest her new body seemed to need. Now the human was near the edge of the ship, not facing her. Where Keiran had been, the wooden container had the sharp shiny thing standing up on it. Probably the human wasn't aware that it was still there, since it had been very clear that she was not to have the sharp shiny thing.<br><br>Glancing between Keiran and the sharp thing, she sat up fully and inched closer, then grabbed the item quickly, pulling it out of the wood and to herself. Still dividing her attention between the human and the item in her hand, she grasped a hunk of her hair and tried sliding the sharpest side of the shiny thing against her hair as she had observed Keiran doing before, seeing that the tangled mess parted from the portion attached to her head in just the same way.<br><br>Good.<br><br>Quickly, she began hacking through her hair, grabbing handfuls to slide the sharp thing through again and again, until she could no longer find any pieces that fell below her shoulders, and most of it was even shorter than that. There were bits and pieces that were long, next to short ones, but the important thing was that it would be difficult for the human to harm her using her hair again. In that time, though, she had been distracted by shortening her hair and was unable to keep an eye on the human. Almost afraid to look at Keiran, now, to see if it was upset she had touched the shiny sharp object, and instead just slid it back onto the wooden container. It clanked a bit on the wood, causing her to let go quickly and yank her hand away, then squish back into the netting and lie down again, finally raising her eyes to see if Keiran had noticed and was hostile again. It should be important that she returned the item, yes? The human did not like for her to hang on to items it had given her, so though she had taken it, she had given it back. Perhaps that would count for something?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>19-04-2014, 19:19:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				His attention, as it should be, was turned out to the seas around them, focused on keeping any watch for approaching ships, or rocks. The sea was a strange beauty, and sometimes she threw things unexpected, something he could attest to more then others at this point. To think at one time he had thought his sister poor of mind for her belief in the strange creatures of the sea. How rudely he was awakened to the cruel reality that she had been right all along, and that the sea housed creatures that most men had given up as fairy tales. Though the joke, however cruel, was on his sister, as all these creatures wanted of them, was their lives. <br><br>Hearing the blade clank against the top of the crate he whipped around immediately his eyes fierce as they honed in on the noise, his blade now fallen to lay flat on the crate in the light of the lantern. Immediately it switched to Nerissa, his lack of trust in her a given, but she had set the blade back down, instead of coming at him in the moment of distraction and putting the blade into his back like she could have. No, it seemed that she had done what he had intended too most of the day, all on her own. Though of course, rather then being something of a clean even cut, it was hacked at different lengths, like a child who had got their hands onto a pair of scissors. <br><br>"I would have done that of ye, ye fool." He let out, his voice exasperated, rather then angry, but he did walk back towards her, or rather to the crate where his knife was, picking it up and putting it away. It had been stupid of him to leave it there, even if she was sleeping, he had been sure she'd be out for hours though, as exhausted as she should have been, it was his mistake, and he wouldn't make one like it again, he couldn't. "Now ye look like a damn blind fool butchered ye hair, so be it woman, doubt ye will scare away those who'd take from yet though." Not that she could understand a word of it. <br><br>Crouching though he caught up a chunk of hair lifting it up. "Hair." Before he stood again and tossed it over the side of the railing out into the sea. "Get rid of it." Pointing at the remaining hair that lay about the deck where she had gone about shortening her hair, before gesturing over the side of the ship again. If she was awake enough to take care of chopping her hair off, she could clean up the mess she made in the process. <br><br>Glancing up to the stars again he sighed before looking around the deck, he didn't have a timepiece, all his belongings had gone down with his ship, and it meant he had to confer with someone else to see if his watch was done yet. "Oi, when's the watch change." He raised his voice enough for one of the other crew to hear him, still keeping it muted compared to the day though. With his reply Keiran nodded, they still had another hour, before they could go below to sleep. <br><br>"...Why are you like us now?" He knew she wouldn't understand, and couldn't answer even if she did, but he looked to her, the question having fallen from his lips, eyeing her. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>04-05-2014, 12:41:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Cowering from the human, from what it might do, was terribly infuriating. Why should she <em>have</em> to cower like a small fish from a shark? Just days before, she had been the bigger predator, the one that had no fear, and now all she seemed to do was feel caution and fear when it came to just about anything she should <em>not</em> have to fear: humans, the sea, the strange visions that had come when she rested as her new body demanded. The former mermaid hated herself for it, hated the situation for what it had become, and hated the human for making her fear its anger and reaction to her own actions.<br><br>As Keiran turned, it looked angry, it saw the shiny sharp thing where it had fallen, and then looked upon her. It knew she had touched it, the proof was clear in the shortened hair on her head and the piles of discarded locks scattered about the netting she laid in. But when the human spoke, it was not in harsh tones, the ones that carried anger and violence in their sound, and so she relaxed a little, but still watched it warily as it approached, shying away some out of instinct.<br><br>It picked up her hair, naming it, and then gifted it back to the sea, though it seemed to be giving her an order by gesturing to the rest and then out to the sea again. So it wanted her to offer the rest of the hair to her mother. Well, it seemed fitting, and while the cruel sea had tried to take her life, she could give some of herself back. Slowly, she began to gather up the hunks of hair, the wind had not caught much of it and it was a fairly quick process. Once she had it all, the long strands trailing on the wooden surface of the ship, the former mermaid slowly lifted herself to her unsteady feet, clenching her teeth and forcing herself to complete the movement on her own with no assistance. Soon, she would be as good at walking as the humans, and thus better able to defend herself.<br><br>She only stumbled greatly once, as a wave jostled the ship a bit more than usual, an her knees banged into the flooring painfully, but she stood back up and finally made it to the railing to drop the armful of hair into the water. Grasping the edge, staring out into the inky dark of the sea, a feeling of longing began pulling at her chest. She did not want to be here, with these humans. She wanted her reef and her collections and the cool water of her home, not this place, not this fear, not the sounds of humans and the sensations of their touch, the burning of their anger.<br><br>The human uttered a query she did not understand, and she ignored it, staring, still, at her mother the sea. It was not until the railing hit her in the stomach as the ship jostled again did she realize she had begun leaning over as if mesmerized, and about to fall in. Quickly, she pulled back, glared at Keiran, then wobbled her way back to the netting an lie down, the itching heavy feeling back to pulling at her eyes...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>09-05-2014, 20:33:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He wasn't stupid, he didn't expect an answer to his question, but it would have been nice if she had paused even, seemed to consider it, or even quantified it by sharing a look with him. Rather then any of that she clearly kept her gaze out to the ocean in silence. Perhaps she didn't even know why she was like she was, she seemed confused enough in general, to everything, even to swimming, something that she would be intimately familiar with, but then, she was used to it with a powerful tail, not the two frail legs he had found her with. If she had been changed unknowingly, why would she have been, how could she have been, to be more precise, what else was out there, that his kind guessed at, that could do what had been done to her. That itself, was a haunting thought, because it was not simply a myth, or a suggestion, or a belief, but he had seen in her the other side, and knew, not guessed, knew there was more out there then he once was certain of. <br><br>Stirring from his thoughts he was about to lean over and grab her shoulder, pulling her back away from the railing that she was leaning over, when the ship pitched and woke her to her position quicker then he could do so. Letting his arm drop he met her glare with a level gaze of his own, why was it his fault she was about to pitch herself into the ocean? He had been intending to stop her, even if it would have bettered his position to see her go there was always the chance the crew would accuse him of throwing her overboard rather then her falling which he could not risk. His eyes followed her as she moved back to the netting she had been lying in before, settling once more as he had told her too before.<br><br>"Good, ye keep ye'self out of trouble there." While he knew she wouldn't understand him he eyed her only a moment longer before turning his attention back to his duties at hand, keeping a watch out on the ocean around them. As dark as it was, with the clouded sky blocking out moon and stars, there wasn't much to see, as much as there was to make out. Sharp eyes meant he could see the waves slightly, the wind stirred them lazily, licking and hinting at the possibility of a storm, without any of the strength needed to really cause any kind of concern yet. His watch consisted of the port side of the ship, from mid deck to bow, while there would be a couple others covering parts of the ship he couldn't watch at the same. Most of them though, were the usual night crew, which did so amid their other duties. <br><br>Letting out a sigh he reached up to rub at one of his eyes, he was tired, still recovering from the ordeal she had caused, and rushing back to the familiar decks meant he was stressing his already tired body. It was fortunate he had come through the shipwreck as well as he had, better then the others clearly, but even that, and then being drug through the ocean without water was enough to put a strain on even a strong seafaring man. In addition to getting set to working like one of the lowest of crew members, meant he was working harder, rather then smarter, than he had in years before the shipwreck.&nbsp; Giving in he moved and settled on the crate near her in the netting again, trying to steal moments rest, while keeping his eyes turned out to the ocean....<br><br>Of course, the ship jostling unusually later was what woke him from the light doze he had settled in, his body sinking naturally to have sat on the deck, back against the crate. He had know idea how long it had been, but he cursed himself inwardly, knowing that had any of the crew spotted him, they would have awoken him, very rudely. Getting to his feet quickly he winced at the stiffness in his back and rolled his shoulder trying to loosen it without drawing more attention to himself, the lantern which he had burning brighter earlier had dimmed as it's oil diminished, he must have been out for at least an hour, but the crew must have been busy, to his fortune. <br><br>Whisking his eyes across the sea again, dark as it was, trying to see if there was anything different to when he last remembered looking, before sleep and stolen him away. Thus far nothing looked changed thankfully, the dark waters moving with the wind but not strongly, and the clouds still thick blotting out much of the sky. Letting out a relieved breath he let some of the tension ease out of his shoulders, but there was a nagging feeling there, the hair on the back of his neck stood on end and he frowned. Something was wrong, and he couldn't pin what it was, what made him feel like there was something off, but he looked around towards the bow of the deck, noticing crew members still about their tasks, focused on them. <br><br>He was about to make the turn to check the stern, when he stopped short, bare feet did not make much noise on a wooden deck, but they did make some, and with the oddness he had already been feeling, he was not going to distrust his instincts. He made the turn, but did so drawing his knife at the same time, catching a man trying to move silently towards him, with a full length of sword bare and glinting in the waned light of the lantern extended towards him. Of course, the second Keiran turned, the man dropped all pretense moving forward quick and immediately striking out with the blade. <br><br>Instinct, as he had followed before, took over, tossing the knife into his left hand he moved to meet, rather then backing away from the oncoming assault, the first step in putting his attacker off guard, catching the length of bared steel against the smaller length of his dagger and tilting it, forcing the blade to slide down and meet the guard of his dagger. He didn't hesitate, instead pushing forward, using his dagger to shove the sword out of the way, the metal shrieking against each other as he pushed his dagger to the hilt of the sword guiding the blade away from his body as he moved close. Twisting himself he threw his back towards his attacker, his right arm swinging up and around to capture the mans blade arm, while his left arm shot back to jab his elbow into the mans ribs, earning a grunt, but not bringing him down. Feeling him fight the hold on his arm, Keiran thrust his head back, quick and hard, slamming the back of his head into the mans face with a crack that made Keiran's head spin but effected the attacker more. <br><br>Taking advantage of his dazed opponent, he twisted the captured arm around him lifting, and throwing the man over his shoulder to hit the deck hard even as he released the arm. Only so he could grab up the sword that fell free of his hand, dropping forward with his knee extended into the mans shoulder hard, he dropped his left fist, knife blade down straight into the fallen mans chest, ending his life in a quick twist of the knife. "Attack! Attack in the night! To arms!" His shouts were as loud as he could make them, ripping his knife free of the mans chest even as he stood, a blade in either hand sweeping his gaze over the deck, there were more, coming up from the stern, the jolt that had woken him had to have been a smaller ship coming up against theirs for them to board. <br><br>"Nerissa, stay down, and back." Though he turned partially he threw the knife, burying it point into the deck just in front of her, the tip sunk and inch in, and still glinting crimson from being pulled out of the man he killed. "Take it, just in case." He pointed at the knife and then her, before turning his attention back to the figures advancing, they were coming together now, wanting to overwhelm with a united front, perhaps one of them had watched him dispatch their mate so quickly. Fortunately, other of their crew had dropped their tasks, some with swords on their belts, others with just knives. <br><br>They attacked in a rush, coming forward quick now, trying to meet the smaller night crew and overpower them quickly. It was a task that Keiran was not going to make easy, in his former rank he'd been a blade master, stripped of the name, it didn't take away any of the skills he knew, and he launched himself into the fight as viciously as he could, often holding two or three men's attention at a time. "Someone needs to get down and wake the others!" Their attackers stood between them and the stairs down, but from the numbers coming, it was obvious that the small ship he had thought must of come up against their deck, was not alone, there was another ship out there in the night, sending small boats, they would get a signal back though, and come in larger force now that the element of surprise was lost. <br><br>Stabbing another man in the gut he pushed close to him, holding the sword deep, one hand caught up onto his shoulder, to keep the mans weight from pushing him down. He was close enough to smell the mans foul breath, wrinkling his nose, and giving a shove against the mans gut he pushed him away, pulling the blade free. But not before getting a closer look at the man, nobody he knew of course, but the ink on his skin, revealed in the dim lantern light,&nbsp; that he knew and it shook him for a moment as he stepped back from the fight. They were his clan.. and he'd already killed four of them, part of him hesitated a second, which earned him a slice to his left shoulder, causing him to yelp shortly before gritting his teeth. "Bastard!" He threw himself back into the fray, forcing himself to forget these were his clan, he would deal with that later, he was part of this crew right now, and that was where his allegiance had to be...but later in the light of day, when the others found out who had attacked them...he was going to be in under suspicion, unless he proved absolutely tonight, that he was part of this crew. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>20-05-2014, 12:34:52</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				This time, she simply drifted into the itching feeling, the pulling and falling feeling that enveloped her into the dark. The dark, and the smell of the sea, and the gentle movements of the boat. Part of her was sort-of awake, sort-of aware. Aware of the ship's movement, though her mind seemed to turn it into just the movement of the sea, she was aware of the lapping of the waves against the side of the ship, but saw only rocks and reef that stood up to the water. It was familiar, safe, and even if part of the mermaid was aware she had drifted into that disturbingly unpredictable rest-period her body needed, this was far more pleasant than the visions of drowning, and so she lingered and welcomed the change.<br><br>It was the scuffling sound that woke her, pulled her sleepily back from the void of movement and comfort. As she opened her eyes, the mermaid felt confused. Keiran and another human were interacting, struggling, it looked like. What was that other human doing? They both had those sharp objects, and the one human had a hold of her human. But Keiran managed to get out of it, with a loud noise heralding its escape. It had injured the other one?<br><br>The mermaid did not know what to do, except that a strong and seething anger boiled in her stomach. Keiran was <em>her</em> human. That other human had no right to try to harm her human. But confusion and fear rooted her to the spot, curled as she was in the nets. What could she do? She could not move as Keiran did, as the other humans did: they were fast and strong in the leg, able to carry themselves and move nearly as gracefully as a fish could swim. Perhaps not as graceful as she, nor as quick as she used to be, but it <em>was</em> impressive. Especially since she knew how hard it was to make her legs work.<br><br>Suddenly, even as she watched, Keiran got the other human on the ground and drove the second sharp object it had obtained straight into the man's chest. Oh. So those operated as teeth did: to cut and to maim and draw blood and kill. Resourceful of the humans to make large teeth for themselves, since they were not gifted with large jaws or sharp enough teeth of their own.<br><br>Keiran shouted now, trying to draw more attention, and she heard the human address her, even as one of the tooth-objects landed in front of her. Quickly, she grabbed it up, understanding that there must be more of the hostile humans about for her human to trust her with one of the objects it had decided she was not to have. She saw the other humans coming over the side of the ship, they must be crawing out from the sea, but they did not feel like other sea creatures, others like herself. They were just humans. She felt herself bearing her teeth, even as she watched more of the hostile humans going after her human. Now, she had something she could help with, even if she could not stand with any sort of accuracy.<br><br>They seemed not to notice her, either because of the dark, or how low she was keeping, or both, but the mermaid wished she had not lost herself her hair. It was dark and would have concealed her better. Too late now, though, and she simply crept forward, keeping to the shadows. As she reached the downed human, she paused in thought. She was a creature that liked to hid, to blend in: her skin had been the right colors when she had been of the sea, her hair the same. Now, her skin was red but still light, still enough to be noticeable, but dark blood flowed out of the dead human, the one with the hole in its middle section. Without hesitation, she dipped her hands in the dark fluid, and spread it quickly about on her exposed arms and chest and face. Not covering all, but mottling her colors, making her darker, harder to see, camouflaged. She rolled and got some on her back too. Then, she kept to creeping after her human and watching it, making sure it was safe.<br><br>It fought well, and something in her was pleased at that: it could hold its own, as it had during the wreck she had caused. It was determined and did not give up. She found the human interesting all over again. And as it fought, defended itself, called out, she watched and observed. She had scuttled across the deck, and was now pressed to the edge of the ship, in the shadows cast by the wall and railing, where the other humans who poured over the side couldn't see her.<br><br>One crept over right above her, stepped out nearly silently and made to creep up on her human while Keiran was distracted with another. Her teeth ground together in a soundless snarl, the former mermaid lashed out with the tooth-object, drawing it swiftly along the backs of both of the human's legs, releasing a large torrent of dark blood nearly instantly. She had barely felt resistance: this tooth-object was quite impressive, and she liked it all the more.<br><br>The human she had injured cried out, probably in pain and surprise, as it toppled over. Now, its legs were as useless as hers, but she was ready and had already fallen on the other one, sinking the tooth-object into its back next, near the neck. The neck was always the weak-point in other animals. It worked here, too, and after some flailing, that human was done living and threatening her human.<br><br>Dragging the body back into the shadows with herself, the mermaid crouched behind it, holding still, using the corpse as further camouflage while she waited for another one to threaten her human. They all looked alike, except for Keiran, and so she only knew the threats by their intentions toward her human, but if another one tried to sneak up on her human, she would bring it to her level and then kill it too. Keiran was <em>hers</em>, they would not take it away from her...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>22-05-2014, 19:23:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The fighting continued for nearly an hour, the men who had been on shift holding out against the forces coming over the rails. It was the fighting, the shouts and stomping over the deck, that finally roused the crew below deck and sent more men up, until it was clear that their ship was not going to fall, and they repelled the men, killing the crew who had come over their railing, and chasing after those who retreated for the rails cutting them down in quick measure with the larger force that their side had become with the reinforcements from below. Soon it was silent again, fighting ceased, and only panting men left behind for it, some settled back to tend to their injuries, others talking with each other. <br><br>An incursion like this was not wholly unusual, opposing tribes often fought with each other, trying to strength their own and weaken their enemies. And while their fights could turn bloody as tonight's did, when they were against another enemy clan marks could be forgotten, but as soon as the foe was gone again the man who had been brother at arms beside you moments before could be your enemy all over again. Challenging a life perhaps, but it was their way, and it served them well, keeping them strong, the council never allowed the clan wars to escalate enough to hurt their people as a whole, they were not foolish enough to drop so in numbers that the landsfolk could try to take the sea from them. Something they would never allow. <br><br>Keiran rested against the rails of the ship panting in the night air with his eyes closed slightly. Already tired from the long day, the fight had taken most everything out of him, as he had kept himself intentionally at the very front of the fight, clashing tightly with men he knew to be of his own clan the whole while. He wanted the others to know where he was in the fight, to see him in it, to know he was not up to something else ill intended in the mix of things. It was the last thing he needed, for them to believe he could be a spy, sent to get on the ship and give their position away, an advance party to strike when nobody on the ship would be prepared. He had nothing to do with the incursion, and he made damn sure to prove he wasn't behind it, by throwing himself into putting a stop to it. <br><br>Lifting a hand up through his hair closing his eyes he tried to push the image of his clansmen dying on his sword out of his head. But he snapped them open as someone touched his shoulder, tension working through his muscles quickly till he found it wasn't one another attack. It was the first mate on the ship actually, who had come to stop next to him. "Ye fought well, Keiran, took care of ye end. Ye not the only one who noticed who be attacking us...Don't worry, ye have my word ye won't be taken foul for this." The man spoke easily looking over the ship. "Ye have had a long night, get yerself some sleep, find that useless woman ye pulled out of the sea though." He finally turned to walk away, seeming casual enough about it.