((Sorry for the bad title, that one of my weak points >.>))
High tide was almost in, the waves mercilessly beating all in their path. They pounded against the rocks who dared sit too close to the shore. The sand let itself be submerged until that one second when they could kiss the air again. Anything thrown onto the beach was immediately fought over by gulls, who cawing was the only noise to be heard over the crash of the waves. In the horizon, a pair of dolphins danced oblivious to the chill in the water.
Upon the beach, where the waves finally began to calm, sat the young woman; despite her earlier swim, she stayed put and let the water lick her bare feet. Talamaris solemnly watched the ocean. Her water-logged clothes kept her skin from warming while her fiery damp locks whipped in the ocean breezing, begging to be submerged again so they wouldn't have to curl.
Home, this was her home... It's only been a couple years, nothing has changed, she thought, yet you've come back completely different. To be sitting right on the edge and not be able to escape back to safety was infuriating. Swimming was alright, especially in the familiar chilly waters of her birth...still it wasn't enough. Reminiscing wasn't enough.
She had always been homesick, but the overwhelming feeling had almost drowned her four years ago. The selkie had learned fast to control it. How she longed to be in her smaller lithe form, flying through the waters with her tribe... but would they really take her back now?
Since she lost her skin, they had shunned her like they had every human. If only she could remember their language. They didn't care that she smelled of the sea. They didn't care that her name was of their tribe. All they knew was that she couldn't change and they couldn't understand her... Now, selkies were completely different than their animal counterpart, but they refused to associate with non-selkies.
The loss of not being able to go home might have crippled Talamaris, but she had hope. She would find her skin, once it was in her waiting palms she would return to her people and be free of this cursed land of air and man; even if she searched all her life she refused to give in. Standing, Talamaris raised her head defiantly and stared toward her family's home, "I will be back. And then I'll never leave again."
((it's totally fine! better than what i could have come up with XD))
He must have been close to the coastline. The salty breeze coming in from the east was proof enough.
The chill that often hung in the air around here didn't much bother him. In fact, he quite liked it and came around this way whenever he was in the area. Granted, that wasn't often these days, but still. Not only was the climate pleasantly cool, but he rarely ran into anybody. He could walk around without having to hide his wing if he felt like it.
Such was the case today. Kenan wandered rather pointlessly along the trees near the coast, the chain with the ring dangling from his hand rather than his neck. He hadn't been offered any jobs for at least three weeks, so he figured it couldn't hurt to enjoy the place while he was here. If he couldn't end this wretched existence of his, then he might as well make the most of it.
He turned to head for the coastline - and backpedaled when he caught sight of another already by the water. Kenan was quick to pull back to hide again in the trees, tugging on his wing to keep it concealed until he could get the chain around his neck. He hated stumbling across people when he wasn't expecting to. In the past he had faced some...rather negative reactions from folks who caught a glimpse of the deteriorating wing.
He wasn't sure if his movements had caught the other's attention or not - she had her back to him, after all - so he contemplated for a moment whether or not to bother making his presence known. However, glancing around the tree, he noticed her waterlogged appearance and how she was staring out at the water. For all he knew she could have just been out for a swim...though the water was quite nippy this time of year. He had to admit his curiosity was piqued, especially since she appeared to be alone.
Kenan preferred to keep his nose out of another's business, but neither could he just wander off without making sure everything was all right. It may not have been the most viable option, but there was a chance she might have been the victim of a shipwreck. Hell, he didn't know if there were any ship routes near here. But honestly, what sane person would go for a dip in these cold waters?
Stepping out from behind the tree again, and much more relaxed now that his wing was not visible, he called out to the woman along the shore, "Hey! Everything okay over there?"
((I tried to make it humorous but I failed so I went to the next best one >.<... which was not really easy.))
Talamaris had indeed heard a disturbance behind her, but the selkie had figured some of the soil's creatures were prowling about again. She honestly was too preoccupied with her premature success.
