Catch of the Day [m]

Draconian · February 06, 2016, 01:29:51 PM

Hydra just stared at her for a moment, blushing because she didn't not like it. Which meant she liked it a little, right? He rubbed at his face, looking over at her while he finished his breakfast and mirrored her earlier way of seating herself, knees tucked to his chin, arms curled around his legs. Only with more arms.

"Yes. I could stay here, if you like," He said simply, looking around the room, "Or you could read some books," He nodded to the little bookshelf on the floor - so if the books went flying they wouldn't be awful to clean up. "and I could leave but... Yes. You're to remain here all day."

DragonSong · February 06, 2016, 01:39:21 PM

Aura-lee sighed quietly. It was going to be a long day. She cast a glance at the books. While she could read a little, struggling her way through them didn't seem like it would be a particularly pleasant use of her time.

Her eyes moved back up to Hydra. "Could you stay? If you want?" she asked softly. With a shrug, she added, "It'll be slightly less tortuously boring if I have someone to talk to."

Draconian · February 06, 2016, 03:53:04 PM

Hydra gave a lingering look to the bed before looking away and then at the book.

"What would you have me do?" He moved closer, leaning his arms on the bed to prop up his chin and giving her a curious look, "I'm already..." He trailed off, looking away. He was already going to help her be free because he was stupid and didn't understand what was going on. Hydra pressed her hands to his face, well, two of his hands and quietly groaned.

DragonSong · February 06, 2016, 03:59:19 PM

Her heart gave a guilty lurch and she found herself leaning toward him. She reached out, hesitated, then laid her hand gently on his arm.

"I'm...sorry," she murmured. "I know you've already done so much for me, I didn't mean-" Aura-lee sighed, closing her eyes and letting her head hang forward dejectedly. "I just- I've never been caged like this before. I've never known walls. It's...difficult to adjust."

She found her hand moving lightly up and down his arm, almost trying to be soothing, though why she didn't know. "Will you stay?" she asked quietly. "Please. You make this place more bearable." Stars and seas only knew why, but it was the truth.

Draconian · February 06, 2016, 04:42:06 PM

Hydra gave a little nod. He would stay, even though it was boring. A brief look up at the ceiling and he rubbed his chest. "tell me about yourself," he said simply before he climbed not the be to sit beside her. If she thought she'd get away with not having to share the comfiest thing to sit on she had another thing coming.

DragonSong · February 06, 2016, 04:54:43 PM

"About me?" She shifted over a bit to give him room, folding her legs under her body and frowning at how different they felt compared to her tail. "There's not much to tell, really," she said softly. "I usually keep to myself, it doesn't really make for any interesting stories. " With a bitter sort of chuckle, she added, "This is probably the most interesting thing that's ever happened to me."

And didn't that just sum up her life. With a sigh, she started playing absently with the end of one of her braids. "I don't have much family," she said after a moment, trying to think of what he might actually want to hear. "Most of my kind don't, after we leave our mothers. At least until we find mates." She flushed a bit, remembering her desperate lie to the captain. "I never really bothered to do that."

Looking at him out of the corner of her eye she asked, "What about you? Will you...tell me about yourself?"

Draconian · February 06, 2016, 05:23:14 PM

Hydra cast her a brief smile, looking sideways at her before he looked around. He ignored her question, "why didn't you find a mate? I imagine you wouldn't have been here you are now if you'd done that."

DragonSong · February 06, 2016, 05:32:01 PM

Aura-lee gave a small sigh. No, she probably wouldn't be. "I'm just... I was never interested," she mumbled. With a quick glance up at him, she let out another breath and straightened up a bit. For some reason it felt good to talk to him, even about things like this. Maybe she was just starved for companionship.

"I'm not like the others," she said quietly, looking at her hands in her lap. "Females of my kind...usually we're more aggressive. My people are matriarchal, see, but- I was just never like that. I'm more comfortable on my own, and even if I'd wanted to..." She shrugged. "It's not customary for males to approach a female's territory without her consent. And I never left my home waters. Like I said, usually I'm just- alone."

She bit her lip and glanced at him again, then added with a small, crooked smile, "If your captain had caught a real mermaid, one of my sisters, I don't think she'd have been taken so easily." Her tone was bitter, but not toward her captor, more toward herself.

