Only Human

[Edreina]

54th Spring, 513 AV Despite all of the other sensations coursing through her body, Edreina could feel the wooden deck beneath her back, weather and wear smoothed surface like velvet against her bare, freckled body. A gentle flush warmed her from cheek to knee, but not as much as the form pressed against her front, arm lacing around her waist, other supporting the form as it reposed upon the deck. Sight was not one of the sensations gifted to Edreina, her eyes were closed - or perhaps covered - as gentle lips roamed her exposed neck, occasionally punctuated by the sharp pinch of teeth. With a soft, mewling sound, Edreina found herself pulling at the cloth covering his chest. In an instant, it was gone and she felt warm, hard sinew pressed against her soft, mounded chest. As the lips moved up to her jawline, fluttering gently, then to her ear. "Reina..." The voice was low, breathless; her name was whispered, like a prayer. It caused her to tremble all over, to bite her lip in anticipation. On instinct, her body arched forward, securing itself against that which it craved. The lips became hungrier as they moved down to her chest, causing it to arch up, begging for more as her lips parted. The fingers danced across her back, stopping at her hip where they gained a firm grip, holding her in place. Once parted lips were quickly closed once more as her teeth locked about her lower lip, stifling a sound as the foreign lips paused, paying a greater attention to the anatomy of her chest. With a slow reverence, the hand moved down her hip to the point where her legs were pressed together, causing Edreina to tremble and take a sharp, anticipating breath. With agonizing slowness, the hand moved down to her thighs then pried them apart, exposing her core to the cool, dancing breeze. After an instant, he pressed against her, resting something that throbbed and grew as it rested against her womanhood, pulling a shuddering breath from the reddened lips of the fiery haired Svefra. Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips, as she felt breath only inches from her own face. Soft as a feather, an upper lip brushed her lower, teasing it. In a flash foreign teeth had a hold of her lip, tugging at it for a moment before releasing it. Edreina whimpered again, leaning forward to capture the lips with her own. And then, it was all gone. Edreina could finally open her eyes. Her vision was filled with a multitude of stars in an endless expanse, Leth's pale eye at its apex, looking down upon her. Her back no longer rested against smooth wood, but fine, powdery sand. Her formerly bare skin was cloaked in its usual, simple linen undergarments. Edreina sat up, slowly, as if under water. Her hair was longer than normal, falling down about her shoulders to pool in the sand, bleached nearly blond by the pale light. Looking around, she realized that she was on an island... No, not even that. Three paces would cover the little sandy bank. The water surrounding her was inky black, undisturbed by ship and left smooth without a shoreline to make it jagged. Edreina was completely and utterly alone. Loneliness seized her gut with a cold, iron grip and she felt a sob rise up. After the feeling of another human's skin upon hers, Edreina suddenly felt naked. After another human's breath in her ear, Edreina felt enveloped in silence. After another human's voice calling her name with such reverence, Edreina felt alone. Curling in on herself, arms wrapped about knees pressed to her chest, silent tears streamed down her freckled face, disappearing into the smooth, vibrantly red hair. She just wanted to have another near her... no matter how fleetingly. Infinite eternities passed. Finally, Edreina felt the courage and strength return to her limbs, pulling her into a standing position. Looking down, she saw her hair pooling around her feet like a lake of pure flame. For several instants, she admired it, the way it moved as if each tendril was possessed with the spirit of the Ocean. Tentatively, she took a step towards the ocean, pale, Leth-lit foot almost matching the sand below. Her foot hovered over the water for a moment, anticipation building as her toes wriggled. Her blue eyes drifted shut as she prepared be comforted by the cool salty waters. Finally, she put her foot down - - onto the sand. Sand? Opening her eyes, Edreina was distraught to see that the sand had appeared, dry and cool, beneath her foot. With a cry, she fell to her knees - onto more sand. And still, no one heard...

[Ricky Maze]

"Why do you even bother?! You know this trip is a wasted one." Her words were cold and harsh, and yet Ricky couldn't stop himself from admitting the truth.