The girl had just been ready to walk off when a voiced called out to her. Frightened, Talamaris flinched and jumped backward; the waves now caressing her ankles in comfort. She could always escape back to them if necessary. Even if it meant her end.
She had to push some curls out of her face before she could get a good look at the man. He made no move to attack her, but she stayed wary. Could she trust him? His features were attractive, but selkie men were all beautiful; vanity was a human curse, one that the fey seals were not prisoner to.
His long white hair seemed to be two different hues with the sun's rays lightly touching the locks. Amber eyes almost seemed to hold genuine concern. For a stranger? Humans were all selfish, never caring enough to help their own kin. The rare act of compassion was enough to make the selkie speak and only out of admiration.
"Fine," her voice caught as she fought the chill of the ocean, "Enjoying the waters is all. Was there something you needed?" She doubted if there were she could give it to him. Talamaris was simply hoping that he'd be gone.
Unfortunately, he was no stranger to reactions of fear and unease. Granted, such incidences had become much less frequent since he figured out a way to hide the wing, but it did sting a little when it still happened regardless. Although...come to think of it, he probably shouldn't have just called to her out of nowhere. Of course he would have startled her. He smacked himself mentally for that stupid little faux pas.
For what good it may have done, Kenan held up both hands to let the stranger know he had no intention of doing her any harm, despite the fact that his sword still hung on his belt. "Nothing at all. My apologies for frightening you. I rarely encounter anyone whenever I pass through here, you see."
Especially a waterlogged young woman out in...well, essentially the middle of nowhere.
Lowering his hands again, he half turned as he prepared to leave. "But if you're all right, then I'll go about my way and leave you to your own business, if you wish." He could sense that she didn't really want him here, and a small part of him didn't feel like sticking around, either, if he didn't need to.
Though honestly, he still thought she was a bit mad for taking a swim in such frigid waters. To each his own, he supposed...
Talamaris stared at him guardedly, she was no stranger to the weapon at his hip. Many a selkie had been slaughtered for sport with that very same kind of metaled atrocity. Still... he couldn't have any clue as to what she was without her skin present; she would have to hope at least. "Nor I, which is why I'm present now." Her talking was as much as accepting his apology she would allow.
As he started to turn, a slight aura caught her gaze. It came from whatever was hanging around his neck. Selkies as a whole had very little magic themselves, but they were still fey capable of sensing magics or enchantments.
Cocking her head in confusion, the woman's dark eyes focused intently on the ring. "Are you a mortal mage?" shaking her head, she rephrased her question, "What spell is attached to that piece of metal?" She was honestly curious, the aura was a kind of magic that was unknown to the selkie's very limited knowledge of spells.
To think that her curiosity was enough to forget her fear of him. Well, she had never heard of curiosity killing the selkie.
The first question puzzled him, and it showed in his expression. But at the mention of a piece of metal, he noticed her gaze locked on the chain around his neck. Glancing down, he lifted his hand and lamely attempted to cover it up. "What, this?"
For a moment he wondered if he could get away with denying anything about a spell attached to the silver ring. Honestly, he didn't know himself exactly what had been done to it. As far as he was concerned it was just dumb luck that it happened to hide his wing from mortal eyes. Kenan was by no means a mage as she had first inquired and could only guess what magic had been used.
Somehow, though, he doubted she would believe him if he claimed there was no spell attached to it. Curiously, she seemed quite focused on the thing, any initial fear she may have had a moment ago seemingly gone now. No one had ever asked about the ring before, never even noticed it was there. He never anticipated the need to make up a story and didn't quite know the best way to respond.
He preferred not to let anyone see the wing, due to negative reactions in the past. But neither could he come up with a believable excuse. Kenan didn't like to straight-up lie to folks, so... She seemed harmless enough...and he was on his way out, anyway...
He reached up to remove the chain from around his neck – but not before noticeably hesitating. Once the ring had been removed, the deteriorating black-feathered appendage was visible. Kenan became very tense, watching her closely and ready to bolt if it proved necessary.