Draconian · February 07, 2016, 02:28:40 AM

Hydra watched her, frowning slightly at the idea of her alone. Angry that it bothered him so much. He wasn't supposed to care. It was bad. He was seriously considering helping her get free but... Then she'd be alone again. A moments pause and he took a deep breath, offered her a small smile when she claimed her sisters wouldn't have been caught like she had.

"Oh, I'm sure she would have," he nodded and held out his arms, "Not many people count on being picked up by someone with four arms," He flexed to show off his muscles - totally not to show off how strong he was or anything, really! "Though, if what you say is true, I doubt she'd be in here with me and I doubt I'd seriously consider breaking her out." Hydra went silent for a few moments before he folded his arms over his chest.

"I was raised in Serendipity, in an orphanage. People were nice." He shrugged, "I got in with a bad crowed, one thing turned into another and instead of being a thief on the streets I'm a thief on the seas," Hydra flicked a smile, he'd always been a bad person. So why did he want to help her now. Why now and why her. There had been far prettier girls who'd do anything to be free and all this one did was cry a little and bat her pretty eyes at him.

"I kinda want to take a nap," He eyed the door and then his pocket, frowning at her, "But you'll probably just steal the key and get mauled by the crewmen again."

DragonSong · February 07, 2016, 10:00:22 AM

Aura-lee snorted a bit as he showed off his arms, lips twitching into a small smile and shaking her head. She blinked at him when he said he probably wouldn't be helping another of her kind if she'd been caught. Did that mean she was...different, somehow?

She put the thought from her mind as he started talking about himself, unconsciously leaning toward him. She hadn't really expected him to give her any information, but she found she was thrilled that he was, even if it wasn't much. Still, she found herself frowning a bit- he sounded so resigned, like he didn't think his life could have gone any other way. She reached out to lay her hand on one of his arms without thinking, not sure why she did it but quite unable to help herself.

"I- I won't sneak out," she said after a moment, eyes flicking to the door. A shudder ran through her as she remembered her nightmare. "I promise. I don't want to- that was scary." She drew her knees closer to her chest, frowning. "Why did they...I don't understand. You don't grab me like that." Well, not after the captain had pretty much shoved her into his arms.

Draconian · February 12, 2016, 07:16:39 PM

"And I won't." He declared. Hydra let his head fall forward and he sighed softly, "Ship's full of bad people, y'know." He moved a hand to gently pat at her knee before he let them hang on his knees, what a mess. What a messy mess, mess-mess. He moved a pair of hands to press against his temples before he briefly pulled at his hair and sighed.

Briefly he wondered if he was going to get out of his alive.

Hydra resigned himself to no. He wouldn't.

Still, he glanced at Aura-lee, the tug in his chest. The little thump his heart gave and the lurch in his stomach. "I'll keep you safe while you're here," He gave a wink to her before looking down again, stretching his arms - all four - up and out, knuckles cracking before he moved his hand down and stared at the once busted knuckles.

Surprise was evident on his face and he whipped around to look at her mouth. His hand was healed.

"You... Your..." Confusion was on his face and he looked down at his hand again, "Your saliva can heal things? I thought you were just being weird."

DragonSong · February 12, 2016, 07:24:08 PM

She didn't flinch so much when he touched her this time, learning to expect comforting pats rather than being struck.

"Thank you," she murmured when he said he'd keep her safe. Perhaps it was naive of her to believe him so easily, but that was really all he'd been doing since she'd been hauled onto the ship. Aura-lee smiled a bit at the wink, finding that she rather liked the way he seemed so flippant about things. It was oddly soothing.

Then she blinked at him, a little taken aback by his confusion. "Yes," she said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I mean, it's not as though it would do much for a shark bite or if you broke a bone, but for little cuts and bruises it's useful." She tilted her head. "I take it...humans don't do that?"

Draconian · February 17, 2016, 09:07:05 PM

"I... don't know?"

Hydra was pretty sure humans didn't do that. "I can't say I've ever had anyone lick my wound before. Let alone a human." He flexed his hand, staring at it in - not shock - but seemingly entranced. "Don't let anyone else find out you can do that." He said seriously, "Or you may be worth more in pieces and they won't hesitant to do that." Frowning slightly he brought his hand to his mouth and took a deep breath before cutting into the back of his hand with his teeth, trying to replicate the ragged cut she'd healed.