"Because I'm not ready to let ya go yet..." There was a pause as the room was silent. It was dim with only one lit candle in Ricky's room, back in the city of Zeltiva he left behind. He laid naked in his bed while Hannah stared out the window into the starry sky.

"Well you should've done it anyway, after all you and her are better together anyway." She looked crossed but her tone was more pleading, as if though they were in the midst of a deep conversation. Oddly enough Hannah was in her clothes and Ricky... never was when this dream began. He didn't know it was a dream though, he only knew that he was after one thing.

"But... I want..." He wanted her as much as he wanted Telion. There was no way to explain it, and it flustered Ricky enough to wipe his face before the tears of fustrastion formed. When he fell back to let his head crash into the pillow and think he closed his eyes and listened. He listened to the sound of the sea, as the waves in the distance somehow became louder.

"You know what you really want... you just haven't accepted it yet." The words faded out into far off echoes that quickly died out, and when Ricky opened his eyes he was in the depths of darkness once again.

The surface was above him as he could see the sun dance with the water, and as he found himself floating in the depths of the ocean he felt his heart open. He saw her, her with the blonde hair and the beautiful eyes she had, the eyes that looked so intense on Ricky when he allowed his deep gaze to match them. She was there at the surface, with her hand held out, she waited for him to reach out. To grasp her hand as she started to rise, rise above the surface as the water bubbled around her. Ricky reached out to her as much as he could, it was a struggle that ended felt like forever; even though it ended swiftly. The moment he reached her she was already gone, the bubbles that formed around her clouded her and floated to the surface, and left Ricky to rise even further. His mind was hazy as his head broke through the surface of the water, as Ricky gasped for air while the ocean waves ripped past him.

They pulled him under and once again he struggled to breach the surface. No good. The power behind the waves was too strong to fight, he was worried he would sink down but his mind and body was tired from the struggle. The first lessons in swimming his Konti friend gave in his childhood days were no match for the current, and so he let himself give in. He was carried away further into the water, unaware of where he was going.

'What do you really want?' It was the question he wanted to ask her most, but now that he was here it was more reflected upon himself. The threshold of revelation as a friend once said, the first time they encountered one another in a dream. 'I... I want...' The answer was still unknown, as his heart couldn't find the answer just yet.

Ricky felt something wet and grainy slide beneath him, as the water that surrounded him soon slipped away to let the land and air welcome him. Ricky grasped at the sand that was under him, his eyes finally cracked open to see the clear sky and the sun above. He had on his pants even though he had no memory of putting them on, then again the dream world was capable of anything. He sat up to observe his new environment he washed up on, curious as to why he was here and how he came to be here. 'I want to go home.' He thought to himself, as he stood up barefoot in the sand. He had no shoes and no shirt, just the pants that somehow came around him. It may have been possible that they were on even when he first dove in the water, but the question was did he really dive in?

He walked a few ways with hope that he'd find a way home, as clearly that was his intention now. The homesick sea bear found something, or rather someone, instead. She had red hair that was laid out, free in its own life as the ocean wind made it dance. She was on her knee's as she cried, and Ricky had no idea why the next word that came from him did so in the first place.

"Hannah?" It was a word that stuck with him even in dreams it seems. He had been searching for her just as well as answers, so it shouldn't have surprised him to guess if this was her. Even when he knew she wasn't.

[Edreina]

