Catch of the Day [m]

Draconian · March 22, 2016, 04:29:15 PM

The following days until she had to be let out to sea were -quite frankly - really boring.

Hydra was in and out of the room frequently, having read the same book to her - there was a lot of time to kill - twice. A cheesy romance that he skipped a number of parts though because they were risque and while he was a mans man and knew how sex worked, he wasn't exactly going to read it aloud.

Why they even had a book like that on the ship was beyond him.

Maybe to give the slave girls grand ideas about their future. The pretend life they could lead. Falling in love with the captain and living happily ever after.

Hydra looked at the book and back at the girl on the bed.

Now was the time.

It was almost sunset and he chewed on his lip. The scabs on his hand from when he'd bitten the wound open again to not make it suspicious.

"Is it by sunset or dawn?" He asked simply, giving her a weary look.

DragonSong · March 22, 2016, 04:33:14 PM

Aura-lee had been perched on the edge of the bed with her knees drawn up to her chest, chin resting on them, listening to his voice but not really the words he was reading- after all, she could basically recite the book at this point.

"By moondown," she murmured, blinking, as she sort of came out of a daze. The siren bit her lip and glanced at the door to the cabin, suddenly wary. She didn't relish the idea of meeting the rest of the crew again.

Draconian · April 24, 2016, 04:29:56 PM

Hydra gave the girl a gentle look, offering her a hopefully nice but hesitant smile.

"I'll keep you safe," He said gently before moving closer to the bed, shuffling to her on his knees and looking up at her.

"Are you ready?" His voice was soft and he gave her a hesitant look, puffing his hair out of the way before he took a deep breath.

DragonSong · April 24, 2016, 04:32:24 PM

She glanced at him, eyes wide and unabashedly afraid, showing everything she felt on her face. But she nodded slowly and some of that fear was replaced with a sort of confidence- not so much in herself, but in him.

"I know," Aura-lee said quietly. She took a breath, then nodded. "Okay. Let's go." She slipped off the bed to stand in front of him, knees shaking slightly but shoulders set with determination.

Draconian · April 24, 2016, 04:38:23 PM

A deep breath and Hydra scooped her up into his arms like she weighed nothing, one hand moving up and down her back in a soothing motion and the others keeping various parts of her body up and easy for him to carry. He put on his 'mean face'. The face he wore when he wasn't around the strangely sweet sea creature.

Did she bewitch him?

Hydra couldn't imagine doing this for anyone else.

A gentle kiss was pressed to her forehead before he opened the door and stepped from it and he gave a wicked wink to one of his crewmates before he shuffled his way to deck with the girl in his arms. "Ready Aura?" His voice was soft and against her ear before he set her down onto her feet and brutally ripped her dress from her and almost just as quickly, he grabbed her tight to her chest and jumped them both off of the boat.

The water was cold and the movement was strong but Hydra was content. There was no way for him to survive in the ocean. He had no idea where the closest bit of land was.

Was it worth it? Probably. Aura-Lee seemed to be a sweet thing.

No hope for him though. So, after jumping into the water, he let his arms fall loose to set Aura free from his grasp and he didn't bother trying to swim for the surface.

DragonSong · April 24, 2016, 04:48:46 PM

Aura-lee wrapped her arms tight around his neck when he picked her up and sort of nuzzled into him, turning her face away from the outside world in a rather childish effort to pretend none of this was really happening.

The brush of his lips against her forehead sent an oddly soothing tingle through her body and she glanced up at Hydra's face with a mixture of gratitude and something dangerously approaching adoration on her face.

Once they reached the deck, everything seemed to happen far too quickly. One moment he was cradling her against his chest, the next her dress was gone and he was clutching her to him as they entered the water.

The shock was enough to strike her motionless for a moment. Then the siren gasped and arched her back, feeling the change grip her legs and join them together, scales shimmering into being along her long, sinuous tail.

Aura-lee laughed, flicking her tail fin and sending herself into a joyful little backflip. "Oh, thank you. Thank you, Hydra, thank you!" she exclaimed, spinning into a spiral.

Then what had actually happened registered and her eyes went very wide. "Hydra? Hydra!" Why wasn't he swimming? Oh no. Oh no no no no. She shot through the water to grab her friend's shoulders- because that's what he was, right? Her friend- and started to swim frantically for the surface.

Oh stars and seas, could they make it? She glanced at Hydra and shook him lightly as she moved toward light and air. "C'mon, Hydra, please..."

