Washing Up Ashore ((open))

[NITA ISIS LARENE]

The wind howled some kind of fierce and the rain continued to pummel Reena, yet Nita seemed unfazed by nature's temperament. In fact, it only made her that more determined. She was used to such weather and saw no reason to derail her journey solely because of it. Today was going to be a good day, she could feel it and she wasn't going to let anyone stop her from having a good time. In all honesty, she had some "business" to take care of and was hoping that everything would eventually go according to plan.

She swam alone, preferring it over swimming with a group. She hated being forced to converse with others, even if they were of the same race as she. In her eyes, they had all abandoned and left her for dead, what was the point in pretending to care? That was why she kept to herself and joined up with other banished merfolk when it was of necessity for her. At least she had more of a common link with them than any of her former clan. In fact, she had absolutely no desire to make any sort of communication with those that had exiled her.

Nita finally arrived at the Shores of Runa alone, as usual. She was such an uncommon site, as most people in her race preferred being among others of their kind. She had never really been interested in such things and when she was banished, she wasn't as depressed as she ought to have been. She loved being able to live by her own rules, but she had no problem name dropping if need be. Being the daughter of the King still carried a lot of sway and there was apart of her that believed she was only kept alive because of his say so.

The rain seemed to finally die down and Nita looked around. She swam up to the beach, her fins still submerged underwater. She could easily swim out and watch as her fins became legs, but she didn't really feel like it today. In fact, she wasn't sure what she felt like. Sure, she could do a bit of flirting, but there was always the issue of someone from the Ekundayo clan finding out. That thought alone made her roll her eyes. She really wasn't sure if she was in the mood for some form of criticism, especially by their leader, Keto. Sure, she flirted with the guy and she found him terrible attractive, but he looked down on her in so many ways it was rather uncomfortable.

She sunk her head back underwater and came up again, looking up at the gray sky. It was going to rain again, of that she was certain. Nita frowned and moved herself further inshore, wondering if she could attract attention. She was supposed to be waiting for a friend to strike a deal with, but she was fairly certain her friend wasn't going to arrive before it rained. If all else failed, she'd have to get out of the water. And if she got out of the water and transformed and Keto saw her, she knew he'd kill her. She had survived this long, she really didn't want to be eaten by the likes of him.

[JEAN RENE HAGUE]

Rene's teeth chattered against each other noisily. Sitting under a tree, his whole body seemed to shake and shudder. Not of his own accord, as Jean tried his hardest not to admit defeat, but he was so overcome with exhaustion that he could no longer control the shivers which racked his body. His white knuckles clutched at the sopping wet blanket around his shoulders, the cover of the forest a few miles too late. Unable to continue on, he curled up against the trunk and waited out the worst. His hair was black and matted against his pale face, lips slightly bluish in hue.

He hated the winter months. Being a Naga had its distinct advantages and disadvantages, and cold-bloodedness was a fairly keen disadvantage. Luckily he was somewhat resilient to temperature drops, as he wasn't entirely snake-like, but even his human form was unhappy with the current weather. Jean could only emit a small sigh of relief as the rain finally died away. He stood, stilt-legs shaking at the knees. Tearing away his wet blanket, Jean hung it on a low branch of a tree along with his packs. While ridding himself of the weight was a relief, Jean clutched his slender shoulders as a breeze cut right through him. Taking his empty canteen in hand, Jean trudged through the edge of the woods, boots covered in mud up to the ankles.

He hated shoes to no end, but his original form would not be able to manage the rough terrain. Eventually the woods opened up, revealing the magnificent shores of Runa. The treacherous waters looked particularly foreboding today, covered in clouds of gray and rippling with thunder. Jean trounced through the sand towards the shore, stumbling clumsily to his knees. With an irritated sigh he filled his little canteen, drinking a little of the water himself. Cold as ice. Yet, he was terribly thirsty and didn't seem to mind. A clammy fever was slowly setting in and Jean ached all over. Even though his canteen was filled, he sat listlessly at the water's edge, staring at his mottled reflection.

His attention was only remotely lifted as his perceptive eyes sensed the presence of warm blood. His glassy green slitted eyes turned, watching a beautiful woman cut through the water as gracefully as a swan. He blinked slowly, unable to contemplate much at first, however his mind soon took on a sense of clarity. She must've been some sort of water-dwelling creature. Too handsome for her own good. Even though Jean was thoroughly exhausted, he used the last of his energy to keep a wary guard about himself. It was his own opinion that every creature was inherently dangerous and should be regarded with great uncertainty. Needless to say, such things scarcely ever inhibited Jean's actions.