"Hannah?" The name echoed around Edreina, bouncing off of nothing. Looking up, Edreina saw a stranger standing only feet away, fully clothed while she was nearly bare. He was tall and built like a mountain, rippling muscles coating his frame. Obviously, he thought that she was someone else. But, the thought did not bother Edreina as much as it should have. She was, quite simply, relieved. Relieved to know that she was not the only one left in this world of endless, untouchable water. "No... Edreina... Edreina Whitewave..." Her voice sounded odd, even to herself. It was as if one had taken the gentle rushing of waves and put them into her voice, dampening its higher notes. What is he doing here? she suddenly wondered, realizing that he had simply appeared out of thin air. Sensing her unease, her hair flowed up and around her, gently covering her lithe frame and part of her face. "Who... who are you?" In life, Edreina was one to always smile and laugh, to make jokes and be carefree. Something about this dark, desolate world seemed to draw out her deepest uncertainties, her fears, her longings. A fine tremble racked her frame, caused by a suddenly cold gust. It was odd... this was the first sign of any weather she had felt since waking. Abruptly, a shadow passed over Edreina and she looked up to see a cloud quickly dart across Leth's pale eye before disappearing out among the endless stars. Looking back to where the man had been standing earlier, Edreina found he was suddenly much closer, whether by whim or the pull of this oddly moving sand. Fear darted into her heart once more. He may be here, but they were still alone. There was no land in sight, no ship for her to seek safety and comfort upon. Unbidden, she felt a hot rush of tears in her eyes. As the man towered over her, she felt like a child, helpless and unsure of what she should do, seeking instruction. "Where am I?" The question flew from her lips no softer than a breath, as if she knew already that even this stranger could not answer her question.

[Ricky Maze]

Ricky looked upon the lady with curious intent, her eyes allured him instantly with their silver hues mixed with blue. Ricky's always found his a natural crystal blue when looking into a mirror, but when he saw her eyes he became instantly curious as to who this woman was. She had denied being Hannah and although Ricky knew from the start that it wasn't her some part still yearned for it. That part that waited to have an answer. Still her name came to him in the form of a lullaby, softly written to ease the mind of a troubled soul. She was a beauty to behold, and a beauty out here in the middle of nowhere. Which made Ricky wonder, why is it she was out here alone to begin with.

She had asked him who he was, and with a shake that coursed through her body she wondered where this place was. Ricky could only assume that the both of them were lost. "I'm Ricky. I... Don't really know where we are." As he said this he looked around. Earlier when he experienced trouble with the waves the sun had shone, while here the moon had come out to play instead. Oddly enough Ricky didn't feel the chill of the wind here, even though he only wore pants the breeze that blew felt cool to his warm body. He turned back to Edreina with a concerned expression, his mind focused on giving her a better sense of security.

"I think we're lost here lass." He spoke softly with the humble nature he always had, a sincere tone originated from the echoes of his voice as his heart showed its intention through his eyes. The eyes that would always have a deep look when one gazed in, the eyes that were the window to his soul. His nature had already kicked in just by seeing her, the tears she cried still presently before him. She was troubled somehow and he wanted to help her, to protect her from whatever caused her to weep like she did. He walked closer to her, but left a little space between them. He was aware that he appeared as a stranger to her, and he wasn't going to overstep any boundaries so suddenly. "Are you alright lass?"

[Edreina]

"Are you alright lass?" Was she alright? The aching in her chest and the sense of loneliness that seeped into her bones would say no. But, looking down, she found herself physically intact. "Yes... I think I am." Looking up at him, she found a sense of kindness and concern in his gentle blue eyes. The sheer honesty of it caused Edreina to relax ever so slightly. He was, obviously, not here to hurt her. But, what was he doing here in the first place? Ricky... thinking about it now, Edreina nearly laughed. Such a childlike name for one so masculine amused her for an instant, just long enough for a smile to alight upon her lips before being sapped away. He had appeared so suddenly, just when she had begun to believe that she was the only human left. Her first instinct was to assume that he was some sort of divinity, perhaps an Alvina. But, at the same time, she knew deep down in her soul that he was not. He was a human like she. Without even realizing it, she was standing again, hair falling around her to the sand once more. Almost timidly, though she could not have stopped herself if she wanted, Edreina walked across the sand and wrapped her arms around him, chilled cheek pressing against his warm chest. With a sigh, she felt the comfort that she needed, the human element that she craved. The fact that she could touch him proved that she was not alone, he was real and he was here. "I'm so afraid..." she admitted, looking down at the sand. But, afraid of what? She was not hungry, nor thirsty, Leth seemed unmoving, as if time had stopped, and there was no shore in sight. But, those did not bother her for some reason. Deep down, she had been most afraid of the concept of being alone. Upon the solitary sand bank, she had cried in the fear that she would live out the rest of her time in isolation, away from people, from her friends... from life.