An idea suddenly struck her, one of the old legends she remembered her mother telling her. A mermaid's kiss can save a man from drowning. She had no idea if it would actually work, but what did she have to lose? In a quick movement, she ducked her head forward and pressed her lips against his desperately.

Draconian · April 24, 2016, 04:54:42 PM

That wasn't dying.

Hydra's eye popped open though he quickly shut it, the salt water stinging. Those were lips against his own and what was he to do but kiss back? His lower set of hands rested on her hips and his upper ones smoothed over her rib cage, thumbs brushing the sides of her breasts. At least it was a nice way to die.

Worse ways at least.

When their heads broke the surface he pulled away from her but didn't let go, eyes opening carefully and tossing his head to get his hair from his eyes.

"Love," He started, a tilt of his head, "There's no where for me to go out here and I can't swim forever. Figured I'd make it easy and just turn into fish food."

DragonSong · April 24, 2016, 05:01:32 PM

Had- had he just called her "love"?

She didn't have time to think about it, or about the way her heart skipped happily up into her throat at the word. Instead she shook her head vehemently, moving her tail in gentle stroke below them to keep them afloat.

"No," Aura-lee murmured, frowning at him. "No. No. I won't let you die. I- I-" She bit her lip as she felt tears starting to well up. Damnit, couldn't she go longer than five seconds without crying around him?

"Hold on to me," she murmured, letting one of her hands drift down to pull his arm more securely around her. "I- I can swim for both of us."

She glanced up in an attempt to find the ship, see how close it was. It would be just her luck to have escaped only to be dragged back into that net when she wasn't paying attention.

Draconian · April 24, 2016, 05:08:23 PM

Hydra gave a laugh, smiling at her and her suggestion. "I dont think thats a good idea. Swim to where? You cant hold me forever." He gave her a gentle tug and ran one of his hands up and down her back. "You gotta let me go, Aura. Make my sorry life worth something by letting me save you."

DragonSong · April 24, 2016, 05:14:56 PM

"No." She shook her head desperately, eyes squeezed shut as thought that would block out what he was saying. "I won't. I c-can't let you go. I- I lo-"

Crying in earnest now, Aura-lee wrapped her arms tight around him. She met his eyes for a moment, then in a sudden burst of movement darted forward to kiss him again, a real kiss. She moved back with him as she did, trying to prove to them both that she could hold him as long as she needed to.

It was hard to tell whether the salt water mingling on their lips was tears or sea water, but she really didn't care, clenching her eyes shut and throwing all of herself into the touch.

Draconian · April 24, 2016, 05:52:39 PM

The real kiss caught him off guard and he let his eyes fall shut, two hands on her hips, the others at her waist. Hydra gave as good as he got - why not, he was gonna drown eventually anyway. As much as Aura-Lee wanted to say that she could keep him afloat, he knew she couldn't. Not forever. Besides, why would she want to?

His tongue pressed against her lips and he pulled her tight against him, breath heated. "You can't keep me float forever," He whispered between kisses. Disliking and enjoying how much he wanted her. Wanted to keep her safe. Wanted to help. Wanted to stay.

She was a sea creature though and he was...

Well, who knew what the hell he was.

"I'm no good for you."

DragonSong · April 24, 2016, 05:59:31 PM

"Yes you are," the siren murmured against his lips. "You- you're best for me." She wasn't quite sure if that made sense, but the words just seemed to sort of slip out of her.

"Maybe..." Aura-lee broke away for a moment to gasp a breath and stared at him with wide, shining eyes. "Maybe I don't have to keep you afloat," she whispered. "It's- it's an old story, but maybe..."

She leaned forward to rest her forehead against his and slowly started to still her tail, letting them bob closer and closer to being underwater. "Do you trust me?" she asked softly.

Draconian · April 24, 2016, 06:08:56 PM

He was best for her.

Hydra felt something tug at his gut and if she hadn't noticed his enthusiasm before she'd notice it now despite the cold of the ocean. What could he say, trapped for months on a ship with a bunch of men had always made him easily... Enthused.

A shaky breath and he licked his lips, looking at Aura-lee before he stared at her lips again, wanting another taste. He'd be pretty content to die now. That would be okay. Her question had him stare into her eyes, a little dazed. Enchanted.

"I'm floating in an ocean with you after jumping in it to set you free," He said, the cold of the water starting to set in before he barked out a laugh and gave her a flash of a smile, teeth sharp. "Of course I trust you, with my life," He added with a smirk.