"Hello, darling! Fine day as any for a swim, eh?" Jean's voice laughed, calling out against the suffocating sky. He waved his arm a bit, but soon let it hang numbly by his side. He didn't know what any seafolk could do for him as far as providing a bit of warmth went, but he was quite hungry. Perhaps he could talk her into getting him a bit of fish in exchange for a favor. Not his favorite food, of course, but he had to take what he could get. Either that or he could just eat her if she caused any trouble. Such a thought made Jean smile slightly. Being a doctor practically made him a sous chef of flesh. Luckily it wasn't his habit to eat any resemblance of a person. He'd prefer a deer or some sort of rabbit above all else. Fat chance arranging that.

[NITA ISIS LARENE]

As she rested herself on the cold beach, Nita failed to take note of another figure off in the distance. That had always been a bit of a problem for her. She wasn't as observant as she should have been. In her mind, if someone wanted to harm her, they had all the time in the world to do it. She saw no reason to become overly paranoid and anti-social. If it was her time to die, than so be it. The color of the sky, on the other hand, really seemed to irritate her more than anything. "If I wanted to be out here at night, I would have simply done that." She mumbled to herself.

Nita must have lay there for several minutes, her mind lost in thought. Oh the many things that were going on in her mind was enough to drive even the sanest person insane. She truly couldn't stay focused long enough and before she realized it, she had almost fallen asleep. It was like her, a mermaid, to lay there motionless in the open, uncaring. She didn't care if she was found out, in fact, she wanted to be seen. She liked the attention she caused and the trouble she started when an unsuspecting human or other creature noticed her. It turned her on.

Finally, after what appeared to be hours, she opened her eyes and felt the presence of someone else watching her. Without moving, she lifted her head lazily and noticed an odd figure sitting far off in the distance. With most of her body still submerged in water, Nita eyed the newcomer with a bit of apprehension. She was confident enough in her own ability to know when to leave at the first sign of trouble. However, the stranger didn't seem to want to harm her...yet. She'd take that into consideration. She watched this figure as her eyesight come into focus and raised an eyebrow.

Was he human? She squinted her eyes but wasn't entirely sure and before too long grew slightly bored with him. Apparently he had waved at her and she didn't move or make a sound for a few more awkward moments. She didn't want to leave the safety of the water, as the thought of someone like Keto berating her was always fresh in her mind. Instead she lazily waved back, wondering if he was the flirtatious type. "For me, it's always a good day for a swim." She replied, her voice louder than it should have been.

She stared at the creature again and wondered how long he had been sitting there. Perhaps he had been there the entire time and she simply failed to notice him? Either way, the thought of knowing that someone had taking some sort of interest in her was more than she could stomach and she was severely tempted to get out of the water just so she could converse with him. From the looks of it, however, he appeared to be bitterly cold. She merely chuckled. "Weather's not treating you well?" She called back, almost mockingly.

For a moment, she lay there, playing with grains of sand, ignoring the other creature. Curiosity always got the better of her and she finally admitted to herself that she was intrigued. She'd flirt with him if he allowed it, but nothing else. She hated the weak and this male was clearly weak. He can't even handle the cold! How...human. She thought ignorantly to herself. But, it was just him and her for all she knew and that gave her plenty of incentive. She bit her lip and moved just a little more up the beach, though most of her body remained underwater. She didn't want to lose what little advantage over him that she might have had. "Do you take pleasure...watching me like this?" She asked, smirking. She really had no qualms about flirting with any male, regardless of their race.

[JEAN RENE HAGUE]

Jean Rene watched her, as she seemed almost unresponsive for a few moments. Eventually she waved back with a gentle sweep of her arm. Her comment made Jean smile slightly, indeed a woman like her should always be wet. Such inside jokes made him chuckle aloud, as he had quite the habit of responding to his own thoughts. It was habitual of the life of someone living alone. He had his musings, humor, and conversations all up in his head for hours on end. Often the emotions evoked from these thoughts displayed on his face - a laugh, a frown, or a terse comment to no one in particular. But in the wilderness no one was around to bother him - away from the people who referred to him as "mad".

"Heh. Hardly. But I doubt the weather would make any considerations for a person like myself. It is winter, after all, and I am far from home," Jean shrugged, licking his salty lips. He sat back onto his bottom, adjusting his feet into a more comfortable position. His lower back leaned against a large branch of driftwood, while his booted ankles were lapped by the edge of the water. Jean looked almost comfortable in his reclined position if not for the slight wince which crossed his face. His slender legs ached and froze against his wet and muddy pants. Every so often his body would seize in a rough shiver, but it would pass. Jean did his best to remain still, large eyes heavy and tired.

He watched her coy play with indifference - the way she ignored him so pointedly. Eventually she came around. Jean couldn't help but smirk as she slowly swum over, still hiding beneath the water. What was she concealing? Jean didn't know, didn't care. She could be a large number of things, but that didn't matter to him at the moment. He observed her fluid movements, the way she bit her lip so attractively. Indeed, her assets were admirable and her face was of the most superb quality, but Jean couldn't help but laugh quite strangely at her little flirtatious remark. He seemed to become enlivened again, his whole body teeming with a feverish excitement. He nodded quite vigorously and smiled, fangs extending the slightest centimeter.

