Closed [The Great Harbor] Smells like Home (Tsukiko)

[Matthew]

He had never actually suffered from seasickness, oddly enough. His only fears with the ocean came with what lie underneath it. Never once had he considered drowning or being tossed over the edge, he had only considered massive sea monster jaws exploding upwards from the blue and devouring him whole. Even now that he had managed to get his feet about him right in the center of the ship, he was still eyeing the nearby waters with some measure of suspicion. It was both beautiful and terrifying to him, much like the Wildlands that surrounded Syliras from all sides. He chewed his lip a bit more before glancing at Tsukiko as she playfully spoke, blue eyes narrowing a bit as he tried to translate the social nuances in her words. Lovely was probably used to describe the taste of the prey, not the actual appearance. Or maybe she found fish attractive or beautiful? He would have to watch her facial expressions closely when she laid eyes upon one. She had called his idea a silly stunt, which he thankfully tucked away for later. Apparently normal hands were not effective fish-catching tools. Then she was holding up some sort of kit, smiling and suggesting that it would be easier. Convinced that she was well-versed in what they were about to do, he nodded in agreement. At the crook of her finger he slowly followed, blue eyes glancing down briefly at his feet and hips as he gracefully moved. There was some hesitation here and there with his slow stride, but he was getting better by the second. Pulling up beside of her, he peered at the items she had produced. There were sections of fishing rod, something he was familiar with from Zeltiva. Then there was the little thin lengths of fishing line, something else he was familiar with. There would probably be lures in the kit as well? Or perhaps she used some sort of live bait. The memories of Zeltiva and their fishing boats came flooding back to him, making him a bit more aware of what they were about to do. He slowly shook his head, glancing up at her, face very curious but quite serious. "I do not. Will you please show me?"

[Tsukiko]

She considered how she should teach him, for it would be more difficult with so little light to see with, not to mention completing the task. Luckily, the rod and reel were simple enough that even a beginner would be able to get the hang of it, so long as they had clever hands.

Gripping the thickest section of the rod, she held it up for him to see. It was made of wood, except for the reel and small rings where the line would rest. "This is the base, the handle if you will, and from here, you add on the next piece, lining up loops," she pointed, indicating towards them as she continued, "where the line is threaded through." To demonstrate, she picked the second section, the next side down, lining the loops as exactly as she could. "These keep the line on the pole, and also helps to keep it from tangling," she added, her eyes focused on the task. Taking the rod apart once more, she passed it to Matthew. "Here, you try," she said with a warm smile. While he practised this, Tsukiko rummaged carefully through her kit, picking out a lure that glinted with a silverish gleam, despite the darkness. It was designed to imitate some of the smaller species of fish, as well as the younger ones. Glancing over at his progress, the sailor would correct him if he needed help.

"So now that you've done this, let me show you the next steps. They're pretty simple, for the most part." Taking the rod carefully back into her own hands, she proceeded to thread the fishing line through the loops, attentive for any snags and knots, untangling them when need be. Reaching the tip, she slipped it through the smallest ring, pulling out a length of line about a foot long or so. Holding it up for him to see once more, Tsukiko began explaining the final step to setting up the fishing rod; tying the lures. "The problem most people tend to have with fishing are the lures. I've known some who've lost a great deal, both equipment and fish, simply because they tied a slip knot or some other kind of knot without thinking." She had also made that mistake at one point, and she winced at the memory.

[Matthew]

Even though her explanation and demonstration of how to assemble the pole was quite simple and easy to understand, Matthew still studied her every movement with a certain level of intensity. The handsome harlet seemed to soak up every word like a sponge would suck up water, blue eyes focused and razor-sharp. Not once did his eyes leave her hands and the fishing pole, and when it was offered to him, he quickly snapped it up and went about trying what she had showed him. First he connected it, then twisted it about to see how badly it would kink up the string. After a few twists, disassembles and then reassembles, he seemed satisfied that he knew how to put the object together. He examined it a bit more from top to bottom, then glanced back at her, curious as to what the next step was. She took the rod and began to thread the string, and once again he stared at every little movement. At some of her final words, he furrowed his brow, and carefully phrased out his question. "I am assuming those knots aren't good for holding lures? And lures are used to... lure fish? I suppose that would make sense, with the title..." His words faded off for a moment, his eyes catching the shimmering lure in her hands. "...ah, and it is shiny so it will attract them in the water? What sort of knot do you use to secure that to the line?" He crossed his strong arms, moving closer, looming over her shoulder and staring once more. He was obviously the sort that was eager to learn, and she would be able to rapture him with every little bit of information she gave, no matter how trivial she might think it to be. He glanced over to her kit for a moment, noting other gleams and colors, wondering just how many types of lures there could be. Were there ones for different fish? Could she even lure sea monsters with some of the lures in that bag? What about an octopus? He shivered briefly behind her, though not because of a chill. He was just scaring himself.

[Tsukiko]

She chuckled darkly at his comment on the slip knot, before turning her attention to the harlot's inquiries concerning lours. "Yes, the light reflect on the lours imitate smaller fish, ones that larger catches prey upon. Of course, depending on what kind of fishing you would like to do, you'd use certain lours, as well as certain knots, rather than others." She paused for a moment, considering her next words. It was.. different, teaching someone something she herself had been taught only years before. "Though there are many different knots, some are more commonly used than others, though it is mostly up to preference, difficulty, and functionality. Personally, I tend to use a knot called, the 'Pitzen Knot.' It is one of the strongest knots that I've used, which is ideal for when I go open water fishing."