Talamaris nodded, her face twisting with irritation. She certainly didn't mean his sword so what else was there? Though it was also because he didn't answer her first question, not too important she guessed...
The selkie could see the inner confusion and the quick change to nervousness, what was there to be afraid of? She knew that she looked utterly harmless, there was no reason for this man to fear her when he had a sword at his disposal. No normal human in his right mind would.
When he hesitantly removed the ring, she thought it was because he was worried she might steal it. Instead, something black suddenly filled the girl's vision. It was a lone black wing and, from the looks of it, seemed to be falling apart. The visage was truly unpleasant. No human the selkie had ever seen had any wings.
Talamaris gave a soft smile and advanced toward him, still caution-filled, but less so. Stuck in her relief the girl almost didn't think about her demeanor, she wouldn't have been happy if someone rejoiced at her lost skin. "Forgive me," she started, biting back her grin, "I'm sure that must be a painful burden, but I was worried that you were human. I meant no offense."
Wait...what?
Her reaction left him completely dumbfounded. Almost immediately his tension drained away, leaving his expression as an open mask of surprise. Once again he didn't know how to react and was left standing there looking like a moron for a moment. Most folks had a fit if they learned he wasn't human. If she was worried he was...then what did that make her?
Before Falling he would have been able to tell. An angel's natural abilities included being able to tell someone's race after a few moments of interaction, whether they looked human or not. But like most everything else, he'd been stripped of that trait when the boy was murdered.
After a moment Kenan recovered himself and replaced the chain around his neck, hiding the wing once more. Even if her reaction hadn't been one of disgust or fear, he still didn't feel comfortable leaving the appendage exposed for anyone to see. "...none taken," he managed to say at last.
Besides his bewilderment, he couldn't help feeling a bit confused. And he wasn't too sure he should be inclined to believe this apparent sense of relief he sensed from the woman. There had to be a catch in there somewhere. There always was.
His unease was apparent as he returned his attention to her. "But I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you mean. That you were afraid I was human." Part of him wanted to just turn around and leave. That's what he usually would have done by now. Perhaps his curiosity was what held him in place.
Talamaris wasn't at all nervous as the ring's enchantment cloaked his wing, just the knowledge that he lacked even one drop of mortal blood made his appearance trivial. "Good, it's been too long since I've actually been around someone worth talking to. I would hate to know I hadn't said but a few words and already insulted someone," her inky black eyes were lit up with excitement.
Of course he asked, they all did, well... those who could coexist with humans did anyway. It wasn't a pleasant topic but one that she was alright with revealing. "I'm a selkie," she stated with a sad smile, "and because of one man's greed I cannot return home..." This caused her to give the ocean behind her a mournful look; her hair, several curls already emerged from the breeze at her back, seemed to symbolize the wall between her and her sanctuary as it almost completely obstructed her view of those welcoming waters.
The selkie turned back to the man, "Maybe not most woeful story but... Four years is not enough to make me lose the hatred I feel." He obviously hadn't been happy to see her; the fact that he hesitated to show her his wing showed clearly that he didn't trust easily. Hopefully he could understand.
Oh...a selkie. Now it made some sense. He hadn't encountered but one or two in the past, but he spent enough of his free time reading to know a little about them. They were the creatures that could shed their seal skin to take a human form, weren't they? And if they lost that skin they were stuck as a human? He always assumed the latter to either be false or an exaggerated rumor. Guess not, if her behavior was any indication.
Kenan offered a small nod to indicate he understood. While he couldn't comprehend how it felt to hate humans as a whole, he did know how much fun it wasn't to be forced into living an existence one didn't want.
Now that the initial surprise had worn off, he allowed himself to relax a little. He even managed to work up a hint of a smile, albeit a somewhat awkward one. This was still foreign territory for him, after all. Her switch from distrust to relief was literally the polar opposite of everyone else thus far. He couldn't recall such a thing ever happening – and he'd been like this for longer than he cared to admit. "Forgive my lapse of manners. My name is Kenan."