"Watching you, nymph, pleasures me greatly. But merely looking at you can only warm my soul. Will you not come a little closer and warm my body? I might die of hypothermia if not for your touch..." Jean spoke quite clearly and seductively, falling into the deeper register of his voice, playful and nonchalant. He sighed quite pitifully and tilted his head back, exposing the length and proportion of his slender figure to the fullest extent. He even shivered slightly to accent his weakness, pulling his head back to look at her breathlessly. "Don't be shy... I shan't bite you."

Needless to say, all of Jean's seductive ploys were complete and utter bullshit. He was fairly asexual with no true inclination for sexual activity. But, if the mood ever struck him, Jean preferred homosexuality above all else. Not that Jean didn't admire and respect a woman's physique, because he did, but merely because he found being on the receiving end made things much more enjoyable. Of course all of this was all rather taboo - to normal people, of course. But in Jean's nihilistic sense of the world he was allowed to do whatever he wanted with whomever he wanted. It was all relative. At the moment, however, he was merely focused on entertaining himself.

[NITA ISIS LARENE]

At least he liked to play. Oh how she hated men who couldn't at least indulge her. Her eyes studied him hard. Nita just smiled at him, for he was great fun. Her eyes wandered down his entire body and then went back up again once she stopped at his face. He wasn't the normal type that she went for. Well, she didn't really have a type. She'd flirt with anyone regardless. It's what usually got her into some form of trouble. She couldn't help herself. And yet you wonder why you're always at odds with every other merfolk. She thought hastily to herself.

It was true, she did wonder what she had to anger so many of her own kind and then it always ended up coming back to her less than innocent ways with men. She loved men. Men from all walks of life. Rich, poor, human or not. It never really mattered to her. If it was a man, chances are she was going to flirt with them. It was even better when they flirted back. This man was proving to be more interesting than previously thought. She playfully responded, "A person like yourself? Do tell..."

Her seemingly green eyes lit up as she rested her head against her hands, cleverly paying him more attention than she had previously awarded him. After all, it was just him and her out here for the time being, she might as well have fun with him while she could. The closer she moved towards him, the less fearful she became. Eventually, she was going to be completely out of the water entirely and it wasn't looking as bad an idea as previously thought. She just wanted a better look at who she was playing with.

Nita couldn't help but giggle at his rather welcome reply. Another eyebrow was raised and she finally decided to remove herself from the ocean. She wasn't going to think much about consequences just yet. Her tall, lanky body slowly wrangled itself ashore, making her feel more like an animal than she intended. However, it was the only way she could maneuver. Her fins, which were a sea-green color flapped about wildly, as if gasping for air but she remained calm, though she was in considerable amount of pain.

After a few moments, her fins slowly began the painful transformation into human legs. She grimaced, but made no sound that would tell anyone how painful it was. As many times as she had done this before, she still hadn't gotten used to the piercing feeling that gave way. It was like being cut in half, yet once the process was complete, a sigh of relief could be heard coming from her lips. She looked back over at the stranger, unashamed and winked. "Our little secret." She was taxed physically, but made the effort to crawl, albeit in a rather silly and unattractive fashion, over to where he had been sitting and wiped the wet strands of her hair out of her face.

Nita gently touched his shoulder and raised an eyebrow in shock. "You weren't kidding. You're terribly cold..." She noticed the slits of his eyes and formed an odd smile. She knew he was only messing with her, yet his words only seemed to egg her on. "I've been known to...warm many a man in my day." Then he mentioned something about biting and she practically screamed. It was meant as a laugh. "I don't mind a bit of...biting honey." She glanced over at him again, not bothering to attempt to stand just yet. She'd only fall over and make a fool out of herself. "So, what is a man like yourself doing out here? I might be the sight to look at, but I'm fairly certain I wasn't the main attraction and why are you so...wet?" She stifled another laugh. He was entertaining, she'd give him that.

[KETO AYSU VELLAMO]

SO LET'S GET IT OVER
and just get naked, with sweat dripping down your little back

I'M A HOLY ROLLER

-----------------------------------------------------------

The waters were wild today, the closer you drew to the surface. Above the brilliant waters there was a cloudy, stormy day taking place, sprinkling millions of droplets over the ocean. So being far below did not seem to be such a bad thing as there was no weather that one had to worry about. Besides, under the sea you were always covered in water and never dried up. Ugh, Keto could not image why anyone would want to be dry and flakey like those sick beings up on the land. They were all dried out. Maybe that was why they all seemed so stupid; they didn’t have enough water to keep their brains working properly. The merman sucked in some of the salty water as he thought about them; an amused grin wrapping up the corners of his lips as he drifted downward lazily, not caring if anything were to snap out at him or come out of the blue. He was well equipped at this game of survival. He had his guard up even when he hardly had a care in the world. He naturally kept in tune with the sea and the beasts dwelling within it. It was the ones on the outside that were random and odd to him. It was such an alien world up there.