<br><br>Keiran knew though what he'd done for him, telling him to get some rest, meant he wouldn't have to stay on deck and help toss the bodies into the ocean like others were going to have to do. It was also a huge relief to him that someone high up had at least noticed him defending the ship, enough to keep him from the traitors noose. Pushing himself away from the railing he gave a faint groan, there was a cut on his thigh that burned angrily, and another against his shoulder, he'd have to do something about them, but they were not bleeding badly, they were not a pressing matter, except for their uncomfortable bite. <br><br>Making his way back across the deck, he went to the nets where he had left her, only frowning when the spot was empty. "Nerissa." He lifted his voice, casting his eyes around the deck now. Perhaps they had got to her, he didn't see how, she was for the most part behind the line of the main fighting but he couldn't seem to find her. "Nerissa!" He lifted his voice a bit higher starting to walk, scanning the deck, looking for her. Usually it wouldn't be difficult to spot her, which was why he was more concerned, her skin was light enough, compared to most of his people, that she stuck out like an eel amid a school of fish. They could possibly have pulled her over the side, she couldn't exactly call out to any of them, with no voice. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>05-06-2014, 11:48:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Her strategy had only worked once more, before she hit a snag: she'd lost track of her human. Sometime in between the first one an the end of the second one, that had lead to copious amounts of the dark blood covering her arms, Keiran had disappeared from her sight, and she could no longer tell the humans originally on the ship from the new ones, except when they climbed onto the ship, It was pretty easy to tell, then.<br><br>But the mermaid could not predict where they would come over, so she stayed hidden, now with two corpses near her acting as camouflage, she crouched in the shadows and watched as the violent humans destroyed one another.<br><br>That is, until one of them spotted her. It had come over the edge just out of her reach, but nearly stumbled on the body of the second human she had felled on her own. In glancing down, to catch its footing, the human's eyes met hers, and while it seemed surprised and slightly taken aback by her appearance, it wasted no time lunging at her. It was all she could do to scramble away, her hand gripping the sharp tooth-thing tightly.<br><br>It seemed surprised that she scrambled away but did not stand, as she could move much faster without trying to properly work her legs, but it followed anyway. Trying to strike her while she was lower seemed to be confounding it a little, but mostly she just made sure to move across bodies, that the human seemed unwilling to step on, and that slowed it down enough that she could barely keep ahead. Until she felt something hot and painful against her calf. The human chasing after her had a sharp thing too, but longer, and it had gotten her leg. <br><br>Teeth drawn back in a snarl, she spun around, diving for its legs. The tooth buried itself in the leg, then pulled out and went in again, as the human tumbled. Attacking the legs first really seemed to work well, she wondered why the other humans did not attack that way. This one did not go down easily when she fell upon it while it was down on her level. Another hot pain in her shoulder before she managed to get the tooth-that-was-not-a-tooth into the neck, after several failed attempts had marred the human's skin. <br><br>Then, she decided hiding and surviving would be best. She could not see her human to defend it, and had barely managed to defend herself this time. There were some wooden boxes stacked near her, so the former mermaid managed to squirm her way into the gap between two of them. It was a small space, but she was thin enough to make it, and then she waited for the fighting to end, her shoulder and leg hurting more and more, before finally subsiding to a dull throb. It was some time after that that it seemed the attack was over: it had gone quiet, but the mermaid had no idea who had come out on top. So she waited. And waited. And waited some more, until she heard a familiar voice calling her name.<br><br>Squeezing back out of her space, she slowly moved on all fours towards the sound of her human until she could see it, with its back to her. Unable to return the sound, she made her way to him, then placed her hand on his leg to grab his attention, her injured leg extended behind herself, still bleeding sluggishly, though it was probably hard to tell from all the dark, caked-on liquid life smeared across her skin, soaking her 'these', and generally making a mess out of her...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>06-06-2014, 17:59:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Was just about to consider that the once mermaid was well and truly gone, either taken by one of the men who came aboard, or killed in the struggle and unable to show herself amid the other corpses on deck. Perhaps she had used the opportunity to go overboard, throwing herself back into the ocean to see if she could survive this time. It wouldn't surprise him entirely, though she had seemed smartly apprehensive about the ocean this afternoon when he was working over the side of the railing. Of course his pondering was interrupted the second he felt something touch against his leg.<br><br>Whirling around the sword he had simply been casually holding brought around quickly as he twisted. His immediate reaction being that of one of the men they'd downed not being dead enough and trying to get a chance to stab him from the ground. But what his eyes found was not a man, it was a woman, which was obvious despite the gory disguise she had concocted over herself. She was covered in blood, almost like she had been rolling in it, and once again on the ground. "There ye are." Letting the blade which he'd aimed at her drop to hang at his side again, his arm feeling weary from the fighting and adrenaline which had been pumping through him again. <br><br>"Ye almost got yerself killed grabbing at me like that woman." His voice was a bit of a growl, disgruntled at being startled by her like he had been but not truly angry. Tossing the blade aside knowing whoever was set about cleaning the deck up, likely whoever was last to respond to the fighting, would pick it up as well as clean up the corpses. Still he crouched down some, moving to catch a hand under one of her arms, intending to haul her up onto her feet. But crouching let him see that her arm wasn't merely covered in matted dried blood, but some was fresher. "Ye are injured?" His hand moved to her other arm but he felt carefully along it. With all the blood on her it was hard to tell where the wound started, and ended, since even the blood coming from it had time to dry and get sticky. Of course, it meant that he liked prodded onto where her arm was cut in his blind searching. <br><br>She'd been attacked and managed not to get herself spitted onto the end of a sword. That was somewhat surprising, he had hoped that she would be able to stay back and out of the way. He had figured she would be a hindrance and not only slow him down but get in other peoples way as well. Now it seemed that she had to have done something right, or she would be dead. Suddenly realizing the position he was in his eyes narrowed and he held one of his hands out to her palm up. "Where's me knife?" He questioned bluntly, realizing just who he was checking for injury and the fact that he had armed her at the beginning of the assault, he'd given it to her out of instinct more then anything. Now his instincts were warning him that this creature had already killed so many once.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>16-06-2014, 13:12:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Her human turned quickly, lifting the large tooth-object as though it were going to attack her, and her reaction was automatic: she cowered back submissively and hated herself for it. For showing so much weakness, for being such a weak thing as to submit herself to the human. But she had done it anyway, and it reacted quickly in stopping its motion, and she realized that it only just now knew that it was her. Perhaps it had thought she was one of the other humans, the ones that has climbed over the edge of the ship to attack? It may have even thought that she was going to attack it as she had attacked the others, by using their reliance on their legs against them?<br><br>No matter, she was safe now. It addressed her, seeming upset, but not angry. It even let go of the tooth-thing and seemed to be planning to try to lift her up. Her arm ached as it did, just the thought of the motion causing her pain, but then it seemed to notice and stopped. Asked a question she could not answer, then began prodding her arm. When her human found the wound, she jerked her arm a little, wincing and screwing up her face in pain. She did not hiss at him, though she bared her teeth a bit, only because it did not seem to be causing her harm on purpose. Perhaps it had an item that could take the pain and heal her, as that&nbsp; substance had for her aching skin. And her skin still hurt, too, but not nearly so much. Perhaps her human could do that for her new injury as well?<br><br>But now Keiran was upset, and glaring at her, hand out, it demanded that the other tooth object, the one she had been given, be returned. Her lips pulled down in a frown at that, and then her own eyes narrowed. She knew she would not be permitted to keep the object, but it was still displeasing for it to be demanded back so quickly. She recognized the gesture, if not the sounds made along with it, and knew what her human wanted. But she did not have it.<br><br>This time, she did hiss at the human, teeth bared, before half-rolling and half-flopping over so that she could drag herself back the way she had come, her injured leg, limp behind herself as she made her way painfully back to the wooden boxes she had hidden amongst. It was during the crawl that she realized her hand hurt, and was leaving behind little splotches of blood too. Vaguely, she recalled her hand slipping down the tooth thing a few times, catching and hurting some on the sharp bit as she had plunged it into that human over and over again in desperation. Similarly, her other arm hurt, in the section between elbow and wrist, and seemed to be bleeding sluggishly under the caked on blood of humans. It was not nearly so bad as her leg or shoulder, but an injury none-the-less. It made the former mermaid wonder where else she had been injured but hadn't yet noticed.<br><br>Once she reached the boxes, she wriggled into the crack she had hidden in, reaching until she managed to snag the sharp and shiny tooth from where she had left it, dropped upon the floor. Inching back out, she finally emerged, backwards, and dropped the object back to the floor in plain sight, unwilling to anger her human more by touching it more than necessary. Perhaps now it would decide to treat her injuries; she had started to notice other aches and pains and throbs that had gone unnoticed before now...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>16-06-2014, 20:53:02</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He'd noticed her pulling her lips back and starting to show her teeth at him when he poked at her arm to try to find the wound. She wasn't hissing but he knew it wasn't going to be pleasant so he actually didn't hold it against her this time. After all, anyone would be grumpy to have someone poking and prodding to find a wound. Then again not everyone would have painted themselves in gore, making it nearly impossible to find where the real wounds were over the darker murkier sticking blood to her flesh. If he thought she could answer he would have asked her what had crossed her mind, obviously it had not worked perfectly as a camouflage if she had still been wounded by someone in the battle on the deck. <br><br>When he demanded the knife back she did hiss at him and he glared right back at her until she moved drawing herself over and dragging herself across the deck. He leg must be injured, that or she might find the deck to slippery with blood to be up on her feet now because she was making no effort to get up and walk around like a normal person again. Straightening he followed her as she lead him back to the crates where she wiggled between and reached till she produced the knife he was demanding. She was getting perceptive of what he was demanding when he spoke, even if she couldn't talk back any. <br><br>"Thank ye." He reached down snatching the blade up though frowning when he did so. The handle and blade itself was soaked in blood, sticky as it had dried and he knew he would have to clean it before going to bed. Pushing the knife into his belt where it belonged he looked at her there on the ground again before sighing there was no helping what he had to do, she couldn't very well walk. "Now, ye try to bite me and I'll put ye back over the railing where ye belong." He spoke, knowing she wouldn't understand but maybe she'd catch the cautioning tone. Which he crouched this time he reached for her trying to get one arm beneath her legs and behind her knees. The other arm reached around as if to slip behind her neck to lift her up. Whether she flipped out about his hand coming anywhere near her hair, even chopped short, he was not positive, as she'd become quite sensitive about it since he'd used it to drag her. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>22-06-2014, 15:33:09</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The mermaid had been staring at her hand, once she dropped the tooth-thing, to see just how badly it was injured. There were a number of shallow-looking cuts, all intermittently oozing blood slowly. They hurt, but only when she used her hand to crawl along, or to grip anything, or moved her fingers or palm much. She did, however, look up at the human as he made sounds at her. Apparently a reaction to her producing the tooth, though the words made no sense. Well, the <em>word</em> made no sense, the other one 'ye', she knew meant her.<br><br>The tooth was put back into her human's 'these', and so she went back to inspecting herself, focusing now on her forearm. There seemed to be a shallow wound there as well. It was long, but angled so that it barely slid under the surface of her skin, and only parts of it were truly deep enough to be bleeding still. She could not recall when that one had happened, she did not remember any injured sensation on her arm during any of the encounters with hostile humans. Perhaps she had been too caught up and on edge to really notice.<br><br>Her head tilted slightly as the human spoke to her again, addressing her often, but none of the rest made sense. The tone was one of warning, and it made her glance up suspiciously, right before Keiran hunkered down and reached for her. One arm under the bending part of her legs, and the other was back where her hair had once hung. Flinching, she turned her head, feeling anxious but exhausted. If the human were going to take revenge on her for having forgotten the sharp tooth in her hiding place, she was not in any condition to stop it. So, though she stayed tense, she did not react more to his hand's position, even if her lip curled up again in a snarl.<br><br>But all her human did was lift her up as it stood, apparently ready to transport her somewhere else. Good. She could not walk, or even attempt to walk, with her injured leg, and her body felt so heavy and exhausted. It only took a moment of being held for her to relax her tense back and relax into the hold, and only took two moments after that for her to feel the pulling-falling sensation of falling asleep. Twitching, she woke back up, but could feel the pulling sensation again. And again. And again. And again. Until at one point, she did not twitch to wake herself up...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>22-06-2014, 20:56:09</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Aside from the tension in her body, which made it slightly harder to balance her just the way he needed too, she didn't put up a fight with him picking her up off of the deck. It did send and angry tinge through his arm, which had it's own cut on it, but he ignored it for now, knowing he would sit and tend to it when they got below and out of everyone's way here on the deck. Taking a breath he started over towards the stairs, knowing it was going to be a little tricky going down them, the stairways were never very wide, and he was carrying her which was either going to bump her feet, or her head against the walls unless he moved carefully. <br><br>Fortunately though when he reached them he noticed that she was already asleep in his arms. Her exhaustion wasn't surprising, since he felt almost the same as she did, just without the opportunity to lay out and sleep quite yet. Regardless it meant that he wouldn't have her struggling in his arms when he took the stairs almost sideways, to keep from thumping her into the walls and waking her up down along the way. It was awkward, and took longer and more concentration on his part, a bad thing with how tiredness was seeping into his bones and brain and making him feel dull and heavy. He made it to the bottom of the stairs without mishap though and closed through the almost abandoned crew quarters. Most of the other men and women had gone above decks to help, the last ones would certainly be spending the rest of the night there too. <br><br>Making it to where his hammock and the one he'd acquired for he hung he frowned a moment before lowering her carefully into her hammock. He'd need to work on getting her bandaged up, which was going to be difficult with the way she covered herself in gore. Moving to find some water, he came back with a bucket full of seawater, knowing he'd earn lashings using go drinking water to clean her up. The salt would sting but it would serve to help clean the wounds some anyway. Before he started on her though he washed away some the drying blood from his own wound and made a closer look at it. It didn't appear he'd need stitches but he did reach into the small chest below his hammock. He didn't have much there, what little he'd been able to buy with the gold from his piercings and medallions, but he drew out some linen and wrapped his arm. <br><br>"Wake up Nerissa, ye need bandaged." He spoke finally giving her hammock a nudge with his bare foot. The last thing he wanted to do was to start in with the saltwater to clean her wounds and have her wake up to that pain and panic. She'd obviously survived some scuffling out on the deck, she was more dangerous then she looked when she flailed about on the ground like she did. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>23-06-2014, 13:17:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Barely aware of being moved, the mermaid sank bonelessly into the hammock, her limp body swaying the netting softly, though the movement did not wake her more than just enough to notice movement, but not wonder about it. And why shouldn't she be exhausted, and sleep so suddenly? She barely had any control of this body as it was, and now she had survived some sort of battle, and gotten injured in the process, yet come out of it alive. Sure, her fighting had been brief and limited, but the adrenalin was real, as were her injuries, and her body did not seem to know how to deal with it other than force her to rest. Rest, and attempt to recover.<br><br>The movement of the netting increased suddenly, and that, coupled with the name given her by her human stirred her some. Enough, anyway, that she cracked open her eyes to peer blearily up at her human. In her mind, she bared her teeth at it, but she couldn't seem to muster up the effort to do it. So she settled for sleepily narrowing her eyes into a near-glare. But, then she noticed that something was different about her human.<br><br>There was a new sort of covering over part of Keiran. It was on the arm, where her human had been injured as she watched, and there was no blood to be seen, either. Somehow, her human had managed to remove the blood, and had covered the injury. Was it covered so that it would heal better? Was that how humans protected injuries? Perhaps her human would help her too, she could feel the throb of her heart beat in every single injury, from the multiple small cuts in her palm, to the nasty, oozing gash on her leg. They all thrummed with the beat of her heart. And each beat ached horribly.<br><br>Hopefully, and still asleep enough to be unphased by the show of weakness, the former mermaid held out her injured hand, palm up, in the hopes that Keiran would understand she had been injured there...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>23-06-2014, 20:17:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Was paying attention to her body, more then her eyes at the time of waking her, and missed the fact that she was trying to glare at him, despite being too tired to really follow through with it. Instead he was trying to sort out where the worst of the wounds was, what would need the most attention and take care of it before being worried about the smaller scrapes and cuts. That was interrupted though when she brought her hand up and offered it towards him, the palm lifted and the cuts visible despite the blood she had spread over herself. For a moment he wondered just how she had managed to get her hand cut up as much as she had before he remembered blood all over the knife. Not only on the blade, but coating and covering the hilt too. <br><br>"Ye aren't supposed to cut yourself into ribbons with it." He muttered but took her hand lowering it some so it was at a height easier to work with. "This, is gonna sting." Looking to her, he knew she didn't understand but he had to clear the mess before he could bother bandaging it at all. Reaching into the bucket he drew out the wadded cloth soaked with sea water, already tinged slightly with the blood he'd cleaned off of himself and didn't hesitate. His hand gripping her wrist and keeping it in place he pushed the rag into her palm and worked it, getting the blood up with the salty sea water as quickly and efficiently as he could, knowing she was going to be difficult as soon as it started to hurt. <br><br>"Oi, don't ye struggle Nerissa, it must be done." His voice came as his hand would tighten to a steely grip on her wrist refusing to let it go. Tossing the rag into the bucket his hand reached for a simple salve, which would dull the pain some and stop the bleeding which had risen fresh with the gooey clotted blood being washed away. Pushing the salve into her palm with his fingers he worked it over all of the cuts as deftly as he could with her wiggling, figuring if the salve could dull the ache some she would stop putting up a struggle and realize he really was still trying to help rather than harm. <br><br>All this and he knew he'd have to keep going, she needed bandaged up before he got to sleep. All of her cuts would need done, and on the morrow she would definitely need cleaned up properly, which meant more sea water, and that the wounds already hurting now would flare all over again. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>25-06-2014, 12:06:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It looked to her hand, seemed to understand the hurt and her want for it to be fixed. Not just her hand, but it might look for more injuries if it started there. That was her hope, anyway. With its understanding of her injury, Keiran spoke something, made noises almost to himself and the former mermaid thought that, perhaps, it was annoyed. It was not her fault that she had gotten injured while defending her human. She had done so much to help it, and it did not even know. Perhaps she should show the human she had helped? It probably thought she was weak and had been attacked and just hidden herself away.<br><br>She was <em>not</em> weak!<br><br>Consumed by her thoughts, she did not notice much more than her human making more noises and while moving her hand. And then her entire lower arm seemed to be consumed by pain. Immediately, she tried to pull it away, eyes wide, she did bare her teeth this time and hiss, but more, she tried to wriggle away. It hurt! Why was her human causing her pain?! She had <em>helped</em>, she had returned the tooth to it, she had allowed it to transport her as it wished, and it was hurting her!<br><br>The human held her tighter, said more to her, but she couldn't bring herself to even try to understand. She just needed the pain to stop. Everything hurt. Being a human was just full of pain. How could they stand it?