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Post by Nadia on Oct 31, 2019 17:00:49 GMT -6
Nadia hated water. Truly, passionately.
There weren't many elements she got along with. Wind, she could tolerate. Earth hadn't done her any particular harm in her time. Fire and water, though, those opposites... they gave her great fear. They were unpredictable. A river could burst its banks or a forest could catch alight and there would be nothing to be done about it. The fallout would be devastating. All anyone could hope to do in the aftermath was pick up what they could and run.
So why, then, did she sit on a pier stretching into the loch, staring into its inky depths?
The sky was black, and thus the water was. Even the flecks of white, the lonely stars, seemed few and far between. She was not dressed for the time or the temperature. Without a coat, and with her boots settled to her side, she swirled her feet over the surface to feel its chill. Anything was better than thinking about what she'd seen. What she couldn't possibly take her mind off, not for a second. Not to sleep, not to eat. The picture was burned onto her retinas. Just considering what she was trying to forget had her shoulders begin to shake, and her eyes gloss over with tears.
It was one incident. She wanted to tell herself that she was being silly, and that an isolated event with some tragic injuries could not do her any harm. The Slynk was unlucky.
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake the feeling that it had only been the beginning.
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Post by Ashe on Nov 1, 2019 2:18:22 GMT -6
[Ashe is using Sever Bond at the cost of 4 MP]  Ashe had decided to leave Inyala at home. It was nighttime, and he loved a good night swim, but Inyala was tired from an exhausting day of practicing magic and combat moves. So he bid her good night, cast the spell, and as the clock began ticking before they had to be reunited, Ashe had slipped out with a small aquatic pet. It wasn't often that he got to spend time solo with just another pet, Inyala was always there. And while he loved her and that was awesome, it was refreshingly different, for a short time, for something new. He'd deposited Hawaii into the water and considered diving in after her. It was cold, but was it too cold...? He didn't like the cold personally, but he did have a full body diver's suit on under his coat and jeans, in case he did have to go in the water after her. She was just a young Pliathor, and it was nighttime. He was literally asking for trouble, and relying on her love of treats to get her to come to him. Worst case scenario, he could teleport Alaska here to locate her. And that's the story of how he ended up losing his Goldwater when she swam off. Ashe walked along the shore, occasionally calling for her or danging a treat in the water. But she had found something more fun; Nadia's feet. At first it was a bump with her snoot, and then it was a nibble of a toe. Hawaii: 0 1/5 Ashe: 0 1/10 |
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Post by Nadia on Nov 1, 2019 11:57:19 GMT -6
Coming hand in hand with Nadia's dislike of water was a general avoidance of all creatures that existed within it. The only aquatic companion she spent any time with was a Seryn, and they were arguably on the tamest end of the spectrum; the Labs were home to all sorts of monsters of the deep. She'd only caught sight of a Pliathor on one occasion. Seeing its enormous head, half below the surface, with those rows of beady eyes, had been enough of a shock to last her a lifetime.
It seemed that fate wasn't her friend. The first bump of something against her sole barely got her attention, as lost in her miserable reverie as she was, but there was no mistaking teeth on her toes. With a squeal of surprise, she yanked her leg back. It was too dark to see clearly, and her eyes were blurry with tears regardless, so she couldn't discern anything other than a vague shape below her in the water.
"Oh, good grief," She whispered, one hand fluttering at her chest in her anxious, girlish manner. "What are you... are you friendly? Oh, please be friendly, I can't bear it..."
Perhaps being swallowed whole by an escaped beast wouldn't be too terrible, but she would've preferred something less panic inducing.
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Post by Ashe on Nov 6, 2019 13:53:29 GMT -6
Hawaii was definitely interested in this thing dangling in the water, swinging and kicking a little bit. It wasnt something she normally saw, and occurred only at this spot, nowhere else that she had looked. But then, after the smallest of tastes, these new things were pulled away! Hawaii surfaced, and though it was dark, she was a lighter color than the water around her, and her eyes would surely gleam. Even more eerie would be the metallic sheen of water glistening on her smooth skin as her head rose, and her thicker neck and body behind it.
She saw it was a human, standing there. Like Ashe but not. She decided to hang around, in case this person had treats. Because Ashe usually had treats!