The cold stare closed while the grin lengthened. His lanky arms reached out behind him, fingers stretching out horizontal to his body. Then he twisted effortlessly so that he was upright again and could shift his fins into gear and propel him up toward the surface. The closer that he got the more that the light began to flood into his eyes and play against his skin making it seem as though ripples were running over his shoulders and face. But as soon as he surfaced all of that came to an end as he peeked his eyes out.

From where he was it was mostly just open sea. In the distance he could clearly see Runa. Today that was his destination and he was going to be going very alone for old time’s sake. What he was doing? That was a simple question to answer, really. It was time for Keto to go out hunting. It was time for him to fill up the ache in his stomach by most likely dragging a worthless human into the depths and cutting its throat open. Just the thought of devouring some of the fresh flesh made him all the more eager to swim over toward the shorelines. In fact, with a meal on his mind now (and a lovely picture of just how he would get it) Keto dove back beneath the surface tossing himself only a few feet down from it. His midnight tail whipped effortlessly through the water as the small webs between his fingers caught it before him to drag him further ahead at a faster speed. As he approached the shore he came to a sudden halt; water swishing ahead, pulling at his dark hair. His eyes narrowed up at another merfolk’s figure while he allowed his body to sink a bit. The grin he had on his face earlier returned and a soft rumble came from his throat as he stared up at her, watching her edge closer to the shore.

As Nita Larene’s figure went out of his site, Keto swiftly twisted around and clutched onto a large stone protruding from the ocean floor. He pulled himself around it and carefully surfaced. He did not bother to move any of the dark brown hair from his eyes. Instead he allowed his eyes to peek through them while he watched his ally approach a man up on the shore. Oh this was only further pressing his amusement. Sure it sickened him that she would through herself away to these disgusting creatures but there was nothing he could do about it. Well, he could but why bother with her affairs? The stupid mermaid should have learned her lesson when she was banished. It was not his problem. And he didn’t care one bit. But that didn’t mean that he wouldn’t agitate her.

He allowed the two to talk and flirt, his lip twitching every so often as he contained his snorts of laughter. Watching two things flirt was rather amusing, wasn’t it? Keto thought that it was. But almost anything could amuse him.

It wasn’t long before the flirtatious female had turned herself into her human form. Her tail was replaced with a pair of dainty legs and she crawled up awkwardly to the male. While she spoke to him Keto finally decided to make an appearance. He glided easily over the water and stopped when he decided that he didn’t want to end up dragging himself up like she had through the shallower parts of the shore. As soon as he had done so he called out to her, “Nita, Nita, little princess, stay out of trouble!”

-----------------------------------------------------------

tagged: nita isis larene, jean rene hague
song: spaceship by puddle of mudd
words: eight hundred thirty-two
notes: and here is the (mer)man you've all been waiting for!

[JEAN RENE HAGUE]

Jean shuddered slightly as she eyed him, seizing him up. He liked the attention, even if it was from a female. A nod to his own egotism, which devoted many hours in front of a mirror. However, in no situation did Jean ever consider himself unattractive. He was either terribly self-confident or vain to an all-encompassing extent, for he could always attribute an aesthetic quality with himself no matter the situation. Being wet was a simple one to connect; along with being pale and vulnerable, especially since he preferred being the submissive sort. "Well, a person like myself is insignificant to mother nature. I'm a scientist. That is to say, nature could care less about me..." here he paused and chuckled, "Even I know for a fact that Spring loathes me."

Jean chatted idly to her adorable ears. He raised a brow as she came closer to the shoreline, watching her body emerge from the ocean. So she was a mermaid. Jean sat up, hesitant and weak. He wished to aide her in some way, but decided against inadvertently insulting her. His eyes widened as he watched her transformation take place, thoroughly intrigued from a doctor's point of view of how the fin turned into separate legs. Her process was similar to his own - only he had a snake's tail. From experience he recognized the pain she was going through - but surely she had become used to it to make a face of indifference. Jean sighed and relaxed as her transformation completed, feeling quite tired and sleepy. He watched her crawl towards him in a haze, gently moving his head towards her as she arrived at his shoulder, her body warm against his.

Her warmth lulled and intoxicated him. "I won't... tell a soul..." Jean sighed with a weak smirk, resting his head against her shoulder lightly. As she continued to speak, his smile widened. She was certainly a magnanimous girl. "Heh.. I like a bit of biting too... Makes you feel alive..." Jean closed his eyes, brushing his freezing lips against her bare shoulder. "Oh, I was traveling through the woods... I got caught in the storm... You're so warm... and naughty... You should know better than to talk to strangers." Jean chuckled, his lips moving against her flesh. He felt trapped by the sand, drifting away into nothingness... God, he felt so feverish...

