No Still Waters [DragonSong]

[Juno]

She frowned at the lack of a firm answer, rolling closer to flick him lightly with water. "So the same?" she offered.

[DragonSong]

He shrugged, not minding the flicked water at all. "I suppose. It's hard to quantify, y'know?"

[Juno]

"Quantify?" Awiergan wrinkled her nose at that, too embarrassed to admit she didn't really understand that word. "Like explain? Cut the fancy talk," she scoffed.

[DragonSong]

Luca laughed and reached out to ruffle her hair impulsively. "Yes, like that. Like...to put into proper words, I suppose?"

He smiled a bit to himself, never having considered that to be "fancy talk" before.

[Juno]

"Oh. Well, yeah, I knew that," she muttered defensively, knowing full well she didn't know it at all until it had been explained to her. "If it's all the same to you and you're not going to die on me let's just go back to the inn. It's warm and there's a bed and blankets."

[DragonSong]

He just smiled widely and nodded. "As you like, I'll follow you."

[Juno]

There he was with that adorable, carefree smile again. Awiergan narrowed her eyes slightly at him, a little suspicious and having no idea how he could be so relaxed after what, to her, had been an arduous day. Truthfully she was a little jealous, too. Just being in the city had her nerves on end.

"Drag your butt out of the water, then. Not carrying you there," she complained mildly as she stood and brushed her clothes of stray grass, completely unaware of the fact they were being watched by a man further up the street in the city proper, the sparkle of Luca's scales standing out to an alchemist's trained eye.

[DragonSong]

The merman chuckled again and sort of rolled himself out of the water, giving his tail a shake as the familiar tingles set in and scales faded to skin.

He looked up at Aweirgan, suddenly a little sheepish. "Ah- do you remember where those pants went?"

[Juno]

She watched the quick transformation in awe, unbothered by his nakedness at this point but amused he'd managed to lose his clothes already. "Maaaaybe," she drawled, sitting up and twisting herself towards the direction they'd come from before. Sure enough his clothes were there in the grass further up the bank all rumpled.

Awiergan stretched out to pluckthem up and turned back towards the merman to offer them to him with a wicked smile. "You don't need help getting into them, too, do ya?"

[DragonSong]

Luca blinked at her, befuddeled by the teasing. "Um...no?" He reached for the pants, shifting a bit and frowning as grass prickled bare skin in...sensitive areas.

[Juno]

Awiergan laughed, shaking her head and waving a hand in dismissal for his look. "I was just playing, silly. Just funny to me clothes aren't as important to you, your kind. It's strange, it's just so normal to me. I'd die if I lost them. Not really just...I'd be very embarrassed if I had to walk around without them."

[DragonSong]

"Well." He shrugged as he pulled the trousers on. "I suppose they offer some protection, which is nice. But in the water...well, they just slow you down."

[Juno]

"Above water, yeah. It's mostly protection. What about hair?" She snickered quietly, reaching out to comb her fingers through his gently. "Wouldn't you feel a little off without it?"

[DragonSong]

He considered that as he got to his feet. "I don't know. Maybe?" He tugged at a lock of hair, frowning at it in a curious sort of way.

[Juno]

"Hmm. Has it been this long forever?" she wondered aloud, following him to stand and brush herself off. Turning easily back towards the city proper she made to lead him back to the street they'd come down before.

[DragonSong]

Luca nodded. "Yes. Well- no. I mean, when I was younger it was shorter," he laughed. "I've just...never cut it. Never really had the need, or opportunity."

[Juno]

Awiergan chuckled, having a very difficult time imagining the gentle giant as a boy. He'd probably been adorable, though, knowing the innocent gentleness of him present day. "I'm kind of curious how it would look shorter," she admitted, reaching out to hold some of the ends away as if they were gone, frowning thoughtfully. Perhaps if it was styled differently but it was hard to imagine him without such long hair anyway.

Through all of that on their way back to the tavern she was oblivious to the way they were being followed by the stranger, forgetting all too quickly the dangers for them in the capital.

[DragonSong]

Luca chuckled and ducked his head slightly to lean into her touch. "Maybe I'll cut it then," he said with a shrug as he followed her.

[Juno]

"Ahhh but what if it never grows back?" she teased in a sing-song tone, releasing him and pushing her way through the tavern doors. Instead of heading right back to their room, though, she beelined it for the bar. Hoisting herself up onto a stool she sighed happily and laid herself out along the counter, eliciting a loud grumble from the barkeep. "I need a drink before bed, I've earned it," she decided. "Do you want anything?"

[DragonSong]

The merman shook his head as he took a seat beside her. "I'm alright. One of us should be sober," he teased.