<br><br>And then, the burning lessened, though the stinging feeling remained, and so did her human's grip on her wrist. It was rubbing something into her hand now, and though she tried to pull away, her tugs slowed the moment she began to feel relief.<br><br>Keiran was helping her. The help just came with pain first.<br><br>Gritting her teeth, the former mermaid looked up at her human, then, using her free hand, which had been occupied gripping the netting in reaction to the pain, she gestured reluctantly toward her injured leg. The cloth covering it had a large slashed hole in it, though the folds were sticking to her blood-dampened leg. There wasn't quite enough that it was dripping to the wood below, but it was a near thing. That one should be taken care of next, before her arm. This time, she would do her best not to struggle...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>26-06-2014, 22:22:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Knew that she was going to jerk and fight, it was why he had gripped her wrist so tightly so that she couldn't yank it away. After all, half the time people who understood pain was going to be coming flailed about. And with her he couldn't even explain to her that it was going to hurt more before he did what he had to do, to make her better. Instead he had to just grip and do it, and get it over with as quickly as he could so that she might understand what was going on. Of course, he kept an eye on her as he did so, her hissing and flashing her teeth at him was enough to make him cautious of her trying to bite him. Her teeth might have been much more dangerous seeming as a mermaid, but he had no doubt that they'd hurt just fine like this. <br><br>When he released her hand finally after the ointment was applied she seemed to have calmed down enough, realizing that it was part of the process maybe. "Aye, it does hurt a good bit. But it get's it clean...this makes it better faster." He spoke lifting the jar of ointment, he had to go sparingly on it, because he didn't have much, having taken what had been beside him when he'd woken up and snuck out of the peoples home who had healed him. His gold would more then pay for it and their services, he had not hidden his gratitude when he left the plentiful amount. <br><br>"Aye, yer leg next." He responded when she gestured at her leg where the blood was more then obvious against the torn pants. And he'd only just been able to get her those pants, she would have to deal with there being a tear in it until he could get around to sewing it together again. For now though the tear through the fabric actually helped, it meant he didn't have to strip her down. Grasping the edges of the torn fabric he pulled as tenderly as he could, the blood making it sticky to her flesh pealing the two parts way so that he could get a better look at her wound. This one was cleaner, well at least of someone else's blood, it was soaked with her own blood and sticky and it would need washed too. <br><br>"Ye better not bite me." Even as he said it he reached and took hold of her ankle holding her tight there. If she was going to jerk and fail he didn't want his teeth kicked out. Grabbing up his rag from the bucket again he looked at her evenly. "Ye ready?" He didn't wait for the answer that wouldn't come but moved to scrub and clean the wound. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>07-07-2014, 12:23:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				When her hand was finally released, the mermaid clutched it to her chest, eying the cloth that wrapped it and concealed the wound. That was interesting, but would help to protect it from harm, she figured. Clever of the humans to make such a thing. It was like a scab, but without the blood first, though receiving such protection still hurt, and she found herself wondering if the healing was worth the pain.<br><br>But it was too late now: Keiran had a hold of her leg, and she had given permission for the healing.<br><br>Her human said something, before and after it had pulled the sticking cloth painfully from her wound. And while she did not understand the meaning, the questioning tone was enough warning that she clenched her teeth together just before the whetted cloth descended upon hr wounded flesh.<br><br>It was worse, so much worse, than her hand had been. The mermaid was unable to stop her reaction: her heel of her free foot dug into the netting, her un-wrapped hand gripped it as her back arched and head tossed side to side. It hurt. It burned! The injured leg jerked again and again against the grip that held it tight, though she did everything she could to keep her other limbs from lashing out.<br><br>Harsh breaths came through her nose, her lips pulled back from her teeth as a slow of her pain. But she did not hiss, nor did she snap her teeth. Nothing to threaten, just everything in reaction to the pain. Even her face, her eyes.. the lids were shut tight, but she could feel some wetness making its way down her cheeks, and by that point her mouth was open, air panting out harsh again and again. If she were able, surely there would be loud noises emanating from her throat. But, as always, there was no sound. Nothing. Nothing but air and her trembling, suffering body pulled taut with pain.<br><br>The pain absolutely consumed her whole being, leaving the Mermaid awash in a sea of agony, having no idea how to find the shore...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>07-07-2014, 21:01:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Her reaction was essentially what he expected, except for the fact that she didn't even attempt to bite him, that was a bit of a surprise. Despite which he didn't stop when she tensed and jerked, her limbs moving and clenching her torso thrashing just a bit inside of the hammock. He knew if she kept it up too much she'd fall out but he didn't have a choice of cleaning her wounds. The using the cloth he worked the wound, as quickly, but effectively as possible, which meant instead of rushing through it he did his best to get it clean enough that it would heal right. His people knew how dangerous an open wound could become on the sea, where healers were few and far between. <br><br>While he did concentrate on his work he turned his head some to catch sight of her. She was in agony, clear enough, but even now when she was fighting to keep herself under control, her tears tinged pink from the blood on her cheeks, she did not make a noise. It was as if her voice had simply been entirely stolen from her, and her failure to speak was a separate condition to her not knowing words. Though her mouth was open as if screaming, nothing came but the steep panicked pants of someone in pain. <br><br>Finally he tossed the cloth back into the bucket, the fresh blood staining the water a deeper hue of red as it spread. That hand immediately went to the precious ointment, knowing it was expensive and hard to get, but also knowing this cut was deeper, and if she couldn't use her leg she would be used otherwise. Spreading the ointment along the wound he made sure to sooth only some actually into the split. "Ye are not going to like this, this one do need stitches." It wouldn't be enough to wrap it, he needed to close the wound before doing so, otherwise it wouldn't heal. <br><br>Pushing the jar of ointment aside with his foot, he leaned away from the hammock and her, towards his chest which he started to work through it to find the needle and some thread. "Ye are going to hurt, less then the scrubbing, the ointment may numb it some." He didn't have anything more to give her, perhaps if he could get some mead it might take an edge off, but mead wasn't strong enough really and he didn't have anything stronger, not till they made port and he could take a commission off what sold of the cargo. <br><br>Knowing that she wouldn't understand easily, when he found the needle and thread he sat up. But instead of going right to work on her leg he held out the needle. "Watch." He added, though winced wondering if she would think that was the word for the needle. Instead of her skin he grabbed some of the pant leg, and pushed the needle through a couple times, before tugging it tight stitched back together a little. He didn't want to waste too much on it, but he wanted her prepared, he would be hurting her again. "Ye see? It closes it." He tugged at the paint leg testing the stitches which held, before holding up the needle again, then pointing to the cleaned, though bleeding again, wound on her leg. "It needs closed." 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>10-07-2014, 11:56:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Keiran must have known it would hurt, and hurt so much worse because the wound was so much worse. The human held her leg, though if it noticed that she was trying her level best to hold herself as still as possible, the mermaid would never know. Time was taken, and the pain seemed to stretch on forever. All of her world had exploded in it, her entire body seemed to ache, though her leg was on fire. It burned so hot that she saw white lights behind her closed eyelids, and by the time the cleaning was over, her body went limp from the exhaustion of her over-taxed muscles.<br><br>Slowly opening her eyes, she panted hard, her mouth open, trying to get her breathing back to normal. Her throat hurt, felt raw, as though she had been grating her voice in expression of pain, even though she had no voice to grate. Apparently just the motion of trying to scream and cry out was enough to cause the damage and ache, even if no sound had been produced.<br><br>With shaking hand, the former mermaid lifted her uninjured hand to wipe at the moisture on her face, effectively smearing about the re-dampened blood. Frowning, she began to hold out her hand to show the dampeness, wondering if she was bleeding from somewhere on her face, but her human was doing something else, saying something else. Warning, again. <br><br>More pain?<br><br>But it showed her something, some tool that closed a bit of the cloth of the 'these' that had been cut open. Cut open like her leg had. The human was going to close the wound by making more punctures and pulling through with the attached fiber to make it stay?<br><br>The thought made her feel ill. Or more ill, anyway, and she could feel the blood drain away from her face in fear. Even if the substance that was spread to the wound was making it feel less painful, she had no expectation that it would make the next step any less painful.<br><br>First, she started to reach out, try to protect her leg, but.. would her human insist upon the action if it would be harmful to her? It had not for her hand, but this injury was much larger and hurt much more...<br><br>Brow furrowed, she pulled her hands back, her good one gripped the netting again in preparation while she grit her teeth and closed her eyes again, preparing for the pain she knew was coming. And this time, she would hold still better, or the small sharp thing might end up going through wrong and causing more pain. Even before the thing touched her, she was breathing hard, half holding her breath, and half panting from anticipated pain.<br><br>Being human was a painful experience no matter how she looked at it...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>14-07-2014, 18:58:02</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Could tell she didn't like the idea he was getting across to her, the way that she looked about ready to lean over and vomit up the dinner she had all over the foor was enough to tell him that. But there was little more he could do to offer her peace on the matter, the cut on her leg looked like it would be the only one that required any kind of stitching, but if she was going to be using, depending on the leg, she needed to have it stitched closed so it would heal faster. <br><br>He'd almost reached out and caught her hand when she was moving to put it between him and the wound. He didn't want her touching the wound, her hand was still dirty and covered in blood, and he'd just taken the time to clean and prepare her wound. But she seemed to stop before he needed to do so, changing her mind and grasping the netting of the hammock tightly.Followed by her seeming to prepare herself for what was coming. It was a hint surprising yes, to see her getting ready for it without putting up a fight, his intention had come through clearer then he had imagined. <br><br>"Good." He said simply turning his head back to her leg and focusing on it, it was going to hurt, but it would hurt less then the scrubbing had. After all the nerves were already flared in pain, what were little pricks to accompany it, not pleasant assuredly, but the main pain would come from the edges of the wound being pulled back together tightly. <br><br>Again he put a hand on her ankle gripping it firmly before going to work, he didn't want to shove the needle in anywhere it didn't need to be, nor tear any flesh cause she jerked. He immediately bent and started, catching the needle into her flesh on one side before the other and threading through, before another, and another. He threaded it several stitches through before giving it a tug to pull the wound closer together and the stitches tighter, his hand gripping a little firmer on her ankle when he did. <br><br>"Ye are doing well." Then again, he couldn't hear the screams she likely wanted to vent. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>23-07-2014, 13:02:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The pain was immense, though not as bad as the scrubbing had been. Still, though, the former mermaid could feel each entrance of the object, and how it pricked and stretched her flesh before emerging out the other side. Worse, was the feeling of the fiber being pulled through. It was strange and nauseating. Her eyes kept tightly closed, she grit her teeth and did her level best to hold as still as possible. Every tiny movement made her feel more and more ill, but she needed to keep that food inside, because she had no idea how long before she would be permitted to consume sustenance once more.<br><br>The object went in and out a few times, and then her human grasped her leg tighter, which she found worried her, and so she opened her eyes just in time to watch as Keiran pulled the object in hand, and the cut in her leg began squeezing shut. Mouth agape, she could feel the escape of air and the grating of her throat as her body tried to make noise to protest. Her back arched, her free leg kicked and dug into the netting, but she tried so very hard not to move her leg.<br><br>She did not succeed, and the limb, of its own accord, pulled a resistance to the grip that held it. It was weak, as she was fighting not to move, and so that plus the grip the human held meant her leg did not move, thankfully. More moisture leaked profusely out the corners of her eyes, and her head tossed from side to side once the first of the pain passed, and the object resumed poking in and out.<br><br>By now, she understood how it would go, and so the next time it was pulled again to shut her wound, she expected the pain. It did not help, and her performance repeat itself spectacularly, but it no longer came as a surprise, and her eyes did not open again. Looking made the feeling of illness worse, and she could not do that.<br><br>Keiran made more noises, directed at her, but she did not know the meaning, only that her leg was in agony, first from the cut, then the scrubbing, and now this. Plus, she could feel every beat of her heart in the limb, and in the sluggish echo of her hand.<br><br>This was like a torture, but one she did not know when would end, if ever. But then, wasn't this human form an type of torture, of punishment? She had <em>not</em> deserved such a terrible fate, no matter what her mother the Sea thought...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>24-07-2014, 20:10:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Tying the knot at the end of the last stitch he finally released his grip on her ankle, which had left even his hand sore from how tight he had to hold her leg to keep it in place so he could stitch. She had flailed almost everytime, especially when he had to thread it tight through her wound, but she hadn't attempted to bite him through any of it which seemed like a good thing to him. She could understand at least to an extent that he had been working to help her, and it kept her form attacking him. <br><br>Grabbing up the bandages he had he quickly wrapped the closed wound with it, pulling it tight but not so much as to squeeze the wound unduly, it just needed time to heal now. "Ye will not die now, the rest should be able to take care of themselves." Her others cuts were not nearly as severe as the on on her leg, and he had already taken care of cleaning and wrapping her hand. It left her with some cuts that had already begun to clot themselves closed and would be sore for several days but nothing that would threaten her life or limb between now and then. <br><br>"Sleep now, Nerissa, I am done with ye." Her wounds, where she had been, and the knife she had used, it was more then clear, perhaps she had been doing it only to defend herself, but she had fought above deck with them, in the most of her capacity to do so she had also defended the ship like he had been doing. Little did he know that her defending had been entirely of him at the cost of herself rather then simply defending her own skin and keeping herself hidden like she might have been able to do otherwise. <br><br>"In the morning, ye can get washed up." Though his eyes lingered on her bandaged leg, at the cut of her trousers, the thread he had was for wounds, it wouldn't be any good at sewing the pants up, it would be a waste of thread, she was going to just have to go with one sliced pant leg until other things could be arranged. Turning his gaze on her again for a moment he finally retreated to his own hammock swinging close to hers and sank into it with an exhausted groan, the pain of his own wounds reminding him that he should have lain down and let her die long ago instead of keeping her alive. <br><br>"Whatever mystery ye do be here for Nerissa, I might never know, ye earned ye bread tonight though." She'd also shown that she was still capable of killing, despite the fact that she now bore two human legs instead of the tail she had when in the sea. A fact that he was not about to forget as he closed his eyes depending on the fact that she would not try to kill him in his sleep. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>29-07-2014, 11:51:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Eventually, her human let go, and the mermaid realized that Keiran had stopped plunging that tiny sharp thing into her leg over and over again. Instead, when she opened her eyes, she found more of the cloth that had wrapped her hand was now being placed about her leg, and so she held it still, watching and trying to get a handle on her frantic breathing. It was a dull throb of pain, now, after the intensity of the putting-her-flesh-back-together, and she found herself grateful for it. And grateful for the mending, too.<br><br>Using fiber to re-close a wound was not something she would have ever thought of, and it was rather clever, even if it was painful. Humans were very clever in that way, always coming up with a new way to get done what they felt they needed to get done. Her arm still hurt, up near the shoulder, but it did not seem as bad, now, as her leg or her hand had been, and so it seemed Keiran agreed, because it was left alone.<br><br>It spoke to her some, and then some more, saying the identifier it had given her, mentioning 'sleep', which was a word she thought she recognized. This was the place for rest, it must mean that. She had fallen asleep earlier, and it was difficult not to again, even with the pain from being tended to fresh in her system and on her brain. Her eyes were so difficult to keep open, eve as she watched her human, who still spoke towards her, enter its own netting and make a pain-filled noise.<br><br>Struggling a little, trying to sit up, she leaned, wriggled, and shook herself until her net swung enough that she managed to tap her human on its arm, near the hand, to grab its attention. His attention: she was pretty certain it was male by this point, having seen the differences between it and herself, and some of the other humans that resembled her more. If she was still female, and that meant they were female, then Keiran and the others that looked like him must be male.<br><br>After that one, very gentle and light tap, she withdrew her hand, staring at her human a moment before gesturing to her injured hand, then her injured leg, and then towards Keiran's arm, that she saw wrapped and had seen get injured too. She gestured again to hers, then to his, hoping he understood she was comparing the two, and the attention that they were given. Then, her pride be damned, she lowered her eyes and dipped her head, though it was more a sideways gesture, as she was lying oddly in the net. She kept her head in position a moment, before looking up and tilting her head to the side, hoping that he would understand her gratitude. Even if she had been injured protecting him, he hated her, and she knew he did not have to help to heal her wounds...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>18-08-2014, 21:03:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Having sunk into the hammock he had every intention to simply go to sleep and let himself sink away into the blissful darkness of a deep sleep. Not that he imagined he would keep it long, with his wounds he would likely shift or move and wake up, or worse their shift would come above decks and someone would come pounding down to wake them when they didn't rise in time for it. Tonight though he didn't care about the last, he had done everything he could for this ship tonight, killing men whom could have taken him away and back to his own clan where life would have been easier on him. It was a choice that haunted him some, but his honor would have been wounded doing that, he was on this ship, and it was his ship to defend whether against his own or another. <br><br>Feeling the tap against his arm he frowned but turned his head and opened his eyes towards Nerissa, surprised that she had not fallen asleep immediately, or rather passed out from the wounds she had suffered. Instead she was trying to tell him something, that much he could tell with her pointing at herself and at her arm and leg. Then his own arm before back to her again. At first he was mystified to what she wanted frowning as his lips began to part to berate her for being a crazy mute fish once again and tell her to go to sleep. But before he could complete the action she continued lowering her eyes and dipping her head to him clearly. <br><br>That struck the bell in his head to what she was trying to communicate and he closed his lips for a moment, watching as she lifted her head again before tilting it questioningly. "Aye, ye better be thankful woman, could have, and shoulda left ye to bleed to death." He spoke, though his tone was grudging it wasn't angry, in fact it was lighter. "Ye need to sleep Nerissa, while ye can." And though he brushed it off as much as he had when he settled again more comfortably in his hammock crossing his arms against his chest he did so visibly less tense then he had been moments before. <br><br>Maybe she wasn't a stupid mute fish, she at least seemed to know how to be grateful for something that was done for her. Perhaps she would realize that bringing her up onto the ship, and everything he did now was something to be grateful for, instead of trying to hiss and bite at him in the future. He doubted that, but it was a pleasant thought to mull over as he let himself drift off into a sleep, needing the rest as much as he kept telling her that she did. <hr><br>Despite his suspicions that he would be woken by his wounds he had not been, and when he did wake, slowly pealing his eyes open he knew almost instinctively that it was far past their shift, there was sun touching the portholes. And yet nobody had come storming down to wake them up, part of him wanted to think it was a good sign, another part of him rooted firmly in reality knew that it could be as bad as it was good. His clan had attacked the ship the during the night, and even though he had defended it, the ship had lost men to his clan, it would make many want blood, his to be specific. <br><br>Swinging his feet out of the hammock and onto the decking he couldn't help the groan that rose in his chest. His limbs felt heavy and ached from fighting hard in the knight, and his arm felt stiff and angry at the movement pulling at his wound. His mouth felt dry, and his head pounded telling him he needed to get something to drink, get something to hydrate himself before he suffered more of the sea then he ever wished too. "Nerissa, get up." He muttered, not bothering looking up to her yet, a hand holding his aching head. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>19-08-2014, 11:28:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It seemed as though Keiran understood, at least somewhat, that she was grateful for his help. Even if the help had been painful, he did not have to have given it, and she knew it. Furthermore, she was pretty certain that he used his own materials to do so, and that was a kindness she had not really attributed to humans before. All they ever did was take: take of the sea, take of the land, take of the animals of either. But this was also the human that had risked its life, again and again, to try to save others of its kind.