He wished he were somewhere else. In a dream-like haze, Jean fell into someone else's arms... The beautiful blonde Draco. Why was he there? Who knew. Jean never considered himself much for love, or even lust, but there was something about the stubborn, edgy young man which Jean could not resist. Maybe it was simply the camaraderie. Such a strange camaraderie as it was, considering Draco explicitly tried to ditch Jean at every angle, but together they were bound by quiet misfortune. Draco fascinated Jean, and Jean repulsed him. This sort of strange, wanton puppy love kept Jean tossing and turning into the depths of night at times. And yet... here in this illusion, it was where he wanted to be most. Clearly, Jean was some sort of sick, masochistic idiot for developing on a crush on a man who clearly despised him... but it simply happened as such things are ought to do.

Jean jumped suddenly, sitting up as a man's voice called out to them. Blinking, Jean noticed the figure in the water, the top half of a strong, beautiful man poking out. The Runa must've been infested with the creatures. "Hello there! Trust me, I'm in more danger than your little princess..." Jean chuckled, although he became quite wary and edgy once more. Two mermaids against one weak snake was tipping the scales a great deal. They could drag him into the ocean as a team and all would be over. Still, there was no sense in being fearful. Fear merely clouded the mind and consumed a person with inactivity. Jean merely had to navigate this situation carefully as usual, and with a bit of luck, he could live to endure the full course of his eminent cold.

[NITA ISIS LARENE]

This was going to end up being more fun than she intended. How lucky could she have gotten? She washed up ashore, never intending to flirt with anyone, let alone a rather weak and vulnerable man. These sort of oddities always seemed to happen to her. She wasn't one to complain about her luck and instead took it for what it was: men gravitated towards her because she made herself readily available. That was the only explanation, not to mention being a mermaid always seemed to intrigue those who knew very little about her race.

He was strangely flirtatious. Usually, she had to put in some effort to get a rise out of someone. Not so with this particular male. It was refreshing, she had to admit to herself. Sitting next to him didn't warm her up. It actually had the opposite effect. She had been feeling fine up until that point. Maybe it was the fact that he was freezing, but she started shivering ever so slightly. On second thought, she had a feeling it had something to do with the transformation. Maybe she would have done better to stay in the water. She looked back out at the ocean and shrugged.

She liked it here. "Oh a scientist? I knew a scientist once!" Of course she wasn't going to exactly go into any details on what exactly happen to said scientist. He didn't really need to know. In fact she just quickly turned her head away from him, totally aware of his resting on her shoulder. Why should she care? She loved males. They were extraordinary creatures and never ceased to amaze her. She really wanted one for herself, but she had her father to thank for the reason she did not. Life wasn't fair!

She turned her body into a more comfortable position and smirked at him. "I can be worse..." She teased. She watched him fall in and out of consciousness, but she didn't say or do much of anything. In fact, she was just content to observe him. He was a strange male, of that she was certain, and she wasn't sure what to make of him just yet. Some more prodding about would be the best remedy for curiousness she figured. Occasionally, she touched his face, but more importantly, his hair. She found hair to be utterly fascinating for no apparent reason other than just because. How something so mundane could prove so interesting was a question she couldn't really answer.

His rather calm breathing relaxed her and she rested her head against the tree trunk contently. She was far from tired, yet felt no reason to do anything that required her to move. Suddenly he jumped and she gasped loudly. Both the male's abrupt movement and the voice off in the distance disturbed her momentarily. She squinted her eyes, looking in the direction of the source and snarled when she saw the culprit. And so went her perfect day.

Keto, her fellow merman, was not the ideal person she wanted to see. In fact, she'd much rather stay far away from him if she could help it. She had been in the middle of a rather flirtatious conversation and he was surely going to ruin it. She could always flirt with him, but he'd only end up rebuking her advances as usual. It was probably why she kept coming back to him. The bastard clearly knew how to keep her around. She rolled her eyes when the other male spoke, but she herself said nothing.

After a few more silent minutes, Nita finally called out, "Were you following me?" She slowly stood up, leaning heavily against the large tree to get her bearings. She hated walking with these legs. It was very unfamiliar territory. "My dearest Keto, you should know by now that I would never do anything to get myself into...trouble." She slowly removed her curvy frame from the tree and made the attempt to walk closer to him though she nearly tripped and fell several times. "I'm talking to a new friend, if you don't mind. Say what you want, but you wouldn't dare harm me here. I've got legs, see?" She held up one awkwardly and teased him. He was a true merman and she was fairly certain he wouldn't get out of the water. She wanted to see how far she could push him.