Ashe heard the sound of a woman in distress, or at best extremely surprised. He was moving toward the sound before the obvious registered; someone else was out here besides him?? He followed the sound and found his feet taking him out on a pier, footfalls soft but the general weight of someone walking on the wood causing a soft well worn groan. "Are you okay, miss?" Ashe asked, fearing the worst. Such an irresponsible pet owner, allowing his Pliathor of all things out to attack unsuspecting ladies. Hawaii could have easily caused some real damage, but maybe-
He saw the girl standing there, looking distressed. He couldn't see her face too well in the dark, but her body stance for sure, and he quickly followed the direction she had been pointed in; the gleam of slick skin giving the young beast away. "Damn, sorry about her. I hope she didnt bite you...." Ashe said sheepishly. She was standing, not sitting in a pool of blood, so that was good right?
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Post by Nadia on Nov 7, 2019 11:54:36 GMT -6
Nadia's heart leapt into her throat. That was a Pliathor, as certainly as she was a human being - a small one, but one nonetheless. With her eyes accustomed to the dark, having been sat there for long enough, it was easy to distinguish the shape of its surfacing body and the gleam of the moonlight off its scales. Even if she was safe from it on the pier, she had no plans to stick around. Who was to say that greater beasts wouldn't follow?
Then, a voice. So entranced was she by the Pliathor that she hadn't noticed a person approaching. As such, it came as another shock, accompanied by another of her frightened squeals. Fear quickly gave way into anger, however. When she turned to face the man, she was scowling, even if the low light prevented it from being seen.
"Gods, what is this?" The sharpness in her tone was softened by the watery quality of her tears. "Do you mean to scare me into my grave?"
It was familiar, though, that voice. She'd heard it before. Typically, that would make no great impression, but her lack of acquaintances in the city meant that she must've held a conversation with the person before. She was quiet for a minute other than the occasional sniffle while she rooted through her memory, searching for a spark of remembrance.
"... Ashe?"
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Post by Ashe on Nov 7, 2019 18:39:51 GMT -6
Ashe jumped, just slightly, the kind where you tense and jerk in surprise rather than jumping out of your boots. He hadn't expected to get such an outburst from her, though her voice sounded strange, muffled almost like. As if something was in her throat. Little did he know it was tears - he might have excused himself and turned to flee. A woman mad at him would be bad enough, but a crying woman that's mad at him would be too much! He wouldn't stand a chance. Thanks to the darkness, however, he didn't know what he was getting into.
"I didn't mean-" Ashe started, trying to defend himself. He'd just been an irresponsible pet owner and his little Goldwater got away from him, but he certainly didn't mean to scare a woman to death. He couldn't see much in the way of details, but the shape of her face that he could see, and the way her hair was, made her look pretty in a 'romance by the ocean' kind of way.
Then his name. Crap, she knew him? He wracked his brain, trying to place voice to a name since it was hard to see the face enough. Quick process of elimination and he grabbed for a name. "Nadia! Why do I always find you by the water? I thought you hated the water."
Down below, Hawaii kept close to the surface, in case something fun decided to come along, even if no one was within reach now... She played with herself among the posts holding the dock up.
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Post by Nadia on Nov 8, 2019 15:46:46 GMT -6
He recognised her. That came as a surprise - it had been a while since they had last been face to face, and they'd hardly been bosom buddies back then either. Rather than focus on that, though, Nadia tried to avoid looking a gift horse in the mouth. Ashe was company. They'd gotten off to an awkward start, but the small amount of her rational brain that was still functioning could recognise that neither him nor his Pliathor had meant any harm.
"I do," She choked out with a sharp laugh. "I hate it. I wish I had never come out here."
There was no conviction in her words. Instead, as she went on, she sounded closer and closer to crying again; she tried to wipe her eyes with her sleeve as discretely as possible, but even in the dark it was obvious that she was distressed.
"I am very sorry that I shouted," She continued. The best word for her tone of voice was 'miserable', and her head was lowered when she turned back towards the water. Wherever the Pliathor was, and however much they frightened her, she hadn't wanted to yell at it. "I hope you'll both forgive me."
It seemed most prudent for her to collect her boots and leave. Her footfalls were quiet on the boards as she bent to collect them, but rather than put them on, she was going to continue past Ashe barefoot. What was wrong for her to be so apathetic? Embarrassed to even look him in the face, she kept her eyes down. All the better, really. With a bit of luck, he wouldn't notice her gnawing her lip in the effort to hold back tears.
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Post by Ashe on Nov 15, 2019 3:16:20 GMT -6
Ashe frowned, wanting to ask her then why the heck was she out here if she hated it so much? Girls didn't normally seek out things they hated in the middle of the night, did they? Ashe supposed anything was possible; they were a mysterious species, that gender. Though he often was, he tried to avoid being on the bad, or sad, side of a lady, and he'd quickly learned that remembering a face and a name would do wonders. It could turn a slap in the face into a roll in the hay! But beyond that, he didn't know how to stave off woman tears, if she was hellbent on crying. And Nadia looked very sad, thankfully not at him, but if it wasn't at him... he might not be able to avert the crisis.