<br><br>Keiran was a good human. Interesting. Perhaps the only one that was that way, and now, after this, the mermaid was having trouble mustering up the desire to return him to her mother. This human, perhaps this one did not deserve it. Perhaps this one <em>could</em> be different. Perhaps she could somehow convince the sea to forgive her, and forgive this human his tresspasses.<br><br>Those thoughts occupying her mind, the former mermaid yawned largely, shifting around in her net as she slowly drifted into sleep...<br><br>____ ___ __ _<br><br>At some point, she woke again, many of the humans were gone still, or gone again, but Keiran remained, and so so did she, even though her tongue felt dry and her entire body throbbed. Lying still really did seem like the best option, anyway. Her Keiran would wake her and make her move when it was time. The mermaid was getting pretty certain that he was looking out for her, even if he hated her.<br><br>So, when his words brought her back out of her sleep, she blinked her eyes open slowly, then wriggled to sit up in the net. Cautiously, she tried swinging her legs over the side, in order to stand on her own. Her feet were nearly touching the floor when the net flipped, and she tumbled from it, falling onto her side.<br><br>Hissing angrily, the mermaid scrambled to push herself up, then used the nearest support beam to get on her feet all on her own, glaring down at her legs, one injured, and one just mostly useless. Stupid things. The humans could walk so easily on them, and she still could not. Even now, her uninjured limb was supporting most of her weight, while the one that had been closed with the fiber and cleaned by Keiran held almost none of it. She had that foot up on the toes, her knee bent, trying to keep the weight off of it as much as possible...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>24-08-2014, 18:11:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Keiran hadn't ben paying attention for the moment, to concerned with the distinct throb of his head and his thoughts, a pair that were not about to be just pushed aside in a second. So when she managed to sit up on her own it went unnoticed, what couldn't be ignored though was when she tried to stand up, or rather the net tossed her own, and she ended up splayed on the ground yet again hissing away. That snapped him out of his thoughts and to focus on her even as she moved grabbing onto a beam and dragging herself up off the ground. It was good that she had figured out she didn't need to crawl around on the decking, that she needed to be upright on her legs.<br><br>"Ye need to be careful, or ye will tear ye stitches." He murmured trying to push away the distinct sound of his heartbeat in his aching head. Standing from his own hammock he stepped closer to her at the beam and fell to one knee in front of her. Reaching for the loose ends of her trouser leg, holding them back behind the leg so it was exposed and he could see where he had bandaged over. "I need to see it." He spoke glancing up at her before reaching to the tie that he had made with the bandage, loosening it carefully before slowly starting to unwind the bandage. <br><br>Beneath the wound hadn't broken open again with her falling out of the hammock, which was a blessing in itself. And while it was glaringly red and angrily swollen, it didn't look as if it were infected thus far, which would be the highest risk for either of them. "Ye need to take this leg easy..be soft." Lifting his hand he laid it against the side of her leg his thumb nearest the closed gash. "Do ye understand?" Squeezing a little he pulled at the wound, a stretching motion but just a hint, to show her that stretching it would hurt, trying to make her understand when his words couldn't do it he knew. He did quickly stop squeezing of course removing his hand so she didn't think he was intentionally trying to hurt her. <br><br>Hearing footsteps on the decking he turned partially not even straightened up onto his feet yet catching sight of one of the crewmen coming down the stairs. "Ye have duty Keiran, it's the crows nest for ye two." It was calm, and blunt, but there was a dark look in the mans eye turned towards Keiran. Perhaps because of the attack, or perhaps because he'd been given an easier duty for the day, remaining high in the crows nest was largely a job of staying awake and keeping an eye out. Reaching it though, with his injured arm, and Nerissa, who could barely walk yet and had as many injuries, was going to be hell. <br><br>"Aye, Erich, be right there." He answered with a sigh as he pushed himself up to his feet turning back to Nerissa. "Ye will need to lean on me, like before,&nbsp; so ye don't stress yer leg." Turning some he reached for her hand trying to guide it up around his shoulders so she could rest her weight on him. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>03-10-2014, 06:40:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Her human was not paying her any attention, that is, until she had fallen. Now it.. he was looking at her, making noises at her, but very softly. Honestly, Keiran did not look as though he felt well at all, perhaps something was wrong. What would she do if her human died, especially after she had lost everything to help him? And the other humans seemed to like her even less than he did, and he hated her. What would happen?<br><br>Well, they would probably dispose of her, actually. They did not seem to care for Keiran either, which was strange, since he was the same sort of thing that they were. Humans were strangely perplexing.<br><br>The swift fall to being lower in front of her had the former mermaid tilting her head, her lips pulling back from her teeth in displeasure brought on by concern. And, frankly, being concerned for a human was a displeasure in itself. Yet, Keiran had helped her, and she was sort of fond of him, much as she did not want to be. Curiously, she watched as the human pulled open the hole in the 'these' to look at the work it had done the night previous. What was it doing? Her leg ached, but it did not hurt much more after the fall than before it. Perhaps it needed to make certain the work had held?<br><br>And then it pulled at her skin, and that <em>hurt</em>. Angrily, she hissed, pulling her leg in an attempt to yank it from Keiran's hand. When it was done harming her, or nearly so, apparently showing her that her injury was still delicate, which she had already understood from the ache, another human arrived. It seemed not to like her or Keiran much more than any of the others. In fact, it looked angrily at her human, making her hiss protectively in response. But the other one left, and she was left with her human again.<br><br>Keiran took her hand, and she let him, then understood that her human intended to help her to move to wherever they needed to be, so she allowed it, moving her arm securely about his shoulders. Her good leg still supporting most of her weight, but her first step was a quick skip on her injured leg so that she could swing her good leg forward. Even doing so, she needed to lean heavily on her human to do it, but she felt more secure even than she was not all that skilled in walking in the first place...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>04-10-2014, 01:26:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				When she figured out that she needed to lean her weight against him, and use the good foot it made it much easier. Since he didn't have to drag her entirely she did seem to be trying to help in the process of walking it meant that he could merely aide some support and help her along rather then needing to entirely carry her along. Closing his eyes for the moment as they walked to the stairs, he knew the way even if it were dark as pitch he didn't need his eyes to tell him where to go, he breathed still trying to clear the pounding that had yet to cease in his head. He knew that it was likely cause he needed to eat, loosing blood last night and fighting with the long shift all meant that he had been stressing his body, yet he knew too that Nerissa would be in the same shape if she pushed herself too much, they had to both be careful. <br><br>Reaching the stairs he let his eyes open again and frowned a moment. "Ye will need to walk in front of me, so ye won't fall back." Except onto him if she did take a tumble. This time though he would be prepared for her falling and try to brace himself and not end up going down a flight of stairs like before. "Ye move up first." He repeated before ducking from under her arm again and moving around behind her. This time though he&nbsp; put a hand against her side to help support her on her feet, and then one against the wall inside the stairwall. Closing things off behind her so she could move forward and have some support from behind. <br><br>As if in a second through he reached to take her hand and bring it up against the wall to support herself, so that she could keep the weight off her injured leg still. "Use just yer good leg as much as ye can." It was not going to be pleasant, or quick, but in reality the climb up the stairs was going to be the easiest part of the day, though his mind had already gone to the trouble that was going to come with climbing the rigging up to the crow's nest. Which preoccupied him through the agonizingly slow trip up the stairs, one at a time having her ease her good leg up followed by her bad, and repeating. <br><br>When they reached the top he was sure that she was not going to be able to get up the rigging so he had already made a decision. "Ye will have to hold onto my neck and let me carry ye." He knew it would likely hurt her arm, but it was better than using her leg. He held up his hand to stop her in place for a moment before reaching for one of her hands again this time he turned through drawing her arm up and over his shoulder some, crouching a little so he was not trying to yank her arm up. Lifting his other hand he waved it slightly holding it open, hoping she grasped the meaning to put her arm into his hand so he could draw her arms around him and then straighten lifting her onto his back. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>20-10-2014, 09:46:59</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She could feel her stomach aching again, in the way that it did when it needed sustenance. But it did not seem as though Keiran was taking her to the food place. The food place was down, not up, and yet Keiran had her in front of him, so she was getting help to stay up from him, but the one time she stumbled and wobbled a bit, he was able to keep her from falling backwards. Keiran seemed to have figured out the best way to help her to move without leaving room for her to stumble upon him and cause him to make loud noises at her again.<br><br>Eventually, they made it up, with her using the wall to help herself up, and her leg didn't hurt too bad, she had to support herself with her hand on the wall as Keiran showed her.<br><br>Then, he helped her over to the tall thing in the middle of the wooden surface of the ship. There were some nets hanging down, and she had seen humans go up them before. Were they supposed to go up there? Why? She wasn't too sure that she wanted to be up that high, to be honest. But Keiran was insisting on it, and she would much rather take her chances with him than with the other humans, most of which she did not care for at all. Honestly, the former mermaid did not care for any humans, but Keiran at least was trying to help her, she was fairly sure, even though he hated her. So she could probably deal with wherever Keiran wanted them to go.<br><br>Though how she was going to get up with her leg not working... well, she could haul herself up using her arms. Her arms were very strong, though her hand could not really grip anything, not with the injury to it and not with the wrapping that kept it safe. But then, Keiran wrapped her arm up over his shoulder, and then held his hand open. Confusingly, she placed her arm into his hand, though understood shortly that he wanted her to hang on to him. So he was going to carry her up with him? Was he strong enough?<br><br>Keiran had carried her, she recalled that. So he must be strong enough to make it. The mermaid allowed for her human to arrange her how she liked, being careful not to fight him, but the moment he had her how he wanted, she gripped him tightly. The last thing she wanted was to fall from such a height. Really and truly, just the thought of being that high was making her feel strangely frightened, though she desperately did not want to feel such a weak emotion...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>03-11-2014, 19:22:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				With her being at least slightly cooperative it made it much easier to get her arms arranged up over his shoulders and around his neck, lowered just enough so that when she gripped tighter she didn't slip up to his throat and choke him. Of course, he had to crouch just slightly to allow her to get into place, her coming in shorter than him, it would have taken her jumping to get herself settled onto him how she needed to be otherwise. Regardless once she was in place secured with her arms he stood up, pulling her off her feet and taking her weight onto his back. He was tired, and injured also, but she was still slight enough that the added weight was not enough to bother him, he'd hauled nets and cargo that weighed more than she did for years, and even weary she was no trouble truly.<br><br>&nbsp;What actually worried him, was whether she would be able to keep her grip on him, and manage to stay on his back for the climb. "Ye need to hold firm, Nerissa." He put his hand on her forearm and squeezed it against him pushing her hold a little tighter before releasing it again. Reaching back behind him though he caught her legs, carefully knowing the one was worse for wear, and guided her legs around him, wrapping them to hook her calves forward around his waist, against pressing on them some there to encourage her to keep them clenched. He knew her hold with one leg would be weak due to it being injured but it would have to do. <br><br>Finally feeling she was secure enough, even if he was getting looks from some of the crew, he advanced on the netting, trying not to jostle around too much he reached up catching a handhold and hauled himself up, immediately slipping his feet into loops and continued starting to climb. It was awkward with someone clinging to his back, it hampered his arms, and set off his balance improperly forcing him to concentrate harder on the task at hand. With the ship swaying in the sea, and the wind starting to buffet them as they rose he kept his holds tight when he took them, not pausing in his pace though as he sought higher. <br><br>He could feel her clinging tightly to him, her grip with her arms was much stronger then that of her legs, which more kept her legs from flailing about and getting in his way which served its own purpose enough he supposed. Her breath was against the back of his neck, and the press of her breasts obvious as they crushed against his bare back. How human and small she seemed then, clinging to him in the midst of this. Despite their shared animosity, she was trusting him, when he could easily tear her from him and drop her to the deck, and her death at the height they'd attained so far. "Ye will need to learn this if ye expect to be aship." His breath was coming a little heavier, whilst it normally would be nothing to climb the rigging he hadn't fully been ready for the extra toll keeping his balance would be when so set off strangely.<br><br>Catching the handhold on the edge of the crows nest he pulled them up from the last of the rigging and to the side of it. Unfortunately he had to come higher and swing his leg over rather then flipping over the edge and into the bucket, because of her on his back. His foot finding wood though reassured him and he swung himself into it standing straight but keeping a hand on the edge of the nest. Here, unlike the deck, even he felt the sway of the ship some, as it increased dramatically to the almost steady seeming deck below under his feet at least. <br><br>The nest was not large, perhaps two or three times the size of a good barrel in width, plenty of room to sink down and sit, and low enough for the most part that a tall person sitting could still get a look out over the edge and keep an eye on the sea. In a crate settled into the nest was a couple waterskins, and a pack of hard tack crackers. He knew there might too be cheese in it if they picked through the crate some, but the men generally kept rations up in the nest. Honestly he should have filled skins to bring up as well, but had let it slip his mind when he had to figure carrying her up. <br><br>Patting her calf he crouched a bit, encouraging her to get off of him now that they were up at the nest, part of him already beginning to worry the implications of getting back down..
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>25-11-2014, 07:37:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Even once lifted, Keiran did more than just have her dangle as he hauled them up the netting. He had her wrap her legs about him to grip as well. Her injured leg just sort of tucked against him, but she did manage to grip with her other leg fairly well. Then her human said something to her, using that identifier he had given her, and patted her arm. He must wish for her to grip him tightly; there was no need for concern there, as there was absolutely no way she would allow herself to fall to her death. The prospect frightened her far too much, honestly.<br><br>And then, Keiran began to climb, slowly, and it was more difficult than she had anticipated to hang on to him securely during the climb, but Keiran was strong, and seemed to do well. Was it odd, that she would be somewhat proud of her human for being so sturdy as to make it with the weight of another pulling him down? It was terribly foolish of her to trust him not to fall, but Keiran seemed to look after her, for a reason she still could not fathom as it was clear he did not appreciate her mercy, nor feel indebted to her, though he rightfully should. She had lost everything for giving him his life.<br><br>Not that he knew that.<br><br>Still, it was difficult to dislike and blame him when he was keeping her safe, had tended to her injuries, and now carried her safely to where they were supposed to go. Though, why they needed to gain such altitude was absolutely beyond her.<br><br>Eventually, they made it into the container at the top of the long wood spire, Keiran patted her leg and crouched, so the former mermaid understood that she was to get back down. So, slowly, she extended her legs, her good one first, so that she could support herself, then, and only then, did she let go with her arms. She could feel the ship moving much more now than before, and immediately grasped the edge of the container they were in and lowered herself to the ground, so that she was sitting and using the wall of the container against her back, then, she looked up at Keiran, wondering what they were doing up here.<br><br>Part of her wanted to look out over the edge, but every time she thought of it, her heart beat faster, her breathing quickened, and she felt ill. This was not good, she did not like being up so high at all...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>06-12-2014, 19:38:30</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Tucked into the crow's nest at the very top of the mast, felt like being on top of the whole world. Out on the open sea like they were, there was nothing higher than them then the clouds above them. This far out there usually was not even birds because they were too far from lands and their nests, so the skies were entirely clear except for the clouds that dotted through the blue sky giving depths to the distance that they were looking at. He did not sink down like she did the second she did when they got into the crows nest, instead remaining standing, though he did grip the edge of the crows nest it was so he would be steady when he leaned against it looking out into the distance. For miles and miles there was not a thing to see except for the open sea in any direction. Having someone in the crows nest could be considered a formality at times when they were deep in the sea, they were truly there to watch for other ships.<br><br>As he looked across the horizon he saw nothing of concern at the moment, the ship that had attacked them must have been a small vessel capable of moving quickly close, and then away again, with the aide of the wind. Otherwise someone in the crow's nest might have spotted them closing in on them during the day. "This do be an easy task Nerissa, ye ought to be able to rest." Why he cared for a moment if she got her rest or not he didn't know, thus far for the most part she was more trouble than she was worth... And yet, it had been clear she had defended herself, and even more so she had managed to defend him as well. <br><br>She must of figured out that to survive she did need him, something that meant she might just make it a little while longer on this ship. But that also meant he had to deal with her longer as well, which he had mixed feelings about. "Here, ye can eat." Crouching a moment to dig through the crate he pulled out the crackers, taking one for himself and taking a bite of it before extending it towards her, showing her it was another of the things that she could eat. <br><br>What they really needed was to figure out a way for her to actually communicate with him. If they could talk, then they could do so much more, so much more easily. And yet her lack of a voice was a present issue that they would continue to have to face he knew. "Ye seemed fine enough with a voice when ye were using it to trick us to our deaths.." He muttered faintly shaking his head, finally settling down in the crows nest, with his back against the side of the nest. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>03-02-2015, 05:38:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Her human remained standing, looking out and reveling in the height that frightened her so. Humans did not have wings, they were not the sort of creature that was made for being up high, just as she was not the sort that had been made for being so far in the air. And yet, somehow, Keiran seemed comfortable, though the container they were in swayed a bit, and made her head spin just thinking about what the view over the edge would be like. How could he do that without feeling ill and like he was about to fall?<br><br>Just watching him look over the edge made her feel like her stomach were a storm-tossed sea. <br><br>As Keiran spoke to her, again, using that word that meant herself, she regarded him curiously. He seemed, more and more, to speak to her, to make sounds at her just to make them, as often she could puzzle no meaning out of them. And she had noticed that the other humans did not really seem to treat him as they treated each other, or even as he treated her. Was he apart from them, in the same way she was apart from them and from him?<br><br>After a moment, her human handed her some food-stuffs, hard and crispy pieces of... something. But she knew the word 'eat' that was used, that sound was one he had used when they had been down below and eating, and he took a bite before he handed it to her. Her empty stomach, though storm-tossed, seemed to like the idea of something to fill it, so she took a bite too. It was flaky and crunchy, and made her mouth feel dry. But it was good to eat, and so she took another bite, holding the object with both hands. It pleased her that Keiran would care for her. Perhaps, in looking out for her, he was showing his gratitude in his own strange, human way?<br><br>Except that he despised her.<br><br>Yet he did still make more sounds at her, and the other humans seemed to dislike him. Perhaps it was just how humans were? Pretending to dislike one another, but really not? Or... but he had been fairly unabrasive when he had been trying to save the humans from his ship, the one she had sank. <br><br>Keiran confused her, but she needed him. Without him, she was certain she would not have survived as well as she had, or at all. The other humans had less use for her than he did, and she could not care for herself with her body stuck like this.<br><br>It took her no time to finish the food she had been given, and so she bumped her hand against her human's arm, then turned her wrist, opening her hand to ask for another...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>12-02-2015, 19:09:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				When she reached out and bumped her hand against him before turning it up he got the message easily even without her being able to speak at all. Picking up another of the dry crackers he placed in into her hand before rubbing his eyes slightly with the back of his hand. He was still tired, but he knew that he needed to stay awake, the last thing that he wanted was for any of them below to find out he had been sleeping during his shift in the crows nest. That would certainly spell being tossed overboard for him, because despite it being a easier duty, it was important, and slacking off in anyway was unaccepted, let alone on watch for other ships. Especially considering the night that they had had with being boarded already, if they hadn't raised alarm, or been killed by the others boarding the ship, they'd of been killed the morning after. <br><br>Letting his hand drop to rest against his knee he turned his attention more towards her there in the crows nest, settled as close up against the side of it as she could get he eyed her silently. It was still clear she had been in the wrong way of the sea even now, the burns on her skin were still red, but just seemed to start to be peeling some, healing and shedding the damaged skin as it did so. But that was just another hurt on her, coming with the wounds she had taken doing what she could to keep herself, and possibly him alive the night before. The last was something he believed he understood a little better, even she must be able to recognize the situation she was in, she knew her fortune was tied to his own at this point, being the only person on the ship willing to take care of her. <br><br>"What happened to ye?" He mused aloud despite the fact that he full well knew she wouldn't be able to answer him. Whatever had happened, her voice was gone, and perhaps he was relieved for that fact, if she still could use her voice she might still be able to sing. And if she could still sing, she could do what she had done to his ship and crew all over again. He remembered her song, and how it had haunted and captured, it was not something easy to forget in the least. Leaning forward he reached out to touch her ankle letting his fingers drift up her calf slightly.