She returned his small smile, "No need to ask for forgiveness when my own have been very poor. I'm Talamaris." It was a relief to see him smile, it meant that he wouldn't be as tense around her. The selkie wanted him to stay, at least for a little longer. The solitary life could be trying at times.
It was just nice to be able to escape from that even if for a few mere moments.
"So," she began carefully, "If you don't mind my asking, what's your story? Your wing and all, I mean." Maybe she was being a bit too forward. Asking too much. Yet she didn't see how he could not tell her after she had revealed her own predicament.
"You seemed just uneasy about my company as I was yours just a moment ago. I doubt it was just because I was a stranger."
Part of him did mind, but he supposed he should have expected the question. She had been open about her own troubles to a complete stranger, so it was only fair that he do the same, right? And when a being had only one wing, there was always a story as to why the other was missing. Couldn't blame her for her curiosity.
Yet Kenan wasn't sure he felt comfortable with her knowing the entire story. Anyhow, it was way too long and complicated to make it worth going that far into detail. Especially for someone he wasn't likely to run into again after today. So he decided to give her an abbreviated version. He should be able to manage that much. Talamaris didn't need to hear it all, anyway.
He offered a quiet chuckle at her comment, a hint of hesitation underlying his tone. "Yes, you're right. Most folks don't react kindly when they catch a glimpse of the wing."
He tried to keep the smile up, but it waned considerably when he spoke again. "I used to be an angel. Long story short...I failed at a task I was given and the change in my wings was part of the punishment. And, uh...one is missing because I tried to get rid of them myself. Before I found the ring, that is... It didn't go over well."
((OOC: Finally back, sorry I wasn't able to tell you but by the time you had posted I was already out of town))
He... tried to rid of his own wings? It was something the selkie couldn't grasp, she could never willingly destroy her skin. "How did the ring come into your possession?" Selkies were very curious creatures when brave enough to leave the ocean; Talamaris was no exception.
"Was it given to you? A compensation, perhaps, for your wings?" there was no trace of earlier fright in her stature as she crept forward. He had hidden the ring but she still wanted to see it... just one more time. Try and understand what magic had been crafted into the metal.
Pulling back with a start, Talamaris was clearly embarrassed. She was sure she had overstepped the boundaries yet she could not still her tongue. "What kinds of tasks is an angel given? What would happen if you succeed?"
Maybe he didn't know, then again she was sure he had to. Angels knew many things, so she had been told, it's how they could find persons in danger. Wait! Angels knew things, what if Kenan knew the whereabouts of her skin? "Would you happen to know who took it?!" she pleaded abruptly, "Tell me you know where he is!"
[[Ah, that's where you went. XD Don't worry, it's cool]]
Goodness. So many questions. Nothing if not curious, wasn't she?
"Not exactly," was his response regarding the ring, and that was all he bothered to say for now. If she had been nervous when she thought he was human, Kenan could imagine her reaction if she found out he was working as a mercenary-for-hire.
Her next question he was a little more willing to answer. But before he could she went off on a tangent. Something about who took it and where he was...?
It took a second to figure out who Talamaris must have been referring to. When he did he held up his hands uneasily. "U-uhm...I'm sorry, I don't. I used to be an angel, I'm not anymore." Had he not been stripped of his abilities he might have been able to figure out a way to pull off what she was asking. But as he was now there was no chance.
((Yeah, I was a bit longer than I thought I'd be but phew if you say so))
Talamaris abruptly pulled back, pain filling her dark eyes. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have gotten excited." Turning her back on the man, black eyes lingering on the ocean, longing made her chest hurt as she began to crush any hope of returning. Was it possible to die from homesickness? She would have asked Kenan - but she felt as though she had used up all her questions.
"Do you ever miss it? Your home I mean," the selkie had to ask. Four years was hard enough but she wasn't sure she could handle the rest of her immortality; she didn't want to dig into his past without him offering but she wanted to know how he could stand it... for how ever long he had been gone.