[KETO AYSU VELLAMO]

SO LET'S GET IT OVER
and just get naked, with sweat dripping down your little back

I'M A HOLY ROLLER

-----------------------------------------------------------

What a weak looking being that male looked to be! His skin was pale as the inside of an oyster shell and his body looked fragile and tattered. Perhaps it had been from the weather that his body had taken a beating. And perhaps it had been his dark hair that made his skin appear so white. Oh no, that could not have been it. He looked weak and pale because he was weak and pale; it was as simple as that!

A wide grin spread over Keto’s face as he observed the pair and the male called over to answer him. The reply made him turn his head toward his right shoulder with fake curiosity. The smile that was still stuck to his face probably giving him away though, but that really did not matter to him. He stayed next to his rock, aquamarine stare glued on the unthreatening man who had spoken to him. He did not bother looking over at the girl either of them were talking about since Keto hardly had a care as to what she was going to do. Besides, she didn’t seem to want to say anything to him at the moment anyways. Keto would just have to take care of that later or simply ignore it. It wasn’t as though it was going to kill him in either case. All he had shouted at the about was to show Nita his displeasure toward her choice in men, as he usually did. Apparently she just could not stick with staying to her own kind and had temptation to mix her lovely bloodline with some other creature. Think of the horrendous offspring that she would have then? In this case, some pale, skinny thing with a few fins, right? Sounded awful, but right. Silly girl.

Before Nita spoke, Keto pushed himself away from the rock he had rested against and drifted back out toward the ocean, sinking into the water again. Since he was still close to the shore he didn’t have much depth to get but he could still lay his fins up against the sandy bottom and brush by unnoticed as he swam smoothly along the bottom. He started to push closer to the shore but not up too close to either of them and made sure that he could still swim somewhat. He surfaced, eyes opened and on Nita now as she spoke to him. His brows rose up as if he couldn’t understand a word that she was saying.

A smirk crossed his lips now.

Following her? Oh, Nita really wished that he would be out following her tail around all day wouldn’t she? Didn’t she know that he had more important things to do? Like put creatures like the one at her side out of their misery. She had known him long enough to know that he sometimes liked to go out hunting independently, didn’t she? Oh, maybe not. Maybe she hadn’t managed to figure him out just yet no matter how horribly easy he made it some of the time. No matter, she would see in due time so long as she kept herself clear of being in trouble with him. Then she would no longer be welcome among his clan and would probably end up with a few cuts and bruises to show for it. Or maybe worse than that… you didn’t know with Keto, did you?

Finally the smirk subsided as he furrowed his brow and looked down at the legs she was flaunting at him awkwardly. He again tilted his head and studied them; it almost appeared like he had never seen such things in his life. Ah, but Keto had used them once or twice. He did not enjoy them, however. If the hunt called for a pair of legs he and a few others would use them but not for very long. Sometimes he felt weak on them and other times he was just fine, only having some wobbly steps before getting started. He was physically strong in the water so he could be just as strong on land. He just hated to take the time to change up and go up there to use those ugly human legs.

He was tempted to accept the challenge that she seemed to be throwing out at him but Keto worked at it and kept his cool for the moment, just giving her an amused smile from his place in the water. “Those do look hideous on you, princess,” he assured her sweetly, ignoring the human thing that she had been accompanying now. “Why must you persist on having affairs with these disgusting beasts?” He glanced over at the other male now shaking his head with pretend pity. “Stupid thing can’t even survive a little storm.”

Keto pushed back again only swimming a little ways out.

“Come back out here where you belong!”

-----------------------------------------------------------

tagged: nita isis larene, jean rene hague
song: spaceship by puddle of mudd
words: eight hundred seventeen
notes: sorry for the wait.. computer hates me some time.

[JEAN RENE HAGUE]

Jean was content beneath her gentle touches, as he quite liked to be messed with. He often ignored any sensible boundaries with people, least they be somewhat scary, and found human contact to be quite nice. Perhaps it was the profound isolation Jean experienced in his mind, something in his moral and philosophical perspective, that kept humanity at bay which caused him to revere the touch of another’s flesh. The feeling of heartbeats and blood brought him down from the cold recesses of his mind into the warmth of feeling and emotionality. And so when she gently moved about his slowly drying hair, Jean couldn’t help but sigh in relief. Even if he didn’t know her or didn’t trust her, at least he was with her. Anything with a pulse would’ve done.

Jean had been travelling for weeks alone, as was his usual routine. Hardly any place could hold his interest, and soon an inevitable boredom would creep in. He could keep the wretched feeling away with mischief, but sooner or later, he would find nothing left to be mischievous about. In that case, Jean would pack what light wares he would need, fill up on food, and head out to the nearest road. And being a person nearly seventy years old, who travelled endlessly, Jean already knew much of Reena. He knew the lands and the gist of several towns, enough to know where the good places to eat were and which places to avoid at night and shortcuts of all sorts. Yet, the only path unknown to him was home.