<br><br>"Ye legs...why do ye have them?" Frowning just a hint he put his hands together and kind of flaped them, trying to imitate a fish tail some, before again reaching to touch her ankle lightly. Trying to get across what he was asking her about, though how she would reply he didn't know, perhaps she would just stare at him like he was stupid all over again.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>19-02-2015, 07:23:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Feeling pleased, the mermaid took the food offered by her human, slowly working her way through it as well, though her stomach still felt partially empty. More that she wanted, but Keiran always gave her certain amounts, so perhaps she was not to have more? But her stomach ached with the need, even as she slowed her eating in an attempt to make the food given to her last. She could ask for more and see what happened, though. That was a possibility.<br><br>Keiran appeared to be tired, why did he not just sleep? His body needed it, even she could see that and she had very little experience with live humans. Simply put, he looked how she felt when she was tired: sort of droopy like sad land-plants and like his eyes wanted to close. He rubbed them like they were itchy, which was how her eyes felt when she needed rest.<br><br>Itching at herself, the former mermaid noticed that her angry-colored skin was flaking, it still hurt, though, and did not seem to like the sun beating on it and warming it. But, that was nothing compared to the throbbing ache in her leg and her hand and the various other shallow cuts she had received the night before.<br><br>Her human asked her a question, she had begun to understand that tone, and so she tilted her head at him to express her confusion and frustration that he still did not seem to understand that she could not understand those noises he made. But then he touched her leg, and she turned her eyes to regard his hand as it traveled up her leg. Luckily, it was not the one that was injured, but still, her skin shivered under his touch. He asked again, or asked something else, moving his hands together then touched her leg.<br><br>Suddenly, she understood, and a cold, impotent sort of rage settled in her stomach. He asked after her tail, where it had gone. Her teeth clenched together a moment, her eyes widened after narrowing as her anger flashed, then settled into the despair she had felt as her situation seemed to be more and more permanent. Jaw relaxing, the former mermaid motioned towards Keiran, her hand moving to turn mid-gesture, palm up in his direction. Different from her similar asking-motion. To explain further, she pointed at him. How could she explain?<br><br>Frustration boiled again: if she had her voice, she could sing to him understanding through images and feelings. Now, she could not do any of that. Thinking a moment, she searched for a way to illustrate her meaning. Perhaps, if he knew, he... well, he could not do anything, really. But having him know would be...interesting. Nice, even.<br><br>Extending one arm so that it was flat, like the ocean, she pointed at Keiran again, then, with the same finger, had it sink below the horizon of her arm that represented the water. Then, gesturing to herself, she made a scooping motion with her hand, where she had previously mimed him going under the surface. Then, she paused again, her eyes narrowing a bit, before deciding that that was all she could do to explain, as the timeline and his return to the ocean was too complicated to impart with gestures alone. So, she waved her hand toward her legs, which were pressed together, and as she gestured, she slid them apart, to signify her tail splitting into legs. Then, just to make sure he understood, she gestured at him again.<br><br>It was <em>his</em> fault she was like this, because she had been kind- and foolish- enough to save him... 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>22-02-2015, 19:59:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Could tell that she was having trouble understanding him again, from the words, but she seemed to understand the way that he was miming what he wanted to know, because even as he finished miming he could see the change in her expression. Tension flooded through her, and what was clearly not far from blatant rage seemed to cross her features as he watched her clench tight where she was. For a moment he wondered if she was getting ready to try to lunge and bite at him, or start her hissing bit again. It was not something he wanted, merely because of the close quarters of the crow's nest. Getting her to stop might end up in something of a wrestling match in one of the most perilous places on the ship. Last thing either of them needed was to accidentally pitch over the side of the nest, which would surely mean either of their deaths. <br><br>And yet, what was anger seemed to fade, or rather change as he watched the tension that had been there melt away some. Trying to analyze just what was going on in her head was impossible, but how she looked helped aid him a little bit, she may not understand his words, but she could communicate through her emotions some, as long as he was focused enough on her to notice their changes. When she gestured to him with, turning her hand up towards him again he frowned, wondering if she wanted him to give her another cracker again. It was something he could do, but he wanted an answer to his question first, or at least for her to attempt something of an answer before pushing it off. "No, what happened to ye tail, woman." He insisted again, though his tone was a hint more annoyed this time, somewhat frustrated with the inability to get her to understand him. <br><br>Rather than giving up though she seemed to be attempting his same trick, using gestures to communicate back to him. When she lifted her arm and then pointed at him, dropping her hand beneath the arm he frowned for a moment. Before she gestured to herself and scooped through the same area, that helped clarify the first and he nodded. "Yes, ye brought me out of the water..." He didn't know why though, after what she had done, he had no idea why she had tried to save him, after all, he'd watched her mercilessly kill his other crew mates, in fact she was the reason his sister too, was dead, when the ship had crashed. It was not memories that made him favor her more, the feel of the ocean tugging on him as he tried to save as many of his crew as he could, to find out she was only drawing them back down and to their deaths whilst he hunted for another to save. <br><br>Finally though, she finished with the gesture and example of her legs, and pointed to him again specifically, firmly even it seemed. It made him pause for a moment before his frowned deepened. "Ye lost yer tail because of saving me?" He questioned with a frown that only grew deeper. He didn't care to thank her for saving his life, after all, death was as welcome as it could have been having watched all of those he knew close die at her hands. And yet now he learned that whilst she saved him for some unknown reason, because of it she lost her tail, and now had to suffer in the form that she was. Something he knew was suffering for her, clearly, as there was no pleasure to be had being as helpless as she was. "Ye sure it was not because ye killed me crew." He muttered, but he had seen the wreckage, and the bones, his crew was not the first to whom had died on her rocks. <br><br>With that same frown he settled back against the wall of the crows nest again, a troubled expression on his face. In one hand, the fact that somehow she had been punished for what she had done was satisfying, only her punishment was not for what he deemed it should have been. That was what made things awkward, she had saved him and it had earned her this suffering, why it had done so he didn't know, or how. But it caused mixed feelings, perhaps even a hint of guilt, knowing that his life was what made her this way. "I already repaid ye me debt to ye, i pulled ye from the ocean the very same." It was more talking to himself, since she wouldn't be able to understand, but even then it seemed somewhat weak. Somehow, saving him had ruined her. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>07-04-2015, 02:02:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It took her human quite a while to understand her explanation. First, it only got angry at her, demanding of something from her with an angry lit to his tone. Keiran was a difficult creature to communicate with. If only she still had her voice..<br><br>That was a foolish thing to hope for any longer, though. And, after a bit, when she used gestures to display her answer, he seemed to understand, though he seemed confused. Perhaps unsure if she portrayed the truth. Surely it remembered what she had done, then, and what he had been unable to save. That was reminding him of what she was, and what she had taken. Keiran already disliked her, but now she had reminded him of what she had taken from him, yet again. Possibly the worst she could have done. But, then again, she had saved him, he knew that now, and knew what she had given up for him as well.<br><br>She had lost so much, all to save him and him alone. That should count for something, should it not?<br><br>Perhaps it did not. Humans were strange, and did not understand the proper give and take. She had given life, and had hers revoked: while Keiran had pulled her from the water, he did not dissolve his anger for her. She could see it in how he regarded her. And if he hated her, as he seemed to, why did he save her? Why did he care for her? The other humans liked her even less, but also seemed to like him less. Why would he stay with humans who liked him less, who seemed to treat him poorly. At least she was mostly left alone by them, but he was forever being snapped at aggressively and watched closely. It made her feel protective. Keiran was <em>her</em> human, she had saved him, he was&nbsp; <em>hers</em>: Those other humans angered her in their treatment of him.<br><br>Keiran asked her more questions, made more sounds at her, none of which she understood. Glaring at him in frustration, she bared her teeth and snapped them once in an expression of that, then sighed and leaned back against the wall of the container they were in, tilting her head to look up at the sky. Existing in this shape was a miserable existence, and her leg ached painfully now that nothing was distracting her. Hand too, actually. <br><br>At least her human was kind to her, in his own human way. And in repayment, she decided she would try to be kinder in return, when she was not frustrated by lack of ability to communicate, and she would protect him if she could. Well, unless she was given the opportunity to give him back to the sea, anyway. But as she was now, there was no way to accomplish that.<br><br>Besides, her mother the sea was far too vindictive for her to know, for sure, if returning Keiran to her depths would garner her forgiveness and a return to her former shape. And, there was part of her than was angry with the sea, too, because she had not deserved such a punishment. She had done her job for centuries, and he was but one human. Just one out of so very many... her punishment did not fit. It was not fair. Did she wish to give in? Part of her did not want to.<br><br>Sighing again, she returned her gaze to her human, then held out her hand for another bit of the crunchy food. For now... for now she would exist as human. What was it that they were up here for anyway? Thinking a moment, she bumped her hand against her human's arm to get his attention, then she gestured to him and then to herself, and then around at the container they were perched in. It was something they had not done before, and she had thought that she would be cleaning the ship again, like before...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>17-04-2015, 18:57:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Of course the answers to his question would be lost in the void of what was her voice and understanding, he knew that she wouldn't get it and didn't expect proper answers for anything he had asked. Though he frowned when she bared her teeth snapping them at him again, it was something she came to do, between that and hissing at him. It was a easy way for her to communicate her displeasure it seemed and he returned her snapping teeth with a glare but passively leaned back against the wood of the crow's nest, tall enough that his head still stuck up over the edge and gave him a view of the surrounding seas stretching out further than the eye could even see. <br><br>He belonged on the ocean, this was his life it always had been, despite the fact that he was with a crew he did not care for, and the blood of some of his clansmen was on his hands now, being out on the sea felt right still. Having been on ships since the day he was born, literally born on the deck of a ship, it was considered bad luck for his people to give birth on dry land, even so much as a rowboat in a creek was better than having your child on land. Living like this was what he was meant to do, though he had never thought that he would have to resume his life from how low a position he had been settled into with the destruction of his sisters ship. he'd worked hard to reach where he had, and now... Now if he could get on with one of his own clans ships, they may restore his rank quicker knowing he had already earned it once, chances were slim, but possible. <br><br>He was jarred out of this thoughts when she bumped her hand against him again and made him turn his focus onto her again. It was clear she wanted another crack, and he reached to grab one for her, before she started to gesture to them, and then the crows nest itself. Asking another question that he didn't know how to answer. "Ye wont understand anything anyway woman." He muttered but paused for a moment before pointing, then gesturing out around them, and then finally bringing his hand back to point to his eyes, then out again. Finally he brought his hand down to point at her leg where she was cut. Trying to communicate that he was keeping an eye on the seas for others, whom usually would not attack in the day, but it was the duty they had been given. "Ye must keep an eye on the sea, she is full of tricks and death." Oh how well he knew the truth of that. <br><br>Lifting the cracker though he waved it a bit. "Cracker." He repeated, slowly again before holding it out to her. The more words she recognized, meant he could at least talk at her and she understand some things, rather than hissing and having a fit at him. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>11-05-2015, 08:05:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Her human did not like it when she showed him her teeth, or snapped them at him. Even if she was only doing it to show she was annoyed that he would make noises at her when he clearly knew that she would not understand. Could not understand. He wanted to ask her questions, and seemed to get frustrated when she could not answer. So what was she supposed to do, not react at all?<br><br>No, she was the sort of creature that reacted to everything. She had to, otherwise things grew too still. It was not wrong, or threatening, to show her displeasure. That her human was displeased by her displeasure was not her fault. But besides the look he gave her, he did nothing but lean back as she did. He seemed to watch the horizon, or the ocean, or just look out, and perhaps thought. Humans had thoughts, didn't they? As she did? Must have, to act as they did. So, perhaps Keiran thought as he stared at the nothing that expanded outward.<br><br>Well, the ocean was not <em>nothing</em>, but there was nothing to see except for the ocean. <br><br>As she asked, in the only way she could, what they were doing in this precarious perch, her human spoke at her first, again, frustrating her with more she could not understand. But then he tried to show her, motioning around, then to his eyes, then out again. So they were up here to look out at the sea? To look for what? He gestured to her leg, where she had been injured by the other humans. Oh! He watched for humans that disliked this group of humans, and might hurt them? Why was no one looking during the night, then?<br><br>With a frustrated frown, she gestured to her leg, then around them again. Then, thinking that was probably not going to convey her question, she gestured to her leg, and to her hand, and then to Keiran's injured arm, then pointed to her eyes, as he had pointed to his, then back out again. Then she pointed down to the wooden ground on which they sat. What human had been up here, supposed to watch for those other humans the previous night? Why had they failed? Why had Keiran had to be the one to sound the alarm? He had been below, and not up here where seeing was better. Her teeth ground together in anger: whoever was supposed to watch had not done their job, and her human had been injured because of it.<br><br>Wait... <em>she</em> had been injured. She should be mad about herself, not Keiran. And yet, his injury was the one that made her the most angry.<br><br>He gave her a food thing, he called it a 'cracker'. She liked that crunchy food stuff, and took it, nibbling at it, but still not mollified by the food. Well, except it made her stomach feel better.<br><br>The former mermaid regarded Keiran for a while, her eyes fixated on him as she nibbled the crunchy food cracker thing, holding it with her good hand. She liked him, she was pretty sure. Not just found him interesting, or was grateful for his taking care of her and helping to heal her, but actually liked him. He was not bad for a human. Not like the other ones at all. And, maybe, giving him back to the sea would do nothing but loose her the only human willing to help her learn how to use her new, inferior body.<br><br>Sighing again, the mermaid rested back against the wall, finishing off the hard cracker and deciding she would ask for another one later. For now, she was tired, still, and wanted to sleep, but Keiran had just told her they were up here to watch for enemy humans, so she would do that. Scooting slowly, she took herself to the other side of the container, then bent her good leg to prop herself up high enough to see over the other side. That way, Keiran did not have to try to see everywhere: she would watch half of it. The other humans could not sneak up on them that way...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>21-05-2015, 18:38:12</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He was again wishing that there was any other way to be able to talk to the former mermaid, even if it was just simple words that they could share. But as it was they were stuck with this point and seek kind of game as much as it was driving him to leaping overboard. Still though, when she tried to communicate to him he paid attention, watching her and her hands trying to deduce exactly what she was getting across. At first he missed it, frowning as he tried to figure out if she was asking about their wounds for some reason, wondering if hers were hurting more and she was concerned about it or not. But as she continued with her gestures including her eyes and the horizon he realized she was asking about where they were again, something to do with the crows nest. That made him glance out around them again instead of focusing on her, scanning the horizon quickly again before resettling his gaze upon her as she finished expressing herself through her hands and expression. <br><br>It clicked then what she wanted to know, with her gesturing to not only her wounds but his, them in general, included together she was referring to when they got them, rather than their condition. "Ye know as much as I Nerissa." He answered with words, but at the same time he lifted both his hands and shook his head slightly, almost hopelessly. Whether she would understand that he didn't know, or if she would assume he just hadn't understood what she was asking he wondered even as he let his hands drop folding his arms over his chest now and glancing out towards the sea.<br><br>It was times like this that things were most painful for him yet, not because of her proximity, the fact that he was forced into the role of some kind of caregiver, was slowly eating away at his animosity towards her. It was hard to fully hate someone whom he was ensuring survived on this ship. No what was difficult was having too much time to his own mind, without work for his hands to do, and his mind to take him away during. Sitting here looking at the sea he was remembering his sister, and their crew, the good men and women who had died so recently, who had died when he had not. The guilt of it weighed on his soul some, and yet he thought some of that punishment he had escaped he was being graced with over in having to handle dealing with the mermaid now. Nothing different could have been done on that devilish reef, he had spent every ounce of effort trying to save those he had sailed with, guilt was not something he should dwell on. <br><br>Shaking his head he unfolded his arms and shifted from sitting to crouching onto his toes hesitating a moment. "Nerissa." He spoke the name he had given her again and focused on her before pointing to her, and then to the wood of the crowsnest they rested in. "Ye stay here, don't follow." Part of him was confident she wouldn't try to lunge over the side of the nest after him, trying would likely end with her on the deck with a broken neck. Waiting a moment with his eyes on her he straightened up and then swung himself over the edge of the crowsnest, catching the rigging beneath and starting to climb down.<br><br>When his feet hit the deck he didn't delay, knowing if he got spotted off duty for any period of time he was going to pay for it, instead he made for the stairs down to the cabins and mess. A quick sweep through the cabin took him away with one of his water skins, before he continued hitting the stairs down to the mess and inside. Here their were others, but with the waterskin in hand, it was vaguely clear what he was doing. "Ye are supposed to be on duty Koran." A scolding tone lifted from one of the tables. "This how ye clan teaches a man to stay at attention to his duty?" <br><br>Keiran tensed some, gritting his teeth some as he paused in his quick pace across the mess. "Nay, Sir, the woman is covering the post a moment, ye fellow mates left the nest without a skin for drinking. Perhaps that's why ye fellow failed to spot those few last night, busy being thirsty." His response came, polite but glib all the way through, what annoyed him most was calling the scrape of a sailor Sir, the man was clearly five of ten years his junior and certainly had not earned much rank from the lack of earrings studding his lobes. Regardless, Keiran was still the bottom of the barrel with rank now. "Just filling the skin and taking a bite back." He resumed his pace across the mess, knowing his comments was going to stir some anger among the men sitting, but they were not wrong either, someone had screwed up as Nerissa had correctly figured, who, and why, was just not something Kerian knew yet. <br><br>Reaching the rain barrel he dipped the water skin filling it before corking it and tucking it under his arms, next he grabbed a pair of plump fruits from another barrel next to the water barrel. It was not often a ship had fruit, unless they'd been in port, and since it did not keep well, fruit was often encouraged at the start of a voyage, to see that it did not go to waste. Twisting he made for the stairs again, hurried, but not because of the men, he knew he was responsible for the crows nest, not Nerissa, and her being there meant he could push rules a bit, but he could only afford so much. <br><br>"Aye get moving, boy, ye stupid woman wouldn't be able to tell a ship from a large fish out on the sea, and we'd be left with our necks slit relying on her raising any alarm." Laughter rose behind Kerian but this time he didn't offer a retort, about the only way Nerissa could really raise an alarm was throw something from the nest down at a man on deck and flail her arms in a panic. Leaving her up there for watch really was more of a mistake than not, that though only put more of a rush in his steps to get back to the rigging and start to scale it for the nest. Next tipping over the edge back into it letting the waterskin drop before settling down, his breath a bit quickened, and the injuries he took the night before aching from making the climb yet again. <br><br>"Here, ye can eat this." Holding his hand out with a thick peach in his palm towards her now as he settled back to the rim of the crowsnest trying to get himself comfortable again.