"It's alright," Ashe assured her. "I'm sure Hawaii didn't take offense, she's too self important. And I'm fine." He watched her get her stuff. "Hey, you don't have to leave..." He started to say, wondering if it was his (and his Pliathor's) presence that made her leave, or if she was just leaving since she hated it. She wouldn't even look at him as she walked by; now he was really starting to wonder if he'd offended her last time? Risking having it snapped off, he reached out an arm and touched her shoulder gently, so she could pull away if she wanted to. "What's the matter, Nadia? Something's wrong, isn't it?"
Out in the water somewhere, there came a sudden splash as Hawaii chased night bugs that hovered over the water, or maybe fish that tried to go up instead of down to get away.
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Post by Nadia on Nov 20, 2019 17:14:08 GMT -6
Had Nadia been capable of explaining her logic, she would have - the irony of her presence was not lost on her. Though intimidating, the loch at night was quiet. Dark. The sound of the water was relaxing, and she didn’t have to worry about being bothered, because she seldom saw visitors to the docks after sunset. It was the ideal place to sit and collect her thoughts. The surface of the loch served as a blank canvas on which to visualise and arrange her thoughts; the woods were too dense, too cloying.
In the split second after Ashe’s hand fell to her shoulder, she tensed and froze. He was touching her. It usually filled her with such dread and discomfort, to feel another person’s grasp, but her sharp inhale was not one of fear. Someone was touching her, and asking what was wrong, and she was so heavy with emotion she felt she would sink like a stone.
Her boots thudded when they hit the boards, having been dropped from her hand. That moment of kindness had broken the dam, and she threw her arms around his waist, pressing her face to his chest as a fresh bout of tears began to swell.
“I’m frightened,” Her voice was unstable and muffled. “I saw something terrible.”
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Post by Ashe on Dec 1, 2019 16:16:23 GMT -6
Ashe felt her tense and expected the tug away. Some people didn't like being touched, and even more commonly, most girls didn't like to be touched by guys at night. Of course, Ashe didn't normally experience the latter, but of course he'd heard the stories about the dangers women faced, traveling alone at night. Normally, if Ashe was touching a woman, the woman was happy about it and the trick was getting her to admit it and not to keep brushing him off; but you never knew.
This reaction, however, was just as foreign to Ashe as the other. He felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck when the boots thudded, in a 'what was that?!' manner, then he realized the source of the sound as arms snaked around him. His arms went up on reflex, definitely not expecting to be hugged by Nadia, nor quite so tightly, nor to handle a crying woman! Tears were a weakness to many men, and Ashe was no exception. He was awkward, yet desperate to make them stop. His arms came around her shoulders and he patted them lightly.
"What did you see?" He asked, picturing something silly like mistaking Hawaii for a terrible monster. Or maybe seeing a Pliathor eat- that would be enough to make any damsel cry! As if knowing she was being thought about, Ashe caught the gleam of a Pliathor eye as Alaska checked in on them, bored.
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Post by Nadia on Feb 22, 2020 13:24:44 GMT -6
Nadia found herself in a predicament. Once the initial impulsiveness had washed away, she was left with the reality that she had thrown herself into Ashe's arms without any consideration for his personal space - and was now face first in his chest, clinging on for dear life. Trying to leap away again would make her look even more a fool. The safest thing to do for the moment was lean into it and appreciate the contact while she could.
It was nice. A hug.
"I saw... I saw..." She took a deep, grounding breath. "I was at the market, and there was some manner of demonstration happening. I was unsure of what its purpose was, so I intended to take a closer look, but--"
A shudder wracked her body.
"All hell broke loose. People were rushing, and stampeding, and I got caught in the crowd, and I tripped, and..." Her voice thinned and quietened. "Next to me, a Slynk... its head... I couldn't do anything for it. All I could think was that... it could have been me, or one of my own, and I wouldn't know how to help. Wouldn't know how to defend myself."
A baby Pliathor seemed like nothing in comparison.
"So... that is why I am frightened."
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Post by Ashe on Feb 26, 2020 18:18:24 GMT -6
He was getting to be a little concerned at this point. What he'd expected to be a quick hug - because if hugs were rare for him, then those intense, tight, meaningful hugs were even more so - turned out to be one of those 'much needed' hugs. She stayed against his chest, and he felt her shudder, felt the effort put into each breath, fighting for calm when something obviously deeply affected her. So he slowly tightened his hold on her, from gentle shoulder pats to arms crossed over her back. Loose enough so she could get free if she so wished, but tight enough for the contact if that's what she needed. If it wasn't for the tears, this would be rather pleasant, having a girl in his arms. A new girl, not as familiar as past conquests.
