don't you know there's a part of me It’s safe to say that when Delta sees something weird, she immediately is interested. There was something oddly shiny towards the shore. It was a little closer than she’d like...but it also looked so big! And Delta hadn’t seen anything like it yet.
With wide eyes, she slowly swam closer before finally she was close enough to begin working. All she could see right now was a shiny, silver handle. Normally, these sorts of things were quickly discovered by scavengers, so she was incredibly lucky to have discovered something like it.
Unfortunately, it was very stuck, jabbed between rocks, deep within the sand, and with half a fishing net attached to it. Flicking her sail, she was just at the surface, causing the water to splash slightly as she started to fiddle around, very intrigued by what this thing might be.
that longs to go into the unknown delta
The sun was warm on his coils, and the water was cool on his belly scales as the pale python relaxed in the Torchline warmth. There would be few enough chances to do so in the coming days and weeks, but he had burned his magic through filling bags of oranges and breadfruit to take back to the Grounds for the townsfolk, and now he took some time to rest and recharge his mental batteries in a form he'd spent far too little time in. The pale blue cloud manta gem rested cool within his jaw, underneath his forked tongue, and had almost dozed off when a flash of color and movement nearby woke him up.
Not far off shore at all, in fact, as a flicker of colorful frills caught his eyes again and he raised his head, intrigued by the commotion. It was far too big to be one of the bright little fish that had captivated him while swimming with Deimos, but he couldn't get a clear view of it from the sand, so he slowly began to slide into the oncoming waves, uncoiling in a sinuous shrug of thick muscles down his length as he pushed his way through the thankfully calm surf and began to swim his undulating way towards the nearby rocks.
Hello? he sent out through the Attuned bond, accompanied by a tendril of his Beastmaster magic to ensure whatever it was would be peaceful (still thinking it to be one of the mysterious sea creatures rather than a person). Are you hurt?
don't you know there's a part of me It really is lucky for the serpent that she wasn't too engrossed in her activity and that merfolk could speak through the attuned bond. While she didn't feel the Beastmaster magic, she could certainly sense that the serpent was concerned in some capacity. Though, there was one small problem: she had no idea who spoke to her. It wasn't like she had seen the serpent, no, but that voice was unmistakable- someone was nearby.
Thankfully, she had met two others who communicated with her through such a bond. Potentially, this could be an ascended who was granted the abilities of an attuned, but something told Delta that this was a real attuned.
Searching around her, she didn't quite see anyone, her actions paused. Yes? I am fine. Who are you? Her voice was somewhat calm, but she was also on high alert. Lifting her head above the water, she had to readjust herself to not hurt her neck. Where are you? Not yet using her voice, of course, seeing as she still had no idea who spoke to her.
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Jigano hadn't been expecting a response in words, and he was almost swamped by a wave instead of floating over the top of it when the reply came back. Luckily his body knew what to do even when his mind was distracted, and he continued to snake his way through the water.
A little herpetology pun, there.
He couldn't see the other ... Attuned? properly yet either, only catching the occasional glimpse of a fanned tail. Now that he was in the water the waves blocked his vision more often than they cleared it, and it was all he could do to keep on course for the rocks. I'm Jigano. Here-- he tried to raise his head up, but he couldn't raise it far without risking part of his body sinking, and quickly dropped flat again. Ah, the white snake heading for the rocks near you. I'll be there in a minute. Less than that, as it turned out. The python was a powerful swimmer, far more graceful riding the waves than his dragon form was and more buoyant than any of his mammalian shapes. Who are you?
He found a rock before he found a person, and he worked on throwing a coil of himself high enough onto it to catch its rough surface with his scales and pull himself further along, seeking the other Attuned (or so he assumed) with whom he spoke.
don't you know there's a part of me The name was certainly reassuring and added something to their conversation. Delta preferred to have a name as it seemed more personable and made her feel like she was being nice. Of course, it had never occurred to her that someone may lie about their name... oh well!
A white snake certainly piqued her interested and she was already pretty excited. She had never seen such a thing before! What kind of snake was it? Was it a water snake? Or what about those land ones? The land ones she only really saw from far away and even then it was pretty rare, so this was exciting! What kind of a snake are you? Are you an attuned? An ascended? Or some mythical talking snake? The last comment could probably be perceived as a joke and she wasn't super serious about it, but she did have to cover all the grounds. I'm Delta. Simple enough.
There was a streak of white out of the corner of her eye and she tried to search the rocks for the snake- Jigano. "Do you need any help?" She called out, this time not through their bond.
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That was quite a barrage of questions! Jigano already liked whoever this was, and a warm chuckle filled the Attuned bond for a moment before the implications of an Ascended using the bond filtered through and sobered his thoughts a little. I'm a python. Not poisonous, he assured his conversation partner. And I'm Attuned, not mythical at all, he reassured with a return of his humor, thought there was a wistful sadness to it as he thought of the servant of Rae who had left such an impression on him. Though I'm a bit unusual in that I can use magic as well.