They couldn't find out. Even if this stung like holy crap.

DragonSong · February 17, 2016, 09:15:25 PM

Aura-lee's brow furrowed in confusion and she started to ask, "Why not?" Then he bit into his own hand and she gave a wordless little cry of surprise.

Lurching forward automatically, she grabbed for his hand, trying to make him stop. "What are you doing?!" She looked up at his face, frowning. "I'm sorry I fixed it, okay? Seas and stars, if I'd known you were going to do that I wouldn't have bothered."

Draconian · February 17, 2016, 09:22:11 PM

A confused look he let her grab his hand and he quickly realized where he'd gone wrong.

"I... It's not you. I appreciate you healing me." He looked down at the gash he'd created. The fresh dark blood welling at it. "If they learn you can do this," He motioned to his freshly hurt hand and Hydra reached forward to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing along under her eye, "They'll make you slobber on everything. I'm not doing this to prove something to you. I'm doing it to keep you safe. Do you understand?"

DragonSong · February 17, 2016, 09:31:44 PM

"Oh." She blinked at him, forgetting that she still held his hand between both of hers. "I- I understand," she murmured after a moment. Then, even more quietly, a slightly belated, "...thank you."

She hadn't flinched away from his touch at all this time. In fact, she found herself turning his head into his palm a bit. The warmth of the contact was soothing. "I still don't understand why," she murmured without thinking. "Why you're helping me."

He eyes widened slightly and she backtracked quickly. "I mean- I'm grateful, I really am. I just...I'm confused," she admitted with a sharp exhale, flicking her eyes up to meet his.

Draconian · February 17, 2016, 09:53:45 PM

A surprised laugh bubbled out of him and he gave her a look. "You think I'm not confused?" He shook his head and looked down at the fresh wound, frowning because it stung and he didn't really want to. Apparently keeping Aura-lee safe was important to him though. Weirdly enough. Hydra licked his lips before looked down at her, letting his hands fall down to his side. "I just... Feel like I need to. Like if I don't it'll be just another regret to add to the long list, y'know? I'd... Rather help out a little confused thing like you and for it to mean something." He looked down at the floor and sighed, "So we got... One more night and then tomorrow night you need to be in the water?"

DragonSong · February 17, 2016, 10:01:02 PM

She nodded slowly. "Yes that's right." Her eyes flicked toward the door and she wondered if she would even be able to tell when her time started to run out- she couldn't exactly tell day from night cooped up in this room.

Turning her attention back to Hydra, she frowned a bit and asked slowly, "What do you mean...another regret?" Part of her winced slightly as she voiced the question, sure that she would make him angry.

Draconian · February 17, 2016, 10:19:43 PM

Hydra flashed a look to her before he gave a broad shouldered shrug.

"Just... Plenty. Little ones," He closed his eyes and sighed, pushing a hand through the top of his hair and pursing his lips. "Things that nag at you. Things you didn't say to people. Choices you didn't make properly because you were afraid." He flashed her a smile and nodded, "I got your back this time, Pretty-Fishy. Just... Gotta get you to safety." He swallowed before licking his lips and staring down at the floor again.

Knowing the cost of her freedom.

At least, he supposed, there would be someone who thought kindly of him then. Hopefully. "It'll be fine, Aura-lee." He tried to smile at her and nodded to the books, "Wanna read one with me? I can help learn you some words."

DragonSong · February 17, 2016, 10:36:32 PM

Not knowing quite why she did it, Aura-lee reached out and laid a hand gently on one of his lower arms. Her lips twitched a bit at "Pretty-Fishy", and she looked up at him and nodded, one of her braids falling forward over he shoulder.

"Yeah," she said quietly, glancing at the books. "Yeah, okay. Thanks."

She didn't know how to tell him she wasn't just thanking him for offering to read, giving her something to do, but for everything. She was starting to understand, slowly, how hard it had been for him to decide to help her.

So she just murmured another quiet, "Thanks," and let her hand drop from his arm, absently bringing her arms around to hug her middle.