Bracing, Jean’s greenish snake eyes scoured the horizon suspiciously. He leaned onto his side, pulling his legs together as if to ready himself to transform. But he refrained. Better to not put all his cards on the table, especially if they saw him as weak and harmless. Yes, sometimes it was better to play the part, no matter how demeaning, than to act without abandoned and be laughed at. Truth was, Naga and Merfolk were genetic cousins – half human types with transformative features. Judging by the girl’s awkward gait and the fact that this merman didn’t come anywhere near the shallows, Jean found himself quite safe on the shoreline. In fact, more than quite safe – with a massive and crushing snake’s tail combined with striking speed, Jean found himself secure defensively. But, they didn’t have to know that.

Jean relaxed slightly, making a grand show of coughing into his hand. Still his eyes were glued to the merman’s movements, the fellow disappearing like a shark. Yes, a formidable shark. Jean felt slightly irritated at the man’s lack of decorum – and haughty attitude. If not for Jean’s present condition he would’ve felt inclined to teach these silly merfolk a lesson, but any such offensive actions would be severely unwise. Damnable self-control. Perhaps another day he would coil his tail around the woman’s body until her bones were crushed and her eyes bulged. Perhaps that would coax that fellow from the sea! But not now.

Jean watched the woman stand and stagger about, teasing her fellow “Keto”. The name rang a bell for some reason. Something to do with mermaid gangs and such... Jean hardly knew, as a land-dweller, and real specifics. Nevertheless, Jean couldn’t help but chuckle at their scene and even laughed when Keto insulted him. Such a strange laugh, indeed, laced with madness. Jean hardly noticed the chill anymore - he was feverish and jittery over the thrill of his situation. He even sat up straight and smiled. “Yes, my dear… why bother with me? Here you have someone – but for the price of a worm and something shiny – would die for you in reckless stupidity! That is, if he even remembers your name after three seconds…”

Jean giggled senselessly to himself, hardly remembering what words he spoke, or even if they made sense. His teeth clattered a moment, but soon he was shooing with his hands. “Go on, go on, my love… Back to where you belong… and tell your butch sister there her hair is quite fabulous.” Jean bit his lip, a wry smirk playing on his face. Surely he was being an idiot, but still unawares. He was intoxicated – possessed by some strange force which compelled him to stab and jibe, spiteful of everything suddenly.

[NITA ISIS LARENE]

Her legs. She placed the one she had been showing Keto back down in its proper place and was rather content to go about her business in conversing with this strange male. She was an equal opportuner and didn't believe in discrimination solely on the basis of race. No, she had to mingle and socialize with whomever would have her, regardless of how it made her look to her own kind. If she had truly cared what others thought of her, she wouldn't have gotten herself banished to begin with.

Nita stood there awkwardly for a moment, a few things running through her mind. It was true, she didn't know Keto half as well as she pretended, but he didn't know her either. Of course, no one really bothered ask her how she managed to survive alone for over ten years. She was more skillful and crafty than many would give her credit for, but she didn't really mind if no one knew. In fact, it was a clear advantage. She was constantly underestimated due to her rather jovial personality. It was a wonder no one really thought better of her. It was also the main reason she refused to join another clan.

What was the point when she was fairly certain that she'd only end up getting herself banished again, or worse, killed? Sure, she liked to play with Keto but the thought of actually joining his vicious and woefully ignorant clan only served to remind her of her own dysfunctional family and they were folks she'd much rather forget if she could help it. Nita watched silently as Keto seemed to disappear. Good riddance! She thought to herself, only it was temporary. His head emerged once again and she rolled her eyes in irritation. Why couldn't he leave her be? She didn't answer to him.

Nita looked down at her legs and smirked. She wasn't fond of them either and merely shrugged. It had taken her several long minutes, but she had finally figured out how to balance her body properly so she wasn't swaying awkwardly as she had been before. She placed her hands on her hips and frowned, at both males. This wasn't turning out to be as fun as she had hoped. Keto, she expected some sort of taunting from and wasn't nearly as surprised. The other male, she had hoped would at least pretend to be interested in her. She only sighed.

"Having an affair and casually talking to someone are two completely different things Keto! Or are you that thick to have figured it out?" It was true. She liked to flirt with any and all males. Whether she engaged in any illicit behavior with said males was another story. Mostly, she preferred her own kind, but as far as flirting and talking, humans were by far easier. For instance, she could never imagine having a serious conversation with a merman like Keto and there were many like him. The conversations almost always ended up violent. She had marks to prove it.