DragonSong · April 24, 2016, 06:13:34 PM

Despite everything- or maybe in a strange way because of it- Aura-lee smiled. She leaned in to peck his lips again, quick and soft. She did frown a little in confusion as she felt the barest brush of his body's response to her, but she tried to put it from her mind.

"Okay then." The mermaid wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him the most reassuring smile she could muster. "Just hold on to me, alright?"

With that, she pulled him under, giving a few deft flicks of her tail to propel them through the water. Please have worked. Please please please...

Draconian · April 24, 2016, 06:28:41 PM

Hydra gave her a little nod, arms instinctively treading water.

This girl was seriously ruining his hero plans.

Save the girl. Die saving her. What was to hate?

Though he had to admit he enjoyed the kisses. Never could he think of a time when such a simple show of affection was so freely given and he disliked how he craved more of them. Sneaky girl. Then they were under the water and Hydra squeezed his eyes shut, frowning deeply when she kept pulling him under and under and they weren't surfacing.

Frowning, almost needing to breath he gave her a little tug and gave her a confused look. What was she trying to do? One second she didn't want him to die and now she was drowning him. Still though, his back hurt and he rolled his shoulders. Probably from the swimming. He hadn't actually swam in a long time.

DragonSong · April 24, 2016, 06:34:45 PM

At his tugging Aura-lee started to slow. She glanced up toward the surface, judged that they were close enough for her to get him there if things went south, and nodded sharply.

She gently grasped Hydra's upper arms and came to a stop, searching his face. "Try to breathe," she coaxed softly, her voice traveling easily through the water. She took a few exaggerated breaths, heaving her chest despite that fact that the gills along her tail were really doing most of the work.

Stars above she hoped the old myths about a mermaid's kiss were true.

Draconian · April 24, 2016, 06:42:24 PM

Try to breath.

Hydra gave her a look.

Then he breathed.

It was awkward and it felt heavy, but his insides turned cold and he gave her a wide eyed startled look when he did indeed, breath. Could he talk? Hydra gave her a confused look before he darted forward and gave her another kiss, pulling her close to smash his lips to hers. Leaning back and breathing and looking amazed at breathing and down at his hands.

Though letting go of the mermaid had him sinking like a rock, so his hands moved up and he caught her tail and hip before pulling himself up.

Or her down.

He wasn't too sure.

"I suppose this makes things easier," He said carefully, wrinkling his nose at the taste of the water on his tongue. Saltier than the fish they had to eat, another ache and he frowned and rolled his shoulders again. "Do you know where land is? I suppose I should head towards that."

DragonSong · April 24, 2016, 06:48:28 PM

Aura-lee let out a sharp breath of relief and beamed when he started to breathe. Oh thank goodness, it had worked!

She sort of giggled into his kiss, wrapping her arms exuberantly around his neck. She let him explore his new abilities for a moment, though she was a little worried when he started to sink. Thankfully, he managed to get ahold of her again.

"We were heading south, mostly, right?" The mermaid glanced around to get her bearings, trying to figure out how far three days on the ship had carried her.

"Land should be this way." She twisted them around to face the direction she thought land was, wrapping her arms loosely around his waist. When he rolled his shoulders, her brow furrowed slightly in concern. He seemed to be favoring his back?

"Are you alright?" Her hand came up to rest against his cheek and she searched his face worriedly.

Draconian · April 24, 2016, 07:10:19 PM

A nod, still unused to talking and finding himself sounded funny, even if he didn't sound funny at all.

Land should be that way. His hands found place holds on her body, keeping away from any tender bits and careful about what he touched. Sure she seemed to enjoy the fact that he jumped off a boat for her, but he wasn't sure if she wanted more touching. Of course he did, he was deprived of affection. The gentlest of touches could melt him.

the hand on his cheek had his eyes snap to her and he gave her a hesitant look.

"Yes," He tried to smile, confused, nodding forward, "The sooner we get to land the... Sooner I can figure out what next." Another smile, "Gods know I'm not allowed back on that boat."

DragonSong · April 24, 2016, 07:15:50 PM

She winced. "Right..."

Aura-lee started to swim, then slowed down a bit. Her hands came up to cup his face gently and her brow furrowed just a bit in confusion. "Why- why did you?" She bit her lip. "I know you said you'd help me, but you just gave up...everything for me."

She smoothed her thumb lightly over his cheek and let her the tip of her tail wrap around to brush her fins against his legs. "Why?" she repeated softly, pressing just a bit closer. She'd never been a creature that particularly needed heat- none of her kind were- but she found herself gravitating toward the heat of his body.