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>16-06-2015, 01:55:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It was pretty clear, at first, that her human had no idea what she was trying to ask. The thought frustrate her more: if she had just been left with her voice, she could have sung him to understanding with images and urges. But, instead, she was left with nothing. Without even the ability to make a sound, to imitate the communication sounds he made at her, because there were now some sounds she understood and would have been able to begin to communicate back with them if only she were able to make noise.<br><br>Even now, her throat vibrated with a growl that had absolutely no sound to it. She could <em>feel</em> it, as though it would be a sound, but nothing came. Nothing at all.<br><br>She was not even really a human, but a parody of one: she looked human, but was missing much of what made humans what they were: the sea had taken from her what made her a mermaid, but gave her nothing in return to finish the change. The mermaid could not decide if she thought it had been done on purpose or not.<br><br>Eventually, though, Keiran seemed to understand what she was asking, though he had no idea who had been supposed to be up here watching. Perhaps whoever it was had died in the attack. Or... what if they had been cooperating with the attackers? That seemed a sort of human thing to do, didn't it? Many seemed to have no loyalty except to themselves; Keiran was the only exception she had found so far. He took care of her, and had tried very hard to save the rest of the humans that had been on his ship. They could not have been left to live, though, but he... well, he shouldn't have survived either, and that he had was her fault, and she was being punished for it now. However, it seemed as though he was being punished as well: the other humans here did not like him at all, that much she could clearly see.<br><br>Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, her human was talking at her, so she gave it her attention to try to understand what it wanted of her. It pointed to the thing they were in, after pointing at her. It did not make much sense, until he stood and took himself over the side. Quickly, the former mermaid scrambled to the edge, peeking cautiously over to watch her human as he&nbsp; climbed down. He did much better, and much faster, without having her clinging to him. Now she was trapped up here, since he had taken himself down under the wood to where the food area and the sleeping area were.<br><br>Well, she might as well keep looking, like he had told her they were up there for, so she returned her gaze out to the horizon, slowly pivoting so that she saw every part of the ocean that she could. What she was supposed to do when she saw something, she was not sure, but she would look all the same. Surely Keiran would return for her eventually.<br><br>There was really very little to see, or to look at: no birds flew out this far from land, and the ocean stretched out to meet the sky in every direction. But still, she watched, silent as always but contemplating what she might see from here. Perhaps another ship, but from here she would see it a ways out. So, instead, she watched the water, wondering if she would see anything there. For a while, there was nothing, but then she saw a slightly darker shape moving beneath the water.<br><br>Immediately, the former mermaid perked up, her eyes widening as she hoisted herself up on her good leg to peer out just a bit more from the wooden thing she was stuck in. Yes.. there was a shape beneath the waves.. more than one, actually. Quite a few of them, and rather close to the ship, too. It looked odd, actually, not like a Ketos, it was much too small. They all were. But still somewhat large.<br><br>Oh! A whale, maybe? Is this what they looked like from out of the water? Slightly darker shapes that moved deeper then came nearer the surface? Ah, yes, there was one blowing out some air. They were quite some ways off, an would probably avoid the ship, since many of the whales had decided they did not care for humans much, not after some of the human ships had begun hunting them. Possibly&nbsp; not these humans, they did not seem to have the sorts of things they hunted with.<br><br>Folding her arms on the edge of the wooden container, the former mermaid rested her chin on her forearm, watching the dark shapes of the whales on the horizon. Her skin still hurt, especially with the sun heating it up, but it was not as bad as it had been that first day. Perhaps she was adapting? Or, more likely, she was just growing used to how painful it was to be human. How could they stand it?<br><br>As some sound came from the edge of the container, the mermaid turned her head, watching as Keiran returned, dropping something to the ground before settling himself back down to sit and addressing her, handing her a...something. Sort of orangish, and fuzzy when she touched the skin. He used the word that meant that it could be eaten, so she took it carefully, inspecting the strange object closely for a moment. It smelled interesting: sort of sweet, but different than anything she'd had before. Cautiously, she nipped a bit of the skin off. The texture was strange, and she wrinkled her nose a bit at it, but the underlying flesh was very tasty. She took a bigger bite, jumping slightly when some liquid escaped and ran down her hand, arm, and then dripped off of her elbow. Immediately, holding the new food thing carefully, she licked from her elbow to her hand to get up all the sticky-sweet liquid that had run down it, before taking a more cautious, and smaller, bite. this time she slurped a bit at the thing to keep the liquid from escaping. Part way through the thing, she hit a hard bit, and after trying to gnaw it down, she decided she should just eat around it.<br><br>It had a stone in the center. What sort of food had a stone in it?<br><br>Once the stone was clean of all the sweet flesh, she held it out to Keiran, a frown pulling at her lips as she tilted her head. And only then did she remember the whales.<br><br>Turning to look out the direction she had seen them, she grabbed her human's hand, pulling toward her once, then let go. Then, she pointed at her eyes, then out where she had seen the shapes under the waves, then pointed at Keiran, then out again so that, hopefully, he would understand that she wished for him to look...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>09-07-2015, 20:42:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Watching the former mermaid explore the peach was almost worth the trip down to get it and back, despite the way it made his wounds ache. She seemed fascinated with it at first, and he wasn't too surprised at that, she didn't understand the food they had had to begin with, she was probably used to raw fish she would catch...or humans. The last thought made him wrinkle his nose slightly spoiling his mood just a bit for the moment. Still he watched as she sniffed and then experimented with the piece of fruit he had handed her, till she finally indulged in it. He couldn't help it though, he laughed at the look of surprise that crossed her face when the peace leaked juice right down her hand and arm, it was like watching a child discovering a piece of fruit for the first time and it was oddly refreshing and amusing amid all the other turmoil that was his life at the moment. The laugh was short though, and the usual gruff expression returned soon after it ended. <br><br>"It's good isn't it? Fruit is a treat on the seas, it usually rots too quickly to keep." Despite that he had always enjoyed when they could pick up fruit in the ports, it was a fine change from fish, stew, and mead. He had already started eating his own peach, managing to do so with a considerable bit more care about where the juices went, keeping them in his mouth and enjoying the way that it helped cool and sooth his parched throat. When he finished his own peach rolling the pit in his hand he blinked to her reaching out to offer the pit towards him, with a obviously confused look on her face. "It's the pit, or seed." He mumbled, knowing she wouldn't understand and trying to think of a way to explain just what it was without looking completely like a fool. <br><br>Of course before he could start she caught hold of his hand and was tugging him making him frown and shift up, not needing her direction to start looking about. He assumed it was more dire, that some ships were out on the horizon and his eyes immediately started to search for sails cresting above the waves. When he didn't find any his expression tightened into more of a frown. "What did ye see?" He questioned finally not just scanning the horizon but actually looking towards precisely where she was pointing. The dark shapes were small, but he knew that they were only that way because of how far out that they were and likely how far below the water they were. <br><br>"Whales? Whales are not important, they will not harm the ship." He said dismissing it, not worried for them, whales rarely became aggressive with ships, and this was certainly not a whaling vessel of any kind, it was not equipped for that. His people hunted some things from the sea, but a whale was simply too big and generated too much waste, it had to be towed to shore to be handled properly on a vessel the size they were, and it rarely was worth it in the end. It was easier to trade for whale oil for lanterns than to hunt them themselves. "I wonder if ye would call them a whale.." He mused to himself slightly, knowing she couldn't tell him even if she did, things as such were often frustrating. <br><br>Again he moved to rest down against the wall of the crowsnest, this time picking up his waterskin and taking a draw from it before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. His eyes were focused on her, not having completely dismissed her, rather observing her. "Ye are going to start peeling soon woman, then ye will really regret yet burn." Feeling the need to talk to her was normal for a human, even if in the end it would frustrate. But the need to try to communicate to her was also there so he reached out and gestured for her to come closer, there was a spot on her shoulder already, where he could see the skins splitting and flecking.&nbsp; <br><br>"Did ye use to shed when ye had a tail?'" Again the words simply came free as he tried to point her to what he was trying to show her, carefully touching her shoulder where the skin was already dead and beginning to flake some, but still doing so tenderly knowing it would still be sore with how red it was. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>05-08-2015, 05:41:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Keiran's food had a stone in it too, and he did not seem surprised to have found it. It was the same size and shape and texture as her own, so it must be a normal thing for this sweet food thing to have within it. Even then, her human responded with the mouth-noises, clearly understanding her confusion and trying in his own way to answer to it. But they were only noises and no gestures to explain. Perhaps it was not something that could be easily indicated through gesture. Sometimes her human did that: let questions of hers go for no reason she could understand, except that he either did not know what she was confused about, or could not come up with a way to share the information with her.<br><br>If her voice had not been gone, at least one side of the communication would be easier.<br><br>Then again, she did not give much chance for her human to do more than make a few noises before she remembered the whales and demanded he look too. Was that the sort of thing they were looking for? Clearly not, as he seemed perterbed by her pointing them out. Perhaps he should pay more attention to what was <em>in</em> the water, since that, she thought, was where most danger lie, anyway. The human ships would be easy to spot, she thought, but the creatures under the waves, whales or something more, were hard to see even in the bright light of day.<br><br>The repetition of the word, though, let her learn the indicator for whale, anyway, she thought. <br><br>After that, her human lowered himself to sit again, and so she watched him drink some water from the soft container he had thrown over the side of the wooden thing they were in, when he had first climbed up. He spoke to her, then, after looking at her as she looked at him, and he addressed her with some of the words that indicated he was addressing her. Then, he moved his hand and arm, as if he wished her to come nearer. After just a moment, the former mermaid scooted herself nearer to him, until they were sitting next to one another, though she was mostly in front of him, and he mostly in front of her.<br><br>Once near, he pointed at her shoulder, so she craned her head to look even as he touched the skin there. It hurt a little, but more importantly, her skin was starting to come off. Sort of like molting. Not that she had done that much, but sometimes when her scales had grown too old, they would flake off a few at a time. Not usually all at once like this, though.<br><br>With a frown, the mermaid raised her own hand, pinching a bit of the loose skin, she pulled, expecting pain. It did not really <em>hurt</em>, but the skin felt raw and new all over again underneath, and the part that was peeling was stretchy and almost-see-through but not really clear. Then it tapered off and broke off from the rest of her after a bit of pulling. Furrowing her brow, she looked from the strange dead skin in her hand, to Keiran, then back again. Dropping the bit she had just pulled off, she picked a bit more, looked at it again, then scooted closer to her human, so that she was almost touching him, leaning close enough to his chest to try to see if his skin, too, would do the same thing. Her breath reflected off of his skin enough that she could feel it back in her own face, but she had to be that close to see, since he didn't seem to be peeling at all, even if she was this close. So why was her skin coming off but his wasn't?<br><br>Frowning harder, she poked him with her finger, dragging it against his skin a little to see if that would make it come off...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>06-08-2015, 18:53:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Keiran was not concerned about whales, they were usually docile creatures, unless they were being hunted and jabbed at with the large harpoons that some ships used. They were a smaller vessel than those, and did not have any onboard. It did not mean they wouldn't be agitated by the ship but whales would normally just submerge further to avoid ships that were intruding unless they were angered. He was hoping that was what would happen at least, he had more care for the ocean since her attack on his ship, having thought he knew the true dangers of the sea before then, and had been very wrong.<br><br>She was cooperating with him well, at least for the most part, she couldn't understand a damn thing he said of course, which frustrated him endlessly but the fact that she wasn't just balled up and biting and hissing at him was a good thing. If this continued they might actually survive the trip across the sea to the next port, port though left a sour feeling in him, knowing that going onto land meant leaving the sea for some time. But he did not want to continue with this ship, he didn't want to chance another meeting of clans and having to kill those of his own clan, it wasn't worth it to show his loyalty to this ship except for as much as he had too. <br><br>Idly watching as she started to peel at herself, tugging the dead skin that had been scorched far to thoroughly by the sun. She'd likely burn and peel several more times before she could be dark enough to have any real protection against the blazing sun overhead with how pale she was. Being underwater had to offer all the protection she had always needed from the sun before. "Ye will grow more don't fret over it." He muttered taking another drink from his water skin glancing off to the horizon. Other ships were usually easy to spot as long as one was looking in the right direction at the right time, some of their vessels were sleek and quick, made to cover distance between the main vessel and intended target very quickly. <br><br>The hair on the back of his neck stood on end and he turned his head back to find her suddenly very, very close. She was nearly leaning over him, close enough that he could feel her breath on his skin and it made a stillness come over him suddenly. The last time she was this close, of her own wishes, he had been positive that she was going to be dragging him to the bed of the sea and drowning him like she had his fellows. Instead she poked at him suddenly feeling at his chest, figuring out what she was doing so close suddenly made a laugh escape his throat as he closed his eyes. Despite everything that showed she was only a frail human woman now, there was a small part of him that was terrified of her, she had had his life in her hands once, and that discomfort was not going to be instantly washed away. <br><br>"Ye don't expect me to flake and peel do ye? Silly woman, I've lived under the hot sun me whole life." Shaking his head he caught her hand and held it in front of him, bringing his other to hold it beside hers. Her pale, slightly reddened skin, next to his hand which was much darker, a rich tan, his flesh closer to the color of the wood around them, than to the paleness of her skin. "Ye see? Me skin's dark from the sun already." He pointed up to the sun, then to his hand holding hers, then he pointed to her sunburn, where it was really red on her shoulder again. But he didn't stop he repeated the gesture three more times, this time pointing to her pale skinned hand, to the sun, to the burn, and finally after the third time, he pointed to his darker skin. "Ye will darken under the sun too woman, if ye remain under it." 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>25-08-2015, 06:18:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Strange, it did not seem as though her human's skin were coming off. At all, actually. Though he did hold still for her to examine for a it, before he made an odd sound. What sort of weird sound was that? Looking up at him, the former mermaid frowned and tilted her head, before she returned to her observation of his skin. Nowhere did he seem to have any skin that acted as hers did, and that was highly confusing. Did his skin not hurt, then? Perhaps this was a symptom of her angry, red, painful skin than of being human in general? Keiran did not seem concerned about her peeling skin, just pointed it out to her. Was this a normal thing for humans with injured skin?<br><br>Her human made sounds at her, then grasped her hand. First instinct, of course, was to yank back, but she knew from experience that her human did not react well to being struggled against, so she let him take her hand. Then, though, he held his next to hers, and as she looked, she saw that the color of hers, angry and red and still pale, was very different from his. His was so much darker than hers. How did that happen? If her skin were dark, then she would not hurt and peel any longer, she was pretty sure. Then again, the mouth noises her human made were probably explaining to her. He pointed up to the sky, or the sun, maybe?<br><br>Yes, seemed to be the sun, and then to his skin and then hers. Yes, she understood that his skin being dark protected him from the hurt she had taken, which seemed to be from the sun. But he kept pointing, back and forth again and again.<br><br>Would her skin get darker from the sun?<br><br>Tilting her head, the former mermaid gestured at his skin, then at her chest, pointing to herself. She wanted to know for sure that her skin would get dark, and stop hurting eventually. Though, being as close as she was to Keiran, she saw that some parts of his skin were darker than others.&nbsp; In shapes. She had seen this before, but never really paid attention to it. And, besides, she was already close enough to touch him, so she leaned in again, tracing the nearest design with her finger, before pointing first at it, then at her skin, tilting her head again in question. Would her skin develop those designs as well? All the humans on this ship seemed to have them. Some also had bits of shiny material in their ears, too, though Keiran only had holes and no shiny anything. What did that mean?<br><br>After her question, the mermaid sat back just a little, so she could see his face better, but she stayed fairly close. It was interesting to be so near her human and not be worried he would bring her pain, but she thought she had figured him out, mostly. If she did as he expected, he mostly did not get too angry with her...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>10-09-2015, 20:34:12</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She was still leaning close and observing his skin as if it were fascinating, he wondered if when she was a mermaid still she had ever sunned herself, since her top half had still been humanoid then she could have burned, but she would have likely retreated under the water ever before getting a burn like she had now. He hated the fact that he couldn't really communicate with her, it was frustrating beyond end and there was still so very little that he could do about it, he was thankful she wasn't stupid as well as dumb, because if she were stupid he'd never be able to teach he even the simple things he had thus far and made it able to commune at all. <br><br>When she started to poke at the darker parts of his skin decorated with the ink that made up his tattoos, be it of clans or other stories, adventures that he had been apart of memorized in his flesh he shook his head some. "No, ye will not get these." He spoke, her question almost simple in its nature which made it easier to answer, he shook his head though, and pointed against the darker tone of his skin, not where it was tattooed, then to her, and followed up with touching one of the darker patches and shaking his head no again. She wouldn't have tattoos develop on her as if they were written by the sun themselves, not unless she ended up with a slavers brand by someone who would not put up with her uselessness the way that he was. <br><br>She was still sitting quite close to him, those eyes observing, but she didn't seem like she was about to do something stupid like bite or scratch at him, she'd learned at least a little that, that was not good. Still having her close and staring at him like that made him uncomfortable, if only because despite her changes, burn, and the time they'd spent together, those eyes were still the same ones that had been there when he had fought to save his friends. She had killed them, and he didn't know why, and it made him sick, knowing that for whatever reason, he was still alive when they were not. "Ye best keep trying to learn, or ye will end up in far worse places than this." <br><br>A mute person could be useful for things, long as they could understand, even if they couldn't speak, but it required her to learn much before they made a port. Elsewise the fact that despite her inability to be on her feet she could be put to use. After all, despite the fact that among his kind exposed breasts were quite common and not overly centers of attention, hers were well shaped, despite the vicious sunburn ripening them into a red color, and she didn't need to be on her feet to do with what most men would use her for.<br><br>Of course her learning required him to teach her, and despite being decent at teaching certain skills, communication didn't seem to be his best forte obviously. Regardless he started to look around the crows nest, and over the edge some to think of something more to teach her. Finally he shifted towards her more focusing on her and reaching for her hand again. Guiding it he pointed to the front of the ship. "Bow." He spoke simply before guiding her hand to point towards the back side of the ship. "Stern." He continued going with right. "Starboard" and finally he ended with. "Port." After that he released her hand and crossed his arms some. "Stern." He repeated and then lifted his eyebrow questioningly to her. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>17-09-2015, 07:01:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It was difficult to tell if he minded her proximity, but, frankly, the former mermaid did not really care as long as her human was not mad at her. Mostly, he seemed sort of surprised by how near she drew to him, but that was only a slight observation, as most of her attention was on his skin and how different it was to hers. Human skin was something she knew well, even before she was completely covered with it; it was fragile and easy to injure, but apparently could change color, which was interesting. There were some sea creatures that could change colors too, but it seemed like it was mostly involuntary in humans.<br><br>Before she had been made to resemble humans, her scales had covered her whole body, though they were incredibly fine and nearly the color her skin had been before the sun had cooked it red. She had looked like a human on her top, but the scales never developed damage from exposure to the elements. <br><br>She missed her scales, and her voice, too. And her tail. And... everything that she had been.