No, she would continue to talk to whoever she wanted, even if it killed her. However, when Keto told her to come back to the water, she didn't exactly move though she was tempted. If she went back to him, he'd surely fight her, but she wasn't sure that if she stayed on sure he wouldn't call her bluff and still fight her. Her forehead buried itself in serious concentration. She loved toying with Keto, when he was in a fairly receptive mood and since those were few and far between, she always picked her battles carefully.

It didn't help when the other male practically shooed her away. She turned around to him and looked him over hard. Perhaps he wasn't as weak and vulnerable as he wanted her to believe. Even so, she liked challenges. "I really wouldn't egg him on. He's not as nice as I am." She said, no longer smiling, her voice much quieter so Keto couldn't hear. "He's extremely violent, and well, it's just not worth it." She'd go back to Keto and take her chances.

Nita slowly walked towards the ocean and halted just slightly. She wasn't sure if she wanted to give him the satisfaction. So, she called out to him, "I am not coming back for you, so you leave me alone." Truthfully, her legs were far too weak from lack of use. And, she felt safer in the water. Two males could easily prove to be a problem and she wanted to at least have some sort of advantage. Nita made her way to where the beach met the ocean and dipped a leg in the water. "Keto, would you rather me have an affair with you?" She asked, before jumping back into the ocean and emerging once again, naturally whole once more.

[KETO AYSU VELLAMO]

SO LET'S GET IT OVER
and just get naked, with sweat dripping down your little back

I'M A HOLY ROLLER

-----------------------------------------------------------

Each of Keto’s eyebrows rose when he heard the pale one started going on about something. At first he didn’t much pay attention but he could still catch a few words here and there. Just a bunch of words poking fun and him and his fishy background. Keto merely quirked up a brow in amusement at the pale one as he finished off his sentences with senseless giggling. The merman simply tossed his head aside to look back toward the girl he had been taunting. Keto may have been known to many as being violent and reckless but that wasn’t something that was constant. He wasn’t going to lash out at everyone who spoke a bad word of him. Their time would come eventually and he would be sure that he had a front row seat to watch them and possibly help be the ones to bring them down. Keto had patience. That was something that came with being a good hunter. You couldn’t be completely reckless when you were trying to get something to eat. If you were then you would surely die of starvation. So it did amuse him a bit to think that everyone seemed to think he was going to flip out over a few nasty words. Even if they bothered him Keto still wasn’t a complete idiot. He wasn’t going to crawl up onto shore and try to strangle the guy. If he wanted to yell names from his safe spot, so be it! They could both yell silly things from their safe spots.

Keto’s attention was back on Nita now as she stood before the ocean with her ridiculous human legs. When she asked her question, Keto just gave her a light shrug of his shoulders saying, “Probably too thick, princess.”

He watched as the two conversed with one another and then grew bored of it and sunk back into the water. He fell back as far as he could being this close to the shore and flipped over gracefully so that his stomach was almost touching the sand. He rested his fingers on the bottom and kept completely still for a moment. The ice blue eyes fell shut and his breathing seemed to have completely stopped because of how relaxed it had suddenly become. It was not long that he stayed like this. For only a few moments he concentrated on the sand beneath his fingertips and then quickly dug his fingers underneath it and reached forward. His eyes opened back up as he felt a little crunch in his hand. A grin rounded his lips as he peeked through his clenched fingers at a reddish orange creature, slowly dying. It was nothing but a tiny crab but it was still something to settle his stomach until he found a more suitable spot to hunt from. Obviously this spot with Nita and her pale friend was not his favorite area to stick around.

Even though the waves were tossing about overhead, Keto still managed to just hear Nita’s voice calling out toward him. The merman clutched his snack closer to his chest as he turned to look up toward the surface. What she had told him to do would not have been a problem- had she not told him that she didn’t want it. Now Keto just lazily rested underneath the water, edging out away from the shore while unconsciously digging his nails into the crab to rip its shell apart. Whenever he got a loose piece of the raw meat he would shove it into his mouth quickly so that he could begin picking at it all over again. When Nita called out again this time he only smirked, shaking his head, and then shoved the rest of the crab into his jaws biting away any of the shell he may have left on it. He saw the splash of water and immediately shot over toward it. By the time he had reached her she had her top half out of the water again. Keto merely swam behind her as slowly as possible in hopes to keep her from noticing. He then ran his fingers across her back. Once they had fallen away, Keto flipped his tail into gear and pushed himself far from her.

He emerged once again to answer her question, giving her a very quiet chuckle. “Only if you perhaps had a worm and some kind of shining treasure,” he joked with her, grinning widely showing off the pointed teeth in his mouth. “It seems you have neither though so I will have to move on to the next and hope she has something to keep my attention long enough.”

-----------------------------------------------------------

tagged: nita isis larene, jean rene hague
song: spaceship by puddle of mudd
words: seven hundred eighty-one
notes: x__x