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Song of the Sea [Juno]

Started by DragonSong, March 22, 2016, 04:58:26 PM

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DragonSong

Ash kept turning to wave as she picked her way back up the path along the cliff until she couldn't make out Yan's shape anymore.

Her house was farther into the village, and she had to rush to make sure she was back in her bed before her father woke up. It wasn't until she was slipping back through her window that she realized she'd left her shoes back on the beach.

Juno

He watched her go, thinking better of giving a true dragon's cry of farewell as he knew the sound would ride up the cliffs and probably reach the village she'd pointed out to him. While it was fun at times he didn't wish to startle the humans from their sleep. He'd learned the hard way that that tended to not work out in his favor.

Her small human shoes in the sand were forgotten by the beast as he slipped back into the depths. For the night he would settle along the ocean floor just off the coast, an odd excitement bubbling in his chest to have plans for the next day.

DragonSong

"Ash? Aishling, get up lass."

"Mmphh." Ash rolled over sleepily and batted at her father. "Just a few more minutes," she begged.

"Sorry, love. We've got work to do. Come on, up."

Grumbling and cursing under her breath, she forced herself to get out of bed and face the day. Everything just seemed so mundane after the previous night; he father's workshop, the customers coming in and out, even the few friends who stopped by to chat while she worked on a rocking chair someone had ordered.

Strangely it almost felt like this was the dream. The beach, the sea, the creature she'd met all seemed so vividly real in her mind, she found it was nearly impossible to focus on anything else. She was already planning how she could sneak away after her father fell asleep that night.

Juno

Yan spent the daytime hours patrolling up and down the coast as he normally would have, though there was a sense of purpose in his movements that day. It was more something to fill his time until, hopefully, he might see the human girl again.

Once the sun began to fall he surfaced and flew out towards the cliffs. He was careful to ride the winds high, practically up to the clouds to hide himself as he neared the village. Yan stared at the dark specks for buildings upon the ground and the even smaller ones that moved slowly between them. Humans, he realized.

As the sky started to turn orange and pink from the sunset he turned and made his way back towards the spot on the beach they'd met the previous night. Thinking it might be easier to speak with her, Yan shifted to his human form. The clothes it came with were a bit large on him -left over from the last time he'd taken the form- and after a moment of trying to remember where in the world he'd even gotten them he gave up to pad down towards the water on bare feet.

For some reason he felt rather restless as the stars revealed themselves and the moon rose to exchange for the sun. Walking soon turned to pacing with the wind rolling off the water throwing his hair all around him, but he stopped in his tracks once his toe nudged something rather solid on the ground. Shoes.

Blinking down at them he crouched to scoop them up, holding them awkwardly in his hands and not quite knowing what to do with them. They seemed familiar, but he didn't quite recognize them as Aishling's even though they were right where she'd been the night before. Somehow it seemed right to hold onto them, so he did.

DragonSong

Ash crept quietly to her father's bedroom door and pressed her ear to the wood, listening intently. Deep, even breaths. He was asleep then.

Letting out a quiet breath of relief- and forcing away a tiny twinge of guilt- she gathered the skirt of her nightgown up in one hand and slipped into her day shoes, which weren't as sturdy for climbing up and down the cliffs, but she'd left her boots on the beach.

Her village was a sleepy enough place, so she didn't run a high risk of running into people so late as she slipped between houses and made her way to the little path that led down to the shore., wincing slightly with every stone she sent clattering from its place.

Finally she made it to the beach and practically ran to the water, stumbling slightly at the unfamiliar feel of sand shifting underfoot. Then she drew up short, catching sight of what appeared to be a young man. Someone from her village? She couldn't quite make him out.

Juno

He didn't have to wait long before he heard her clumsy footsteps quickly approaching. Turning to her with a familiar smile he found it was harder to make her out with his human eyes, though not entirely impossible.

"Aishling?" he asked tentatively, stepping a little closer as he squinted at her by the moonlight, forgetting that she wouldn't be able to recognize him the way that he was.

DragonSong

As the man came closer Ash's eyes widened a bit. He certainly looked...interesting. Interesting, and not at all familiar. Although somehow she felt like she'd heard his voice before.

"Um, yes?" she said warily, backing up a step. "Who- who are you? How do you know my name?"

Juno

There was a moment of relief across his face but that was quickly replaced with disappointment as he watched her step away. She didn't remember him. He paused, not wanting to scare her away as he thought on how to fumble through introductions again.

"We met before," he offered, hoping that alone might jog her memory. "Er- Last night. I'm Yan." He held out her boots with outstretched hands, smiling proudly. "I think these are yours, no?"

DragonSong

"Yan?" She blinked at him, mouth falling open. "But- but you were- I mean- how?"

He'd been a dragon! And now he looked...well, not necessarily normal, not in the way she thought of it, but quite distinctly human.

Juno

He smiled, relieved by her recognition of his name. "Yes, I am still the same," he tried to assure her, not understanding that her surprise came from his change of forms rather than who he was.

The dragon still held out her shoes expectantly, not feeling awkward at all.

DragonSong

"But you're- how are you human?" Ash demanded, taking a cautious step closer.

It was really only then that she realized he was holding something out to her. "Oh, my shoes!" She smiled and took them easily, feeling that the whole thing was very surreal. "Thanks..."

Juno

"Oh!" He laughed at that, relieved that the problem simply seemed to be that he hadn't explained himself. "It is part of my magic," he chirped, lifting an arm once she'd taken the shoes and running a hand along it, ever fascinated by the smoothness compared to scales.

"I have this form and...well the other. The one you saw last night," he explained. "Does it, um, bother you?"

DragonSong

She just stared at him for a few moments longer, rather speechless. Then she realized she hadn't answered him and shook her head quickly. "Oh, no. No, it doesn't...bother me. I just didn't know dragons could do that..."

Her head tilted and she looked him up and down, then admitted with a small smile, "Though there's really a lot I don't know about dragons, I guess."

Juno

He shrugged, smiling easily and casting a look up at the starry sky. "I don't know if all can, but it is something both my mother and my sire are capable of. I suppose I just gained the trait."

He stuffed his hands into his pockets and absently kicked at a few pebbles in the sand before glancing up at the bluff. "You are not in trouble, are you? Being here?"

DragonSong

Ash grinned a little wryly at that. "Not yet." She let her eyes flick out over the water and gave a soft sigh, taking a few steps closer. "I almost forgot how amazing it is," she murmured absently.

Juno

"Almost," he teased, smiling warmly as he turned to stare out at the water with her. "It is too beautiful to forget." Stepping closer, he settled his feet into the shallows, watching as the dark, shimmering water lapped at his skin. "So why did you come? Or...why did you want to tonight?"

DragonSong

She shook her head slowly, smiling a bit. "I- I don't really know. I just felt like I had to. I couldn't stay away, not after seeing it once."

Rather carefully, she shuffled forward until the surf could lap at her toes. "Oh!" Ash's eyes went very round and she skittered back, one hand flying to cover her mouth.

For a moment, she could have sworn she'd heard...singing.

Juno

Yan nodded, watching her curiously as she tested the water and then chuckled as he watched her stepping back from it so quickly. "Cold?" he guessed, looking down and wiggling his toes a bit in the wet sand. "It takes some getting used to."

DragonSong

Ash stared at him with wide eyes. "You mean- you don't hear it?" she asked quietly, disbelieving.

Juno

"Hear...what exactly?" he asked, smiling kindly as he studied her rather startled face. There were many things he expected to hear at sea but which she was referring to he was not aware of, though he was entirely oblivious to the actual singing itself.

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