He managed a second coil onto the rocks and began the laborious process of pulling himself onto them. It's nice to meet you, Delta. Are you an Attuned as well--oh! He caught sight of what he assumed was his conversation partner, but she blended her marine and human halves far more gracefully than even Sunjata had done, looking like a single, perfect whole rather than two halves more-or-less attached in the middle. You're lovely! What shift is that? Struggling to lift his bulk higher out of the water he dipped his head apologetically - just in time to avoid a wave crashing over the rock. Ah, yes please. If you could give my middle a shove up onto here that would be a big help.
don't you know there's a part of me A python! Oh! Delta had heard of those! Snakes that were typically rather large that would choke their prey. Those snakes typically resided within the trees, so it was a massive shock that one would be white. Her curiosity was answered when Jigano confirmed he was an Attuned- explaining the unnatural coloration of his shift.
The following question earned a giggle from Delta and before she could respond, she saw a white head pop up. It really was a white snake! The compliment certainly earned a blush from her and she knew that she had a lot of explaining to do. "Thank you Jigano, but I'm not an attuned." Pause for dramatic effect. "I'm a mermaid, but because you asked, my shift is a Lion Fish. Thank you for the compliment." She offered him a sincere smile, a bit surprised by the random compliment thrown her way.
Reaching forward, Delta carefully lifted up the rest of the snake and tried to help him get onto the rocks, but would make sure not to let go until he confirmed he was safely on the rocks. "You are a magnificent snake, Jigano. I'm going to guess your color isn't natural in the wild? I've never really seen pythons before, seeing as I mostly just see water snakes or ones that like the sand."
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A mermaid? I've heard of the sea-folk, but I didn't think I'd get to meet one, he admitted, curiosity sparkling like cheerful fire in his thoughts, much like the gem he held beneath his forked tongue, tucked safely into his mouth. It's an honor and a pleasure. I've never heard of 'lion fish' before... are they like the lions of the land? Sort of... large predators with manes, that hunt in packs? He tried to describe a lion to someone who lived in the ocean, unsure if she was familiar with cats as a baseline. Though based on her tail she was of a very different breed, all sinuous grace and majestic rays along her fins.
With Delta's help he was able to get a secure hold onto the rocks, and brought his head around to a more sheltered side to admire her now that he knew what she was. Thank you for the help - and the compliment, too. He was pleased by her attention, and happy to answer her questions while he rested after his swim. It's natural, but rare. I'm just lucky it's a good form for swimming. And holding its breath, for when sinking happened. Or poisonous gas, as he'd faced in the Spire.
What's brought you in so close to shore? Is there good hunting - er, fishing? - around these rocks? he asked curiously, tilting his head down to try and peer beneath the churning waves.
don't you know there's a part of me It was far from the first time that she had heard a statement such as that. It seemed to be common in the mouth-breathers to either not believe in merfolk or to be under the impression that they would never actually see one. For Delta, it was sometimes amusing and she knew that most of the time, they wouldn't mean anything bad when speaking about it. She knew better than to take it too personally by now. "Well, you're meeting one now." There was a grin and pep to her voice. Hopefully Jigano could tell that she didn't mean anything harsh or double-meaning by that.
His question was a curious one. "Well... I've never seen a lion before... but is a mane like, a big thing around you? Like this?" She put up her hands next to her face, fanning out her fingers to mimic what she thought a mane would be to the human. It was a bit hard to answer him when she hadn't even seen a lion for herself. "Well, Lion Fish have these spine like quills, which are dangerous. For big things like me or a legwalker- er human, it isn't a worry... but to other fish? It usually kills them." It was said rather simply, but also slowly. She wasn't bothered by the death part, but she knew that Jigano could be a bit worried. "But I wouldn't worry... so long as you stay away from the tip of my tail, you should be fine." Lets see if the poor snake doesn't flee away in terror.
If Jigano wasn't terrified and absolutely booking it as far away as possible, Delta would be very happy to continue talking to him. "Well, I was trying to get something out of the rocks. I cant tell what it is, but it's held in by the rocks and some net. Otherwise? No, we fish underwater. The rocks are just places that things get stuck and it's often that I'll get here before any humans do." Scavengers would typically pick over so it was important that she got here before any of them did.
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He didn't mind her reply at all; she was just stating the facts and he chuckled through the Attuned bond - looking something like an attack of hiccups in his snake form, soundless bobbing of his head and neck. Her answer to his question was only to be expected and he nodded eagerly. Like that, yes. But of hair, nothing so dangerous as your quills! Quills he looked at with new respect, making a mental note to avoid, though a flicker of amusement did make it through the bond at being called a 'legwalker' in a form without legs. Thank you for the warning, I'll try to keep my distance, As much as the waves would allow, at least. He just had to hope they wouldn't force him into her, and for the moment that made the rocks the safest place for him to set and chat.