<br><br>Even so, she was stuck as she was now, and she would continue to be so until the sea forgave her, if that was even possible. By now, it probably was not. And she <em>liked</em> her human, he was hers, she should not have to sacrifice him as tribute when she had done nothing wrong. That, and there was a bit of trepidation about entering the water again: it had almost killed her before. Still, though, being human was frustrating and painful and difficult. She could not understand most of what happened around her, at least communication-wise. Observationally she understood things, and she seemed to do well with understanding this one-on-one communication with Keiran, even without definitive understanding.<br><br>She will not develop the designs, which was odd, how had he gotten his, then? She understood that her skin would get darker, but would not get patterned. He said something else too, some sounds that made no sense, but were directed at her. He seemed to do that a lot, actually, and she tried to at least store away the sounds to examine later, when she understood more of the meaning behind those sounds.<br><br>Then, he seemed to look around, which had her doing the same: craning her head from side to side to try to determine what had taken up her human's interest. Then, though, he took her hand, moving it around to indicate different directions. Each time, he made a sound, definitive, firm. Like a name. Was he naming directions? Or... well, he mostly seemed to be pointing her to different parts of the ship, if she understood where his attention lie. Front, back, and then either side. Then, he let her hand go and repeated one of the words. <br><br>It was the one for the back of the ship.<br><br>Tilting her head a moment, the former mermaid turned her head to look in that direction, taking a moment to determine that nothing overly interesting was happening that way. But... he had taken her arm to indicate the area, so perhaps he was trying to determine how much of his meaning she understood? Returning her gaze to meet his, her own hand reached out to grasp his about the wrist, then direct his hand in the same gesture that he had had hers make, in the correct configuration for 'Stern', which mirrored the one he had made her give. <br><br>Now he seemed to understand that all she needed was demonstration of the sounds and their meaning. At that, her gaze sharpened a bit as she focused on him more thoroughly, her hand releasing his so that he could demonstrate another set of sounds for her. Eager to understand, she reached for his hand again and then placed it on the wooden container's floor, then moved his hand to the wall, patting it once before returning her gaze to his face expectantly...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>19-09-2015, 18:54:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It seemed she was more then ready to try to understand more of what he was trying to teach her, which was good, learning meant he could talk to her, even if she couldn't respond and at least she would understand. Unfortunately after she had confirmed that she understood him directing her to the different points of the ship, which would be helpful if he told her she needed to go somewhere, she took his hand and touched against the bottom of the crow's nest, and then the wall of the crows nest. He knew she was asking about both, but the difficulty lie in the fact that there were so many different words and ways to explain what she was sort of asking. Withdrawing his hand from hers he eyed her for a moment trying to figure out just how to explain to her what he needed to.<br><br>"Ye a tricky one Nerissa." He muttered as he shook his head some but he shifted slightly and took her hand to set it on the wood beneath them for the moment but set his hand next to hers. "Deck." He then lifted his hand and touched the side of the crows nest. "Hull." As the side of the ships were typically called, and exterior side. Though he didn't stop there despite that having been what she asked instead he took her hand and touched the side, then the bottom in quick order, then while holding her hand gestured around them at what they were within. "Crows Nest." He finished before releasing her hand hoping that she understood that there were different pieces of it and her question was a little more difficult.&nbsp; Teaching her how to understand everything was going to be a long daunting task. <br><br>"Crows nest." He repeated gesturing again around them gently. "Lookout." He pointed to himself and then his eyes and from his eyes he stretched his arm out to point to the horizon and searching around them as like he was doing his job and keeping an eye on the sea. He knew he had explained to her that was what they were doing and she had seemed to understand. At least enough to have looked out and around herself some, spotting those whales she had shown to him. <br><br>Settling back against the wall of the nest he glanced up. "Sky" He repeated as he pointed up to a clear patch of the sky, and then to a cloud. "Cloud." Listing off random words, any kind of word would help her eventually even if she just knew it so she could try to connect whatever someone was trying to tell her.<br><br>Knowing teaching her was going to be time consuming and likely frustrating he mused why he was bothering with it. Once they made Port he could essentially be free of her, his duty to protecting her ending with the voyage he had saved her during, his responsibility for her life was not unending. But it was more honorable to try to teach her so that she would not simply be used as some whore when she could not understand the tasks put before her. That was if land folk even bothered to concern themselves with using her for anything but, they were odd folk, and he did try to tend to avoid dealings with them unless absolutely necessary. <br><br>"What I would give to understand why you are like this and here now really." He knew he had tried to figure it out before, and it had upset her. But piecing it together and actually getting the story were very different things. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>24-09-2015, 09:13:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Did he not understand? It seemed like he had, maybe, but instead of giving her the word for the container they were in, he instead said her name, shaking his head as if in the negative. But, while she puzzled about how to get her want across to him, he seemed to figure it out.<br><br>He took her hand again, giving her a sound to identify the wood they sat upon, and then touched the side and gave a different word. Two identifiers for the same thing? Or... the bottom and the side were two different words. The third that came with his gesture meant the whole container, she was pretty sure. This container was 'crows nest' it seemed. She would be able to remember that. So far all the mouth-noises her human made were easy for her to remember, which was maybe strange, but she was managing it somehow. As though her mind were able to just snap the information up and hang onto it.<br><br>Was she becoming more like a human, that she was learning that information so readily? Truly, the former mermaid did not feel any different than she had been. Perhaps this was something she would need to monitor closely.<br><br>Her human's designation was 'Keiran', so she frowned some in confusion at his new identifier for himself. That is, until he continued. So now she understood another word. Eagerly, the former mermaid scooted a little closer to her human, eyes focused on his face when he spoke, and at his hands when he gestured. This was good, this learning was useful, and was something she needed now. The more she knew, the better she could understand, and the less angry Keiran would get with her. His lack of anger was important, as she well knew.<br><br>After a bit, he threw out a long stream of words that were not geared at teaching her, causing her to tilt her head, then nudge her hand at his shoulder insistantly, gesturing towards his mouth with a frustrated frown pulling at her lips. He was to tell her the meanings of the sounds, but now he spit out so many at her that she did not catch any, except that he addressed her. Sometimes, she thought that he made sounds just to make them, and not really in an attempt to communicate with her. Maybe this was one of those times.<br><br>Sighing heavily, the mermaid arranged herself so that she was once more peering over the edge of the...crows nest. Yes, that was what Keiran had called it. This way she could watch out like they were supposed do, and if her human decided he was going to teach her more, she could focus back on him. As it was, though, she found herself wishing she were able to even parrot the sounds he made back at him, to show her understanding and perhaps communicate easier with her human...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>28-09-2015, 19:27:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Could tell that she had stopped listening to him, which didn't really matter considering she didn't understand anything he was saying anyway. Closing his eyes for a moment he relaxed back against the wall of the crow's nest trying to consider and plan for whatever might be happening below. They had given him lookout duty, which was not difficult, and could have been a way of accepting and thanking him for his help when it came to the attack the night before. But it could also be a way to get him out of the way so they could then plan on what to do with him, after the attack of his clan against their vessel. It broke codes for them to take vengeance out on him, especially after he had served to help fight off the attack rather than aiding any of his brethren. <br><br>Of course, not all the Clans were as good about following the codes as his was, and while they might still fault him, he knew his own would have done worse had he turned to aide him the night before. They would have surely of killed him as much as any other of the crew aboard the ship, even if he had been trying to help them to convince them of who he was. Not because they wouldn't know, but because they did, and they would have also known he was betraying the code of honor in serving on the ship they were attacking, he wouldn't be worth keeping alive in his clan's eyes then. Complicated as it might be he saw it quite plainly and had acted accordingly, hoping only that the crew aboard this ship would keep to the codes of their people. <br><br>His attention settled again on Nerissa, watching her as she looked out away from the Crow's nest, being a better lookout than he was at the moment, even if she'd have no way of calling out. She was doing her best, and better than most landfolk women would have handled the situation he felt, though the lack of being able to communicate was a constant determent to their progress. Finally he leaned forward and tapped her shoulder to get her attention before settling back and drawing his knife, something he did slowly so she wouldn't feel threatened. <br><br>Taking it he leaned forward to the wood of the Crow's nest and started to dig into it slowly, he didn't go with writing words, teaching her to read could be even more difficult then teaching her to talk. Instead he went with a common glyph language, used mostly for places where people were not well taught. Reading was a luxury, but most common folk could be taught to understand what they needed of glyphs. Drawing his knife back he settled it into the wood tip buried a bit to hold it upright. "Keiran." He spoke reaching out to take her hand and guide it to the carving of a glyph he had worked into the wood, it was his name of course lifting his hand to himself he then reached down and traced his finger along the pattern an repeated his own name again. <br><br>With that he started to work again with the knife putting a glyph down for each of the words he had taught her, repeating them again after he had etched them into the wood. The next person to be on lookout was going to be confused he knew but didn't care. If he could teacher her glyphs, and then find her something she could use to write them on easier than the wood, they might be able to communicate more. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>05-10-2015, 10:55:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Her human was completely frustrating sometimes. He started to teach her, and then just stopped as they were getting started. Why would he do that? She was gaining information, and she might not be able to make the sounds back, but she could understand! And he seemed to understand her well enough when she tried to communicate with him, so why couldn't he just teach her? She was doing her best to do what he indicated they were supposed to, and she even saw some more whales while doing so, but he hadn't liked those, so she did not try to show them to him again.<br><br>At least this group of humans was not the sort that hunted the whales. She would very much not like to be with the sort who would.<br><br>Not that being with these humans was pleasant at all. She'd rather just be herself again and alone than this. But... if she were to be humnan, at least Keiran had found her and was caring for her now. That was... probably the best situation she could have managed to find herself in, honestly.<br><br>As she was considering just how she was supposed to communicate with her human, especially if he had decided not to teach her, he touched her shoulder. Turning around, she watched him bring out the large tooth, and cautiously kept her eyes on it. Would he hurt her with it, then? He was moving slow, though, as though to make sure she saw him. And when she did not hiss or try to take it from him, he seemed to do...something to the side of the crows nest with it. Making shapes.<br><br>What was he doing?<br><br>Curiosity got the better of her, and so the former mermaid leaned forward, bringing herself up near him to observe. When his image he made seemed to be finished, he said his name, then pressed it to the shape he had forced into the wood. But... that was his name, not... or... wait. Frowning, the mermaid looked from the shape to Keiran, and then back again, and when he said it again, he traced the shape. What did that--<br><br>Oh! Oh! She understood! The shape, it was a visual representation of the sound for his name! Eyes widening, the mermaid went to grab for his hand, but already he was at what she wanted him to do, which was making another image to give her another word. This was just what she wanted. If she could learn this, then she could make the shapes herself, too, and give understanding of what she wanted back to Keiran. <br><br>The former mermaid could barely contain her excitement as she watched him make new mark after new mark, her attention holding rapt to his every movement. She understood this, she could remember this so much easier than the sounds she could never repeat. This was wonderful! Visual meaning for the sounds. Humans were very clever. This was not something she would have thought of, but it was a brilliant way to communicate. The only problem was it was on the wood, and would remain. Soon room would run out, and then what? And he would probably not permit her use of his tooth, so she had no way of making the shapes. <br><br>Still, though, every time he finished one and gave her the meaning, she gestured at a new blank spot impatiently. More images meant more understanding, and she needed to understand. This was important. How else was she to communicate without way to make sound if not for this way? Hopefully, her human would be able to continue to teach her, because now she was grasping something she could use, and it was very exciting...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>08-10-2015, 19:02:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Could see that he had finally stumbled across a way to teach her how to communicate, that she was definitely eager to learn too. With each of her impatient gestures he continued drawing out the glyph system as well as he could with the tip of his knife. He knew the next person who would come into the Crow's Nest was going to be in for a surprise but he doubted they would care, his marks were not deep, just enough that the wood could hold the impression, and likely in the salty air and rain it would wear the marks away in a few short weeks. That wasn't the main problem though with this system, it was the fact that he didn't have something to give her so she could easily replicate what he was doing. Parchment was not only expensive and usually reserved for maps, but it was poor in the sea air and did best when kept beneath decks rather than above. She couldn't exactly go about scraping into the ship everytime she meant to say something, it would get ridiculous, and while people bored in the Crow's Nest might not care, the deck being covered in it would be problematic. <br><br>He had an idea about what she could use, but was unsure if there would be one on the ship, and untop of that if he would be able to get it's use surrendered to him. There was a device that would be able to be used over and over for her glyphs if he could borrow it, and thankfully most people didn't see it's worth as terribly high. For the time being though he had to finish his shift in the Crow's Nest, which was at the moment occupied with scrawling every kind of glyph he knew that matched words he had already taught her. It was easier then explanining new words at the time, if she already knew the word before he showed her the glyph, teaching would slow down a little again once he had to start explaining the meaning of the word at the same time as the glyph. <br><br>"Ye will be able to speak like this, once we find ye a way to do it. Cap'n won't appreciate you scrawling all over the deck." Still his knife worked moving from the bottom of the Crows Nest up to a wall of it as he continued, it took up space Glyphs, not as precise as written words because they were meant to be understood easier by people who didn't know written language. Teaching to read and write would likely benefit her much, but it was impossible currently, it'd require simply too much to be able to help her understand that, when she didnt yet have a entire understanding of language at all. <br><br>"I'm teaching a bloody mermaid how to read glyph." This he muttered mostly to himself alittle unbelievably, though at some point he'd have to stop seeing her as a mermaid. She wasn't one anymore after all, just a uneducated mute human at this point. She was trying her best though, and some part of him appreciated that, and respected it slightly more than he might otherwise had her. She was giving a lot more go then a typical land woman would have on the ship, even with her disability.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>26-10-2015, 10:58:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				There were so many symbols for each sound he had given her. So manyy. One for each one, and probably one for every sound he ever made, that any of the humans ever made. She could learn them all, and then she could communicate with her human. But the words she knew were very disjointed, and so it would be hard at first. Every symbol he marked in the crow's nest, she paid attention to, and every one gave her a little more understanding. Still, though, she was not sure how she would communicate with Keiran when they were not here. And room would run out for symbols eventually. Surely they would not spend forever up here, because humans never seemed to do the same thing over and over again. So.. how would they communicate after this?<br><br>Still, he continued, showing her more and more, and the former mermaid absorbed everything she possibly could. Everything. And her human was talking to her more, but saying things she did not understand. Words she recognized, but did not really understand completely. Well, some she recognized, and some that were sort of new. He addressed her, but in that way that meant he wasn't really talking <em>to</em> her so much as to himself, she thought. Then he spoke lower, to himself again.<br><br>Biting her lower lip a moment, she wanted to show Keiran that she understood what he did, and that she could try to communicate back at him. She'd been thinking, quite a bit, about her human and the Sea and what she was supposed to do. <br><br>The ocean probably would not forgive her, she understood that. And, as she had realized before, she did <em>not</em> want to give up her human, he was hers, and she should not have to sacrifice him for the possibility that she <em>might</em> be forgiven and returned to her true state. And if she wasn't, she would be trapped in the water, or on this boat with humans who did not care for her like Keiran did. She needed him, and he was good to her in a way that more than repaid the mercy she had shown him. There was no way she could survive without him.<br><br>When he seemed as though he had run out of things to draw, she reached out to touch his arm, hoping to grab his attention. Then, once she had it, she positioned herself so that she could touch the symbol for herself, then the one that he used that was negative when he was displeased with her, she gestured to him, and then touched the one for Keiran. She caused trouble for him, and was not good for him. She saw that the other humans did not like him, and did not really seem to care for her either. Perhaps they disliked him because of her. <br><br>After a pause, in which she searched for but did not find a way to appologize, she touched his name again, then the symbol that meant good and positive things, and then touched the one for her. He was good to her. She touched his name again, the one for food or eating, and then the one for herself. Then repeated, but touched the one for the drink, and then repeated the one for good things again. After another pause, she touched her name, the symbol for good things, and then his name, and hoped he would understand that she was trying to do things right by him.<br><br>Then, she sat back and waited, hoping he would communicate back with her, or, at least, give her some indication that he understood her...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>31-10-2015, 18:33:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Finishing up one of the last glyphs he paused when she touched his arm to get his attention again, it was always odd having to have her touch him to capture his attention. He was used to people being able to say something, to make a noise to capture someones attention, and with the way he had been zoned in on working on the glyphs he knew he wouldn't have noticed her waving even in the least. Everything about communicating was harder for her, even the simplest thing of getting someones attention, and it was rather frustrating to think about and try to consider ways around it, perhaps he would teach her to clap when she needed someones attention, or to snap her fingers. <br><br>Regardless he settled back setting his knife to the side as she started to gesture among the glyphs. Doing it this way was a little more difficult because they still hadn't entirely refined and given her a large vocabulary to work with, but it was a good piece of mind to know that this was actually working for what it was worth. It meant that it would be worthwhile to continue that she was recognizing, memorizing, and realizing how to put the glyphs together to communicate what she needed too. Now, whether it came together as a message that he could completely understand was a different story all together, glyphs were not really meant for communication, more for signs and such when they were needed for people who could not read. Speaking in glyphs took a little more interpretation than not and as she pointed them out, trying to detail what she meant he figured it was going to be tricky. <br><br>But far from impossible, especially with her message being somewhat simple, or at least seemed to be so, from what he understood, she seemed to be apologizing to him, and perhaps explaining that she was going to try to be good as well. "Aye, good, ye realizing just how much of a pain ye are to me then, may make ye fidget less when asked to do something." He murmured but instead of simply doing so he looked among the symbols and finally rest his finger against the postive good things one, and then moved his hand to the one for her, trying to answer with the glyphs as well. "Good Nerissa, Good." He also added, he'd not always be able to reply in glyphs, and he wanted to keep her up on learning words as well. <br><br>"Oi! Keiran, the Cap'n calls ye, shake some fin and scurry on down." The voice pitched up from the deck, loud and clear, and made Keiran turn and look over the edge of the crows nest towards the voice, one of the other crew was already meandering away whilst another was starting to climb the rigging, making his way for the nest position. <br><br>"Time to go back down, Nerissa." He spoke even as he turned, he pointed to her, and then to himself, and then he pointed down over the edge of the crows nest, before standing up and holding his hand out to her to help her onto her feet. He knew her leg was still going to be sore, and he'd have to carry her down on his back, like he had brought her up, but if she held tightly he imagined he'd be able to get away using the rope to lower them and not have to climb down the rigging. Climbing down rigging was always more difficult than up, but with someone clutching to his back, and his already sore arm, he simply didn't know if he could manage it without ending up in a broken pile on the deck. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>23-11-2015, 07:37:09</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Her human seemed annoyed that she had asked for his attention by touching him. He always seemed to dislike it: he did not want her to touch him, that much was clear. But, how else was she supposed to communicate? How else was se supposed to ask for his attention if she did not touch him? She could not make noise. And the one time she had asked for his attention by slapping her palm against the surface of the ship, he had been annoyed too.