07. spam

[godsays]

[ He builds you, in his mind, from the slivers of sight and sound that fall through the cracks of your world into his. He catches the curve of your hand, the glance of sunlight off of hat and hair, through the gaps of rope and rigging and rail. He goes still, and lets himself sink, and listens to the muffled half-sounds that hum in the water against his skin. He can hear your voice, from the dim-and-dullness, the quiet riot.

He is a patch of pale skin and a long, winding tail distorted by restless water. He is intrigued, but he is... shy? Cautious.

He will follow you anywhere there is water to swim. ]

[ ooc: Zane is a merperson who is spying on everyone, particularly people he finds intriguing or dangerous. This is especially open to people that we've plotted/discussed him stalking, but also open to... yep, pretty much everyone who wants to spot a mercreeper.

Also available for general interaction for fellow water-and-island-creatures! ]

Comments

[godsays]

[ Zane retreats a hint, taken aback by the question. ]

I wanted to talk to you.

[patheticvillain]

You wanted to -

[He stares. Snorts. Unfolds his arms and pushes his hair back.]

You couldn't just talk?

[godsays]

The last time I tried to talk to a human...

[ He twists his tail and pushes himself out of the water, revealing the metal buried in his chest.

A twist to the side shows Cassel the point, slightly protruding. ]

Forgive me for taking precautions.

[patheticvillain]

[His eyes go wide, and his fingers twitch again. What an odd thing.]

How are you alive?

[Almost without realizing it, he slides closer to the edge to get a better look.]

[godsays]

We aren't so fragile as you.

[ He hasn't thought about it much. It hurt a lot for a long time, but it eventually healed. Now it's just a part of him. ]

What's the difference between you humans? Why do you want to kill each other?

[patheticvillain]

Huh. I'd like to be less fragile.

[Being fragile sucks. So much. What do you even do with a broken bone on a pirate ship, huh?]

[The question makes him grin, though. He points at the treasure across the cave.]

The other ones have things we want.

[godsays]

That's all?

[ He looks appalled. That's a terrible reason to kill each other. ]

[patheticvillain]

That's it. I like getting what I want. Don't you?

. . . After all, you did just nearly to drown me so you could talk to me.

[godsays]

That would have been enough to drown you?

[ wow revising human durability way downwards. ]

[patheticvillain]

Well, a few minutes more. [He waves his hand.] Not the point. You like getting what you want, too!

[godsays]

All of this? [ He gestures to the treasure. ]

Curiosities. A way to occupy my time. What do I need with trinkets?

[ He slides out of the water, coiling his tail so he could spring at Cassel - or spring away - if he needed. ]

[patheticvillain]

Not that. I mean you got me. So I could answer your questions.

[He doesn't move away, though he eyes Zane suspiciously.]

Or am I wrong?

[godsays]

I was just interested.

[ Somewhat defensive. ]

I'm not like a human.

[patheticvillain]

Right, you were interested. In me.

[He's smirking, now.]

I can see that, of course, you've got a spike in your chest. Plus a tail.

[godsays]

Better than your little forked things. Stronger, too.

[patheticvillain]

Well, I see that too, you threw me in the water. And it sort of hurt.

Have you ever wanted to walk on land?

[godsays]

I can walk on land. It's not special.

[patheticvillain]

Oh.

[And. Now he's sulking. Why can't he have a tail when he wants to? This is unfair.]

But you've never seen a city.

[godsays]

[ He can. It hurts, though. Every step, constant pain. ]

You've never seen a reef. Or breathed in salt-water.

Having a tail is better.

[patheticvillain]

What's it like? All those things.

. . . Don't show me, by the way.

[godsays]

What should I do, then?

I'm not good with your words.

[patheticvillain]

What are you good at?

[godsays]

Killing.

Swimming.

Listening.

[patheticvillain]

Ha. In that order?

[godsays]

I didn't put them in any particular order.

[ He pauses, and considers.

He shifts, then, sliding much of his tail into the water. ]

Come here.

[ And if Cassel does, he'll guide Cassel's hand to touch his scales, underwater. They are slick in the water, warm. ]

Swimming is like this. The ocean is smooth, and I am smooth when I move through it. I breathe it...

[ He touches his throat, and his gills flutter open. Right now, he uses his lungs. Otherwise he couldn't speak. ]

It moves through me as I move through it.