Maybe I can help you get it out? He offered at hearing her goal. I can dig fairly well with my head in this form, and I can hold my breath for a long time. Maybe together we can lever it out from between the rocks? Do you have anything to cut the net with? He wasn't sure what the situation was, but if she accepted he'd lend his nose to her goal. His magic might have been at low ebb, but his snake shape was oddly useful in specific situations, and he was a happy scholar indeed just to get to speak with one of the merfolk.
don't you know there's a part of me It was nice to see someone so relaxed even in the face of something that many would see as a threat. His comment did cause a small to appear on her face, clearly happy that she had gotten the lion part right. "I do wish I could see a lion someday! To have such a magnificent set of fur? It sounds beautiful." There were only so many animals that Delta got to experience. While those on land got to see large beasts covered with fur, she would see scaled creatures or ones that were perfectly smooth. It was a sharp contrast and it led to a demand to see such fluffy creatures.
His offer is kind and Delta nods in response, adjusting herself so that her tail is as far away from the object as possible. "Some help would be fantastic." Unfortunately, the help may only be able to go so far. With a shake of her head, she lets out a sigh. "Well... I don't quite have anything sharp... I didn't think to bring any tools with me." It was kind of embarrassing. The daughter of the leader should be far more prepared than this and yet here she is, scrambling around. "Do you see anything around us that could be used to cut something? We could try that?"
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I know an Attuned who could shift into a lion... though, I'm not sure if he still can, he added with a flicker of faint regret. He hadn't spoken to Remi since he'd learned of the other man's transformation from Safrin, and it sounded as though he had lost much. I wish I had illusion magic, so I could show you what they look like. Alas, his talents, though many, did not go in that direction.
He bobbed his head eagerly as the deal was struck, sliding his head into the waves and beneath, trying to get below the churning of the surf to see what had caught her attention beneath the surface. Let's look for a large shell, he suggested. If you break it against the rocks it should leave a fine, sharp edge for cutting. Gods knew he'd almost sliced his feet open on some of the small, sharp remnants on the beach. Carefully keeping most of his body anchored on the rock, he extended deeper into the water, peering around for something that would work.
don't you know there's a part of me That comment alone made her eyes widen. A person who could shift into a lion? It was honestly exactly what she was looking for! "I'll look into it! Thank you Jigano, for the information." She was absolutely going to figure out exactly who could turn into a lion. It hadn't occurred to her that she could just find an attuned with such an ability! That'd be something she had to do on a later date.
Waving a hand, she shook away such an idea. "An illusion wouldn't do it justice. I want to be able to I guess feel the mane? And feel the fur... I know that sounds super weird, but I don't know. It's not something we have underwater." It was probably odd to the snake, but absolutely okay in her mind. Hopefully he wouldn't judge her too much.
It was a small bit worrying to see the snake suddenly dive his head under water, but Delta knew that if he was in trouble, he'd send a mental message to her. Diving down herself, she started to look for a shell. There were a couple of shells, of course, but those had animals living in them. It didn't take long for her to find a broken off shell, most likely one that had been eaten by an animal. I found one! She sent to the snake before appearing back above the water. Swimming on over to where the snake was, she held out the shell. "Do you think this should work?"
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He couldn't smile in this form, but he bobbed his head amiably again, glad to have given her something to look forward to. Her insistence on seeing the real thing - touching it - had cheerful amusement bubbling up beneath the surface of his thoughts and through the Attuned bond. Dry fur feels very different than wet fur, he agreed. I don't know if you'd have to come out on land to do it, or maybe if the Attuned lion could come out to you in a boat, and you could reach up to pet it over the side...? He didn't know what her own limitations were for surviving dry land, if she could hitch her way up onto the beach for a short time, or even into a boat without risking her fish-half drying out. Her marvelous spines looked delicately ethereal the way they fanned and floated in the water, but that didn't mean they were. He just didn't know enough about her to guess one way or the other.
Jigano ran into the same problems that Delta had, as he searched beneath the waves. He extended down as far as he could while remaining anchored - nearly fifteen feet - and nosed around the base of the rocks, but the wave action made the water cloudy with sand so close to the stones and the few shells he found where the wrong shape and already inhabited. It was a relief to hear the mermaid had more luck, and he worked his slow way back above the water to get another breath and examine the sharply broken shell - half of a large clam, once, if he had to guess - in satisfaction. His tongue flicked out, running over the gem in his mouth, to taste the salt-sand flavor of it, finding a hint of meaty flavor still clinging to the underside. It's a fresh break, looks sharp, he agreed. Where's this net that's gotten in the way?
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