<br><br>Perhaps she was doomed to stay on her human’s bad side.<br><br>Certainly, he still disliked her, that much was clear. And so she had tried to apologize and explain that she was trying to do better, trying to make up for causing him trouble. Her thoughts on not gifting him back to the Sea were too complex to explain in this way, but she had made her decision anyway, not that he could even know of it or understand it. Now, she would try to repay his kindnesses to her by being good for him.<br><br>He was hers, after all. She needed to take care of him.<br><br>Yes, it did seem he understood her message, as he said something, the indicator for good things, and used the identifier for her a few times. The second small identifier, not the other one, that seemed more properly hers, the way that ‘Keiran’ was properly his. He then said the good things one twice, on either side of her personal identifier. He understood, then.<br><br>A voice rose from down below, saying Keiran’s name, and a lot of other information. Her human then spoke to her, and indicated they were to go down. They were no longer watching to keep the boat safe, then?<br><br>Curiously, she peered over the edge, seeing another human was coming up the netting. They would replace them, then. Curiously, the former mermaid looked back at Keiran, wondering how they would get down if the other was using the netting, but he was already standing with his hand out.<br><br>Carefully, the mermaid grasped his hand with her good one, standing carefully, putting all her weight on her leg that was not injured. How were they to get down? As before, she figured she would have to be carried, so she carefully moved herself around until she was behind him, then hoisted herself up onto his back, her good leg wrapping around his middle and her good arm clasping the wrist of her injured hand, so that she could cling to him without his having to make any effort.&nbsp; That had her face near his head, and her breath puffing against his ear, but left him free to do what he would to get them back down. At the very least, the mermaid had figured out what it would take to get down, even if she did not understand how her human planned to accomplish it...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>09-12-2015, 04:26:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Pulling her to her feet he released her hand and was glad when she moved around to ease behind him and climb onto his back. He stood still patiently no matter how much the feeling of her arms wrapped around his neck bothered him. He remembered being pulled through the sea in a very similar hold, and while she had saved him..she had likely downed many others with much the same kind of grip. Still he remained as she got herself settled onto his back gripping her own limbs and using her single leg to hold herself to him. This time he reached and touched her hand and pressed it more firmly against him, trying to communicate to her silently that she needed to hold tight to him. <br><br>She needed to hold tight because he definitely was not planning on taking the slow climb back down from nest in the rigging, especially with her added heft to his back. Instead he moved to the edge of the nest and reached down around the side. Connected to some of the rigging there, were lines that didn't seem to weave entirely into the rigging that the other sailor was climbing up. Instead it was dangled across from another of the lower masts, stretching the distance and tucked carefully not to come loose on it's own, but at ones behest such as his. <br><br>Drawing the rope up&nbsp; he wrapped it around his form arm, gripping the rope, and holding tight with his other hand to it as well. "Hold tight woman." He muttered finally, but didn't give her time to try to figure out what he was saying, instead he brought his foot up to the edge of the nest, and used the leverage to throw the both of them over the edge of the crows nest. He had to kick off, to give it some umph, to get them far enough from the rigging to not be a danger, but it made it where they were leaping with no safe landing, before beginning to plummet. It was a rush, quick, and plunging through the air, until the rope jerked tight and they swung in a swift sweeping motion. Clearing the deck by a decent ten feet still they rushed, barely clearing some of the sailors walking the deck before their momentum started to fail and gravity took hold again, swinging them back the way they had come. Swaying with the motion he fell comfortably, a maneuver he was used to, even to the point where they were tossed somewhat roughly into the spread rigging below letting them land without hurting themselves. <br><br>Of course the netting as taunt as it was, was not about to simply cradle them like a hammock, instead it jostled them and threatened to toss them out at the water. Releasing the rope and catching the rigging was all that kept them from bouncing their way off the side of the ship and into the water, a place he didn't want to really visit anytime soon again. The whole process was not exactly pleasant, it strained his injuries, and made his arm ache in that familair way from the jerk, but it was the easiest way down from the crows nest, unless she ended up puking on him, then it wouldn't have been worth it. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>22-01-2016, 10:42:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As she situated herself behind her human, he pressed is hand against her hand. For a moment, she thought he might grab it and pull it off, as though, perhaps, she had missunderstood what he was wanting. But, no, it seemed more as though he wanted her to hold tighter, and so the former mermaid tightened her grip. Though, when she did, she tried hard not to strangle him. Humans, in her experience, did not fare well if something were wrapped about their throat. Really, they tended to die quicker that way, she had noticed.<br><br>No gripping his neck too tightly, then. <br><br>Instead, she was holding her arms with her good hand, and clinging as tightly to him with her good leg as she could. It seemed to be the right thing, as her human was moving to the edge of the container. They would be going down, and she was not sure how it would happen, just that she likely would not like it much and would need to hold on to Keiran no matter what. It was a distressing thought, to be sure.<br><br>Yes, rather than grab the net to climb down as he had climbed them up, her human took up just one of the pieces of fiber, the sort that made up the nets and was very thick, not like the sort that had pulled her leg-wound closed. Something different, then. Already, she was holding as tightly as she could, but nothing prepared her for him simply throwing them from the great height of the 'crow's nest' container they were in. If she could have made a fear-sound, she would have. It would have been loud and long, if the ache in her throat said anything about it. Fear alone kept her from letting go in that instant that felt like forever: her arms had held tightly out of instinct, since her shock would have probably left her to let go otherwise.<br><br>They fell, swinging out, and then came to a sudden stop. Well, of falling, anyway. They swung back and forth a few times, sweeping them one direction and then another, then he let go so that they landed on some netting. At first, she clung to him more, as they bounced about on the net-thing. But the moment they were mostly done being thrown about, she let go and scrambled in an attempt to sit up, her eyes wide and mouth open, panting for air. Rapidly, she looked around, then up from where they had fallen. After a moment, she looked back at her human, feeling absolutely terrified and also very impressed that he had not killed them, and the former mermaid had no idea how to express either, really.<br><br>After a second, she began to wriggle her way off of the net-thing and towards the nearest bit of the wooden...deck? Maybe-'deck' so that she did not feel as though she were unstable any longer, because she did not like that at all. The moment she reached the edge, she sort of tumbled to the ground, doing her best to land on her back, and nowhere near her injured leg or hand. The moment she could, she dragged herself over to the nearest stationary object in order to haul herself upwards to stand, as Keiran had made it clear that moving while not standing up was unacceptable...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>29-02-2016, 19:55:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kerian was actually surprised, he was pretty sure most people whom saw the men do what they just had, had the sudden urge to vomit, let alone the people actually doing it for the first time. Most land folk refused, climbing backwards down the rigging if they were forced into the Crows nest to begin with. He had fairly expected Nerissa to vomit when they got onto steady decking again but instead she scrambled to get out of the net, but then seemed to relax a little. Once he untangled himself from the rigging as well getting up to his feet he could see her already trying to pull herself up onto her feet as well, something while she didn't do great at, was better than remaining stretched out over the deck. With the hurt leg he might not have pushed her as hard to be on her feet, but she was doing it of her own volition, and that was good. <br><br>"Aye, good Nerissa, ye starting to get the gist of things." It was praise falling on essentially deaf ears he knew, but breaking the habit of speaking when around her was something he wasn't going to put effort into. After all she did understand him some, even fif she couldn't respond in any feasible way right now. Regardless he came up to her and put an arm around her to help steady her up on her feet and to make it easier for her to stand without having to use the injured leg. <br><br>"Ye lean on me." He explained as he pointed at her feet, first the good one, and then his two good legs. Taking a slight step he then pointed to her good foot and then where he wanted it to go. Finally he pointed his hand at her bad leg. "No" He said firmly, trying to make her understand that he was going to help be a crutch for her so she wouldn't have to use the injured leg as much, he didn't want the wound to get worse because they were not taking care of it right. The last thing he needed was a lame mute, dealing with one of her disabilities already took most of his effort, dealing with a second was just not going to work for him. <br><br>Hoping he had communicated everything well enough he started to help her hobble her way, making both of them towards where the Captain should be near the helm of the ship. "Cap'n, ye called for me." He spoke knowing that he didn't necessarily need to bring Nerissa but leaving her behind on her own didn't seem like the most wise of options either. <br><br>"Aye, ye showed ye'self true to ye crew last night, Keiran... Ye didn't have ot do what you did, we knew they were ye clansmen..." The woman wore quite a few pieces of gold jewelry decorating her ears and a chain leading to a ring through her nose as well, her rank clear by the sheer amount of medallions and rings adorning her. "Keep ye wits about ye and ye'll make it to port...The crews been told of yet loyalty, ye should have it a hair easier." She eyed Nerissa standing next to him for a moment. "She fought too... have ye gotten a word out of her yet?" Though she sighed as he shook his head. "Fine, ye are dismissed, nurse ye wounds see that they are cleaned well." Dismissing them and turning away from them she refocused on the horizon. <br><br>Kerian let out a slow sigh, a hint of relief for the first time in a while finally settling in. "Maybe ye are not as much a curse as i thought." He muttered faintly turning them, his arm ached from the cut in it, especially after dropping from the crows nest, but keeping afoot was important. "Think I have an idea.." He would have to find the cargo master, something that would be easier if he wasn't dragging her around, but finding somewhere to put her to keep her out of the way on a busy ship was challenging. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>08-04-2016, 10:12:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				On some level she understood what her human had done, why he had done it: the falling/swinging/dropping method of escaping the height of the 'crow's nest' was certainly...efficient. But, too, it must have put strain on his arm to drop then catch them like that. Not to mention the sheer danger of it: had he not managed to hold them aloft, then they'd have fallen, and probably died.<br><br>Actually, that made the former mermaid wonder if she <em>could</em> die. Certainly, it seemed more than possible, but at the same time, this was to be a punishment: if she died too quickly, it would be over, wouldn't it? Or was that just foolishly wishful thinking? Worrying about death was a new experience, actually, since she had never had to worry about it before. Even now... it was a thought that was only occurring now, but had not at all connected with her many several desperate bids at survival since she'd been changed. So, would the Sea allow her to die? Or no? And which would be worse?<br><br>Once she was free of the netting, though, and standing mostly on her own, the former mermaid looked back for her human. Keiran seemed pleased with her reaction to the fall, or with her standing up, which was important. He was far more pleasant to be around when he was not angry with her. He even came up to help her to move, and dictated quite firmly that she was not to use her injured leg. That was what 'no' meant, wasn't it? Certainly, her Keiran sounded very firm about it when he said that, and so she followed his gestured directions, and used her injured leg almost not at all, leaning on him for support as she hobbled in the direction he decided to take them.<br><br>He took them up to a female, and called out to to her. This one, this female-seeming human, was the one that seemed to direct the others. The mermaid had noticed that, and found herself nervous as her human addressed the other higher-ranked human, since, as the leader, she could decide to end their lives if she wished. The last time she had met with beings more powerful than herself, they had turned her into this. Well, they hadn't, but they had not argued in her defense, either. That other mermaid had just wanted her territory, anyway. So, it was with caution that she observed the female human-in-charge, almost trying to make herself seem smaller while holding still and needing Keiran to hold her up. They seemed to pause, though, and so she tilted her head at her human, then bumped her chin into his shoulder that she was near, her eyes wide and confused. Weren't they supposed to so somewhere? The other human seemed like the sort who would notice if they stood around too long.<br><br>Impatiently, she bumped him again, growing a bit anxious as the time drew on and on...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>06-05-2016, 19:03:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Felt the bump of her chin against him for a moment but ignored it for the second still considering his idea. The second one though brought a faint scowl from him as he turned his attention towards her once again. "Aye, ye are here I know it. We have a reprieve woman, not that ye will be able to understand it for a moment." He added the last bit with a hint of frustration more for himself then actually to communicate to her. Nonetheless he let her nudging do what it was meant to and stir him out of his thoughts, now instead he started to move again, still insisting on having her lean her weight against him, which was obviously when he didn't let her go away from his side and continued to move in a slow enough stride that she could hobble along beside him. Keeping her from exasperating her wound would let it heal better and faster...how fast he couldn't know she was a mermaid, well former. He didn't know enough about her, or how she had become what she was. <br><br>"We need to find a way to speak better." It was a statement aloud for hersake, even though he knew that she wouldn't be able to reply, especially with them moving and nothing to crave or draw on actively. Teaching her rune language so she could communicate some seemed by far the best option, but they would only get away with carving on the deck so much. And paper was expensive, far too expensive to waste on the likes of them. He'd had hordes of it as a Cargo Master, but that life was simply behind him now. "The problem is I have nothing to bargain with." <br><br>Because the solution to the communication problem had come to him, if he could just figure out what he'd have to do to acquire what he need. "Lets get ye down below deck." His stride had already been taking them towards the stairs that would lead down, though he still imagined they would be a problem again. He didn't want to end up with her in a pile at the bottom of the stairs again but going down side by side simply wouldn't work the stairwell was too narrow for that. When they arrived at the top of them he finally loosed his hold on her, forcing her to support herself upright again for the moment.<br><br>"I'll go down first, ye follow and hold onto me." He spoke, pointing at himself, then the stairs, then at her, and then the stairs, and then taking her hand and lifting it to place it upon his shoulder. He then started down the first step and then the second, hesitating waiting for her to follow suit. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lexandria</strong> on <strong>17-08-2016, 05:50:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It seemed that there was no pleasing her human. He had thrown her, and himself, down from that great height, bounced them into a net, and then, while seemingly pleased that she had done as she'd learnt was right and stood to her flimsy legs, he dragged her to the human in charge. She had behaved and done as he wanted. Now that she wondered what they were instructed to do, worried about disobeying the female human leader, he grew harsh in sound and seemingly upset that she simply tried to understand what they were to do now. The other humans were always moving, except when they were in the sleeping place, so they would be not doing as they should if they just stood, yes?<br><br>But her Keiran snapped at her, drawing her to peel back her lips in a showing of her teeth in return, though she refrained from hissing. If he could be annoyed with her, she could be with him as well, after all. But, soon enough, he began to move anyway, which had her feel relieved, even if it meant she had to struggle to move with him.<br><br>Just when she was getting somewhat used to how to make her legs work, those other humans had attacked and the one had used it's tooth-thing and torn her open. Her leg ached with the activity, and in general, but did not seem to be worse than earlier, and was definitely better than when it had been oozing blood and open to the world.<br><br>She thought she was understanding some, that wound 'we' seemed to mean the both of them, and she was starting to learn the sounds for himself. The general one and also the one that seemed to be his proper designation. She understood, now, the general noise for another that was not the one speaking, but also understood her personal designation. Human sound-communication was complex.<br><br>It had seemed so simple when she had been whole.<br><br>Also, she understood 'below deck'. He'd said that one before. It was the sleeping place, and for all she was not cleaning the walking-surface of the vessel this time, she still felt exhausted from the activity and the ache from all her hurt. Probably Keiran was too. Eagerly, she focused on trying to assist to getting them to the sleeping place as fast as she could. Which, admittedly, was not very fast at all.<br><br>The way down made her nervous, especially since she had fallen that one time. When Keiran let go, she groped for something to hold to, and settled for the wall, leaning some and sort of gripping at it with the shortened and blunted nails on her fingers. Still, when the ship moved she wobbled a little, but did not fall. As her human spoke, she paid as close attention as she could, trying to understand his meaning.<br><br>Yes, she thought she understood. He would go first, she would go second. It still made her nervous until he settled her hand on his shoulder. That she could hold herself upright using him was much a difference, and had her trying to grip him securely without bringing further injury to him. It was difficult to tell how much was too much, but she had no doubt he would make any injury she caused to him quite clear the moment it happened.<br><br>Clinging to his shoulder, she limped after him, doing her best to put hardly any weight on her injured leg, though at times it had to take the most of her weight, when she was lowering her good leg to the next tiny ledge. Again and again, one small step at a time. It felt like it took several cycles of the sun, but it probably did not. All that mattered, though, was that she was shaking and panting from the pain by the time they reached the end. Or... well, she thought it must be the end when they stopped. By that point, the former mermaid only cared that she was not being forced to go down the little ledges any longer...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Out of Water [ObscureObscenities and Lexandria]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ObscureObscenities</strong> on <strong>10-09-2016, 20:26:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				They had made it to the bottom of the stairs without ending up in a pile at the bottom this time, it was progress, especially since both of them were dealing with wounds. To be fair hers were worse, and more so the fact that she had to walk on her leg while it wounded made things harder, but he could only do so much to help that. He could see it was wearing on her though when he turned towards her and could see the sweat beading her forehead and she seemed to tremble slightly. They both needed to get some more rest to see that they didn't end up sick from the wounds they had taken. Regardless they had a little more walking to do and he wanted to get it done so he could at least get her settled for the moment. <br><br>Taking her arm again like he did above decks, he walked her over to the hammocks that were essentially designated as theirs and helped her settle into her own before straightening up some. "Ye stay here.... Stay here." He added again pointing at her, then at her hammock again firmly. She wasn't mobile enough to go wandering about looking for the crewmate that he wanted to talk to, leaving her alone wasn't too comfortable, she'd done well enough while washing the deck, but she could get herself in trouble quicker than he could avert it if he took too long. <br><br>Still he turned and strode off heading for the stairs again this time going further below from the sleeping quarters, though his absence wasn't a long one when he came back he had several things in his arms. Walking over to his hammock he was muttering to himself just a bit. "Bloody bastard, would take me feet off and hang them on his wall could he." Shifting the contents in his arms he started to drop them into the hammock, two skins one of which was full of water, the other mead, and a&nbsp; hunk of bread that he intended to split between the two of them. What it left in his arms was a small rectangular frame, almost like a picture frame and he kept it in his hand as he turned towards her again crouching down. <br><br>"Look see here Nerissa." He spoke as he turned the framed object towards he, it had wood around the edges and back, but the front had a sheet of glass clutched in the frame of wood, about the size of a medium book in all. But behind the glass there was sun bleached sand, as white as snow filling the space between the sand and the wood backing. At the bottom edge of the frame was a small stone which he grasped and picked up, a nail embedded in the wood beneath where it had been was what had held the magnet there. "So ye can write, without ye knife." Slowly he moved the magnetic stone over the glass, not quiet touching but close enough to make the dark iron filings mixed into the and rise to the top of the white sand and leave a dark streak behind his passing stone. He drew one of the symbols they had made up in the crows nest, before pulling the stone away, finally he gave the tablet a bit of a shake, and the iron fillings, being heavier sank back into the white sand vanishing. <br><br>"Be careful..." He cautioned but held both pieces out to her, the tablet in one hand, and the small magnet in his other. She wouldn't know it now, but getting to use the sand tablet was going to cost him dearly, he had to bargain with the cargomaster, someone he respected as he had been the former master cargomaster on his last ship. He'd hoped this ships Cargomaster had been esteemed enough to have collected one of them, it was used to do figures since paper was expensive and hard to keep on the seas, but they were not very common. <br><br>"As ye learn, ye should be able to communicate with this." At least it was a step towards that, as long as he could keep it on loan form the Cargomaster, he'd had one like it on his own ship, that she'd helped to the bottom of the ocean. 
			</dd>
		</dl>
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