He knew the demonstration she was talking about. It had to do with the rights activists. He hadn't been there originally, but he'd heard a bit about it, mostly about what was said and the sides that had started to form to divide the city afterward. She must have seen something.
He opened his mouth, at once concerned that she'd tripped and gotten herself hurt. PTSD seemed natural after getting trampled by a stampeding crowd! But then she continued and it was a Slynk... What happened to the Slynk? Always one for the gory details, for the "one detail too many" details, Ashe wanted to know. Thankfully, he also had the experience to not voice every single thought of his... Either the Slynk was beheaded or the head...was stepped on or something. Slynk was dead, she wouldn't be crying with any other outcome.
"That's terrible..." Ashe murmured. "That you had to see that. I don't think any of that will happen to you, or your pets, and especially not out here tonight..." He tried to make his voice soothing, relaxing. "But, you can avoid the possibility altogether, you know? Get a big scary pet, and people tend to give you a wide berth."
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Post by Nadia on Feb 29, 2020 17:00:12 GMT -6
Nadia was quiet for a few moments following Ashe's words. She appeared to be thinking, but just as much as that, she was enjoying the physical contact, a luxury she seldom afforded herself. If she was going to be ashamed and anxious about such an action afterwards, then so be it. It was what her heart desired most. Her creatures were dear friends, but none had the arms to hug her.
The soothing tone of his voice was not lost on her. Like a skittish animal, she softened under it; tension bled out of her shoulders and allowed her to sag. He was right. Nothing was going to happen to her tonight, at least, and that was cause for relief in any case.
"But they frighten me too," She murmured. When she tipped her head back to look at him - it took a level of courage she was surprised at being capable of - her eyes were round and watery, childlike. "I have never... I own Galabex, a-and Equillion, I wouldn't know where to begin..."
It was a good idea, though, and she knew it. Having a creature trained for her protection would help her stress levels. Though Dodger would be quick to gore anyone who bothered her, he was hardly a vicious beast, and she had no intention of turning him into one.
"Even your little baby scared me."
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Post by Ashe on Mar 1, 2020 16:36:36 GMT -6
He felt the tension leaving her, her body going more limp with each breath. Good. He wasn't sure she could get much more tense without turning into a steel rod, and now she was relaxing like a rag doll almost. Though he knew her feet were still under her, and she wasn't wobbly or anything, he got the impression that he was what was holding her up. Whether that was true or not, his body shifted instinctively to better brace his legs, and his arms kept around her to hold her in place. If it wasn't for literally feeling the tension dissipate, he would have worried something had happened.
Ashe felt her shift and looked down at her. To his surprise, he was looking straight into those galabex-in-the-bright-lights wide eyes, watery in the way desperation and fear make them, big enough he thought he could see himself reflected back even with just the moonlight.
"You could try.... A Vulticus, or an Estharne?" Ashe suggested. "Powerful predators, with fangs or claws. Or if that's too much - you like Equillion, try a Tainted?" At the admission, he couldn't help but chuckle. "You should see her big sister sometime." Though Alaska and Hawaii weren't related at all, he referred to them as sisters. "Pliathor are great, but they're stuck in the water anyway. Not much protection if you're on land. Unless you became a hermit with a moat around your house!"
As if she heard she was being talked about, a tiny head peeked up under the docks by their feet, sparkling gold in the moonlight.
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Post by Nadia on Mar 2, 2020 16:19:54 GMT -6
Ashe was probably right to brace himself. Though she didn't weigh much, Nadia wasn't paying attention to how she was distributing her weight, and would have likely fallen over if he let her go or left her to support herself. Taking a dip in the loch was the worst thing that could possibly happen to her in that moment, and avoiding it was prudent.
Looking up at Ashe was helping the scenario sink in, and not necessarily in a good way. She was dreadfully close to him. When had she last been in close proximity to another person? Not for a while - and as for a man who wasn't in her family, never. Even in the low light, the red tint rising in her cheeks would be visible due to its sheer ferocity.
"I, um... I apologise for... this," She said awkwardly, breaking the eye contact as her self consciousness grew. "Not, um... not the most proper way to behave."
He was right, though. A Vulticus or an Estharne were good ideas, but she visibly grimaced at the mention of a Tainted Equillion, instead choosing to focus on the glimmer of gold from Hawaii's resurfacing.
"They breathe fire..." No further explanation to her rejection other than that. "Perhaps some self defence training would not go amiss, either... um, I think that we should give her some love, you know. Your little one."
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