Finally she was able to turn back toward him with a sad smile painted across her face, "More questions, forgive me but it is within my own curious nature. You should not feel obliged to answer them should you not wish to." Might it insult him less if she offered to answer any of his questions? Perhaps not, he still did not seem comfortable around her. Talamaris wasn't insulted by this thought in the slightest, he had every right not to trust her.
Well, that went over well.
For a moment or two, he mentally chewed himself out for not handling that better. True, he wasn't about to lie to her and get her hopes up. That was just cruel. But honestly, a better choice of words would have been in order.
Her questions didn't truly bother him, he supposed, so long as they didn't get too personal. Curiosity was a difficult thing to stifle. But he had to think for a minute on what constituted as 'home' for him. In reality he had spent his entire existence here on the mortal plane, yet rarely did he ever stay in one place for any length of time.
Except during the six years he was taking care of Andri.
"All the time," he said finally. Now that he thought about it, that town was probably the closest to a home he would ever have. But after the boy was murdered and his wings changed, people became scared of him and chased him out. Didn't matter that he had been there for several years. If he wasn't human, they didn't want him there.
He did manage a hint of a smile at her remark. "It's all right. I'd rather be hit with a barrage of questions than face an angry mob." Terribly lame attempt at some weak humor, but it bothered him to see someone so depressed.
Phew, he spoke, Talamaris had been worried that he would have left he had been so quiet. "How can you deal with it?" For her, it had been the determination to retrieve what had been stolen... but how long could that last? The world was huge, she knew that, and the selkie had only covered a fraction of it. Assuming her quarry never moved, she may always remain a step behind otherwise.
Her lips turned up slightly, "I think I would have to agree. Don't be afraid to ask something in return if you feel as though I'm asking too many." Never having met an angel before, the questions would keep cascading from her mouth if not stopped. And to think that humans saw cats as the most curious of creatures. Ha! Far from it, cats only analyzed what was new to them, if it was of no danger they didn't give it another thought. Selkies wanted the knowledge, regardless of danger.
"Do you-" she started off shyly, "do you think I might take a look at your ring? You by no means have to take it off, I've just never felt magic like that before."
Honestly...he didn't deal with it. Not very well, at least.
"Hell if I know," was all he said on the matter for now. Truth be told, he kept dealing with it because he didn't have a choice - but he didn't want to divulge any of those details to a complete stranger. He had tried time and again to get out of his situation, and for anyone else it would have been a simple thing to accomplish.
His thoughts flew back on track when she mentioned wanting to see the ring. Why she seemed so fascinated with the magic was beyond him - must have been her curiosity taking over. Couldn't really hurt anything, though.
So after a moment he did bring the ring out to where she would be able to see it, extending the chain from his neck so that she could look it over if she wished.
There wasn't much she could do with "hell if I know". Talamaris hoped that her own reason would last; she didn't want to wander the earth without anything to live for. She just had to try and stay positive... and on task, which meant keeping a eye out for her skin. If she never found it she would create another reason - she had to. "Maybe you should find a reason," sure it was bad advice, especially when she had just been asking for some herself, but saying it out loud strengthened her resolve to carry it through. Oh and she wanted to try and help Kenan as well.
A smile was brought back to her face as he pulled out the ring. At first, all the selkie did was look, fearing she would be invading him if she did so. Though, not but a minute of trying to respect his space, she had gingerly taken it in her hand; careful not to pull it.
It was amazing, the magic sang to her like whale songs used to. A soft hum that made her skin tingle as its power firmly made itself known. "Amazing." Awe showed in her eyes as she continued to examine the cool metal. "How did you happen upon such a piece?"
[[good grief, sorry for going poof...got busy preparing for classes]]
Find a reason? Feh. Easier said than done in his situation. But he decided to keep that thought to himself.
He had to admit the girl's fascination with the silver ring was amusing. It was such a simple little thing no one bothered to notice it. Sure wasn't much to look at on its own, yet she seemed quite intrigued with it. However, when she asked where he found it, he was unsure how to respond. He didn't like to lie to people...but he was sure she wouldn't be fond of the truth.