[Ricky Maze]

Ricky was unsure if it was too quick to wrap his arms around hee, but only after a few ticks did he allow them to secure her in his grasp. Her cool skin was soft to feel under his fingers as he embraced her with a tender loving manner that showed he cared. She confided to him that she was afraid, and Ricky held her snuggly in an attempt to make her feel safer.

"Don't be afraid. I'm here now, and I won't let a thing hurt ya." He spoke softer now, his humble tone became warm and positive. He had only met this woman, but already he felt like he knew her for a long time. Were they the only two in this endless world? He had no clue, as the answer was only uncertain. This place was different from any other he'd dreamed about, here he felt as though the world was lost. Where nothing no longer existed, and the endless night of Leth and the stars that decorated his domain was all that watched.

"I'm here now. Nothing else matters." Why did he say this? Was he doing it to provide comfort for hee? Did he feel these feelings for her or did they belong to another? The answer still remained unknown. Ricky only knew that this young woman was the only thing in this dream that mattered to him. "The only thing that matters is that we're not alone, because we're here together now." Comfort was something he found easy to give, as Ricky was always the man who'd be there for a friend. In the real world he'd defend his friends with his life, if that's what it took to keep them safe. However she was the only one that was here, and strangely enough that meant he was here to protect her.

[Edreina]

Before she realized what was happening, Edreina was kissing this stranger with a desperate intensity. Their bodies had already been pressed together, but somehow the gentle, comforting embrace had become one of two bodies trying to meld together. Her soft curves pressed against his burly frame with a sort of gentle insistence. She did not really understand what she was doing it even why, only that she craved the company of another human, to be reminded that she is alive. She rose onto her toes so that she could wrap her arms around his neck. If he did not like this, perhaps he would just disappear as quickly as he had appeared. On the other hand, perhaps he would reciprocate. Being the only two humans, there would be a draw, she hoped. Either way, she put herself out there, opened herself to the stranger. The contact did something to soothe the aching loneliness that gnawed at Edriena's innards, so powerful when she was alone that she often found it hard to eat. It was better, sometimes, when she could disappear for a little while into the ocean, to feel Laviku's presence. But, when all else failed, she found herself seeking company however she could. Luckily - perhaps - for this stranger, with the ocean so far away, this was one of those times where Edreina's instinct drove her to seek human contact however she could.

[Ricky Maze]

She had kissed him. He didn't know what to think, he was only lost within the moment. That one moment when everything seems to slip away, when everything just happens and you can only watch. That moment where Ricky felt his heart nearly burst as a rush overcame his mind. There was something that wanted him to hold back though, a subconciousness deep within that felt that this wasn't right. 'Are you going through with this? What about...' The thought trailed off before it could finish, although Ricky knew it referred to her. Hannah was a question in reality, yet these feelings weren't for Hannah. Who did they belong to? Ricky was still unsure of it all, his mind knew only one thing; Edreina was a beauty that was alone with him. He felt he could protect her, make her feel safe from everything. There was more to it then that...

Ricky wanted to make her happy. He wanted to give her something he always kept hidden, yet it wasn't rightfully meant for Edriena even though he felt it was. He ignored the feeling though, he was already lost in the moment, and now headed deeper into the unknown. The love he felt that had always remained hidden, that love would be given to this woman just for one night. It was the same love Ricky had given that one night, it was a night to remember for him but unfortunately he hadn't. Not yet anyway. Ricky allowed his arms to loosen and lower to where he could lift Edriena, so she would be the same height he was when they kissed. He felt awake and alive, as the moment in time became more. The memory lived within and waited to be recognized, and so Ricky lifted her up in his arms. The ocean may have seemed distant for her, but for him it was never to far. He somehow felt she wanted the sea, somewhere inside he just knew she wanted to feel the water as it rushed onto the shore. He wanted it too of course, the same feeling resided in him as well. He felt connected by this, but more then connected. Something deeper inside that couldn't be defined nor explained, something that just made the connection seem bigger and more important.