After a few seconds of contemplation, he said quietly, "I met a mage some years back. He had no need for this trinket anymore, so...I came to possess it." Granted, he was omitting certain details, but neither was he being dishonest. Talamaris didn't need to know the mage was a murderous rogue and that Kenan himself was a hired sword sent to take his life.
((YOUR ALIVE!!!! XD It's fine, I figured you got busy. Glad your back though))
Talamaris was oblivious to his amusement of her fascination; that was another flaw with selkies, once something caught their attention it took forever to get it back. Oh but if only he could feel the way it warmed her skin, the way it gave off a pleasant hum, gawk at the complexity of the magic within. It was a prize indeed.
Noticing the quiet of his voice, the girl looked up from the ring for the first time in minutes. "You took it from him." It was not an accusation nor a question, merely a simple statement. Murder never once crossed her mind as she abhorred the very thought of blood, but she didn't just think someone would give away anything so valuable.
This thought infuriated her suddenly, why was it that people felt the need to take things that weren't theirs?! The ring slipped through her pale fingers as she pulled away from the man. Anger made her black eyes darker and she turned on her heels to walk away. It was because of this impulse to steal that she was stuck here, and - inhuman or not - she couldn't condone to someone stealing at all.
Talamaris was just sad that someone as nice as Kenan could be capable of such an act.
[[bah! sorry it's so short! i'm just so braindead it's sad... I'm open to plottage suggestions. XD]]
He flinched inwardly at her comment. While it was true he didn't exactly steal it, as he was sure that was what she was thinking, neither was she very far off. For some reason he had a hunch it wouldn't pay to try to explain it, and he didn't feel like trying. So he simply tucked the ring back into his shirt after she pulled away and was prepared to leave.
That's okay. It was probably best this way. He didn't like to stick around anybody for too long, anyhow. This saved him having to sneak away or make excuses to leave.
((It's completely alright =). As for plots, Tala can try to press him into helping her, ignoring the fact that he likes to be alone.))
The waves lapped at her ankles, inticing her to just jump in. Pleading her to stop wasting time and not worry about a trivial thing such as her seal skin; she could keep swimming till she died, completely exhuasted with a smile on her face. No, human arms and legs couldn't take her to the depths where other selkies froliced. That was where she longed to be.
If only... Perhaps-...
"Would you help me?" Talamaris turned back to the former angel. The selkie's pale face was smooth and devoid of anything but calm, though her eyes pleaded and begged. "Perhaps you might release some of your own burden by helping someone else?" That someone being her.
Even if they never found her skin... maybe he would find someone else to help. To Kenan, it might feel as though he had atoned some for failing the boy.
[[that works ^-^]]
Aw, no, she didn't...
Kenan stopped when he heard her speak but didn't immediately turn around. He had been hoping she wouldn't ask that question. And to be honest he was surprised she did after the clear anger he sensed from her not a moment earlier. It wasn't like he didn't sympathize with her for being stuck where she didn't want to be - but he didn't know the first thing about locating a selkie's stolen skin. Where the heck did a person even start?
And yet...well...it would be a refreshing reprieve from this mercenary work... A certain part of him wanted to keep walking and pretend he hadn't heard her. But a more prominent part that hated solitude soon won out.
With a quiet sigh, he eventually turned enough to face her again, though his expression was rather flat. "I won't make any promises..."
((K, if you think of something else you don't even have to ask. =) Just go for it))
He said yes! The selkie's smile hadn't been near so grand in days, months even! "Thank you! I understand if even you cannot find it, it just means a lot that you're willing to help." It was as though the girl was blind to his not-so-near excited face.
"In return," she continued merrily, "Should you ever need a favor from me then you shall have it." This was amazing! To think that a day could start out so forlorn and just perk up in a matter of minutes.
Talamaris collected her meager belongings and quickly caught up with the angel. "Where to? I've mostly wandered so I have no preference for where to begin." For someone who hadn't the faintest idea on where to begin looking, she was quite happy.