He kept walking and his eyes switched between the shore and her face, each time he looked her eyes just brought out that determination he felt inside; the will to achieve the impossible. The capacity to do whatever it took to bring happiness to who he treasured most. An image came to his head as he looked out to the sea, an image of his best friend from that night. She had a glow about her as the stars fell into the ocean, the world felt rich and full of life in this image. It was at the docks of Zeltiva, when he was drunk and Laviku knows what else. He remembered the words that came before the unthinkable happened. 'I love you.' Those were the words he said that night, yet he couldn't remember them until now. The memory faded from his mind and he repeated the words, as he was no longer in control of his own self. The love he felt was too strong now as it overpowered his ability to regain control, and all he could do was allow it to take its course through the dream.

Finally he brought her closer to the shore, right where the water could be felt as it'd rush past their ankles. Ricky knelt down and used his knee as a prop for Edreina to sit on, his affectionate look all on her as he waited to see her face. "I thought ye'd like to feel the sea." He finally explained with a sincere smile, his eyes deeply fixed on her.

[Edreina]

When he knelt, Edreina was shocked to feel the water rushing up and around her toes. She disengaged, eyes wide with wonder as she finally felt the gentle caress of salt water lapping up over her toes. Now, she could even feel the sea's salty breath. It toyed with her hair and danced across her skin like a long time friend. Grinning, she leapt up, disentangling herself from Ricky, and darted into the ocean, letting it come up to her waist. For awhile, she stood there, palms splayed across the water which covered her from her hips down. With her head tilted back so that her now normal length hair dipped it's burnished tips into the water, Edreina's face was one of utter calm and reverence. Her soft lips were parted and moved with wordless murmurs, eyes closed delicately so that her thick lashes cast shadows on her pale , speckled cheeks. Smiling gently, she turned and offered the hulking man her hand, begging him to join her. Her heart still fluttered lightly at the sight of him, a sudden attraction she had been too distraught earlier to notice blooming. The feeling turned her smile from gentle and kind to a bit darker, more sultry as her eyelids drifted slightly.

[Ricky Maze]

Ricky felt happy when he saw Edreina run into the salty water, her hair returned to a shorter length that seemed to fit her more; a normal and natural form that belonged the way it did. As he watched her his face lit up with a bright smile, eyes full of completion as they rested upon her joyous reaction to the water. It was all like magic before him. 'Magic...' Yes beautiful as it was, the night was thought to have been a blank. Yet he remembered it was a night of magic, a night full of love that longed to reveal itself to himself as well as her. She who loved him too but never could admit it, for reasons he couldn't understand at the time. He likely wouldn't be able to now either, but that was for another time when he could think on it. Right now he had to indulge in the passionate happiness he had to devote to this one maiden of the sea.

She had wanted him to join her in feeling one with the sea, and Ricky always enjoyed having that connection. With a peaceful smile he walked out to her and grabbed her hand gently, she wasn't fragile but for some reason Ricky felt differently. He wanted to safeguard her from it all, to keep her safe within his arms as the two would enjoy the kiss of the ocean. When he finally came close to her he would wrap his arms around her and rest his forehead on her's. He would look deep into her eyes as he felt the waves sway the two of them for just a bit, and admire the color and hue of her eyes as she was close now. He didn't make any attempt to kiss her, not just yet anyway, when he did this. No he wanted to take in the beauty of her face, the feel of her skin under his fingers as they touched her back. Just as she could've thought of him as an Alvina, he could only think of her as his goddess. A goddess he was meant to serve and please, a goddess he felt devoted to for the rest of his life.

"I'll always be there for ya." He assured her softly, his breath slightly heavier as he took in the feeling. The energy he felt from being so close to her, it was totally foreign and yet exotic to him. Yet he felt the same feeling before as well, it was the feeling that sparks were flying as they coursed through his body. He didn't need to connect this with that night, for he was already lost within the idea of being with Edreina. "Ye're beautiful." He whispered as he felt himself start to shake, unsure where this was going to next. He knew he wasn't cold, the water hadn't caused him to shiver to begin with. No this was the shakes one would get when they were with someone, felt so close to them and yet they wanted to be closer. Ricky then slowly went in to gently kiss her, to see what waited to happen beyond his imagination.