After a beat, she went straight into the explanation, holding up her line and lour to demonstrate, she fed the line through the eye of the lour. "When you thread the line through the eye of the lour, you line the end with the main part of the line, so that it is parallel, see?" Lining up the section of line she had pulled through the lour, which was about the length of her hand, the sailor than pinched it about half way. "Then you loop the tail end around the parallel line, four to six times towards the lour, though it doesn't make much of a difference, all the while holding a here," she gestured to where she pinched the line, to a create loop. She glanced up briefly from her work to make sure that he was following her instructions. "Finally, once you reach four or six loops, you bring the tail end through the loop you've created, and pull it through to tighten it. Push the knot towards the end to secure it, and there you have it!" She smiled at Matthew. "Personally, I like to tie a regular knot or two afterwards, just to make sure that it's secure. Any questions?"

Recovering her breath, with a dried mouth, it hit her that this had been the most she had spoken at a time, perhaps ever. It was somewhat disconcerting to her. 'Once you get me started on something, I suppose I tend to ramble...' Deep down though, she knew it was because she was homesick. Being separated from loved ones was hard to cope with. 'And perhaps,' she thought, 'it is because I came to care for them so much, that it hurts to be apart all the more.'

Slowly, her skin began to gently glow, travelling across her flesh from her finger tips. It was Leth, reflecting his light off her pale, smooth skin, much resembling how the moon reflected the light of the sun. Her form grew slimmer, her hair becoming silvery, and slightly longer, while black horns curled delicately at her temples. As the Ethaefal's nightly form came into being, her eyes, which were trained on those of her temporary pupil's, became a vibrant indigo blue, making the shade of her daylight form a mere shadow in comparison. With bated breath, she waited for the harlot's reaction.

visual

[Matthew]

All the information was carefully noted, appreciation going towards their detail. It was all completely new to him, and on some very deep level, he was loving every single minute of it. His eyes watched her fingers give an example of the Plitzen Knot with quite a bit of intensity, tracing every little motion and twitch. His full lips moved in quiet unspoken words, Matthew repeating mental notes in his brain. When she finally finished her example, he nodded quickly, responding to her very last question. "Yes, one. How do you tie a normal knot? What exactly does a normal knot look like?" The question might be hilarious to the experienced Ethaefal, but to Matthew, this was all very new to him. He moved closer to her, slowly reaching out his hands to take the lure in hand and take a closer look at it. He was so incredibly focused on the result of her work that surprisingly, he didn't even notice the fact that she was petching glowing. If anything, it said a lot for his level of concentration. However, when he did finally glance up and notice, she would be treated to the biggest display of emotion that Matthew had let show in quite some time. At first it was nothing. He merely blinked at her with wide and slightly confused blue eyes, brow furrowed as he tried to figure out exactly how reality had shifted. Where there had once been Tsukiko, now there was someone totally and completely different. Only after a few chimes had passed did the full shock of it all set in, which still only resulted in a minor step to the side and backwards a bit, with Matthew's mouth opening to ask the obvious question. It was only icing on the cake that the back of his foot caught the edge of the ship, as did the back of his knee catch the railing. Any other person would have easily caught their balance, but the harlot was already thrown off. That, and there was a slight fear of the ocean involved. A loud squawk exploded from his lush lips, his arms windmilled in an over-exaggerated attempt at getting his balance, and the combined effort of it all sent the poor man toppling over the edge and into the water with a rather majestic splash. There were a few more moments of splashing about and muffled noises, but suddenly the harlot found his composure once more and immediately went into a perfect little doggy paddle. Kicking his legs a bit and shuffling his hands in the water, he treaded water in his awkward way and stared up at Tsukiko. It would probably only add humor to the situation, how he had managed to instantly compose himself after such a horrid show. There was definitely the slightest shade of red coloring his cheeks though. His eyes took in her horns, and the light dawned in his stare. He was familar with what she was, and he was familar with what had just gone on, though he couldn't remember actually having seen it before. He paused a moment, and then gave her a somewhat accusing stare, actually looking like he was pouting for a brief moment. "Ethaefal. You could have warned me." With a bit of a snort he slowly paddled forward, his amateur swimming skills on display in his sloppy little paddle. He reached up for the edge of the boat, ungracefully trying to climb his way back up onto the ship so they could continue the lesson, though with a lot of his dignity now missing.

[Tsukiko]

It had not occurred to her that he would ask her to explain the simpler knot, as she had figured that he would realize it was the knot that one used for task such as tying a person's boot laces. "Why, it looks like the one that you use to do up your laces, only, without the bow" she said with a chuckle, but humoured him by demonstrating, making a loop and simply pulling the end through until it was tight. "On its own, such a knot would come undone quite easily, so it is better to double it by tying it a second time. Anything el-" she began, just as he noticed her changed appearance, about to pass the line and lour to his outstretched hands.

She watched his expression; noting how his eyes blinked and widened as he began to register what he was seeing; his confusion as he furrowed his brow. For whatever reason, it gave her a mad feeling that made her want burst out laughing, but she held on. The Ethaefal saw his backwards step, the harlot's mouth open, as if he were about to say something, and watch as he tipped over the edge of her ship, as if in slow-motion. Perhaps it was the squawk, or maybe it was his windmilling attempt to keep his balance, but as soon as the man's head broke the surface, the sailor was overtaken by a fit of giggles that shook her entire form. Momentarily, she was worried for his safety, until she saw his comical doggy paddle, which only worsened her small fit, as she wrapped her arms around her stomach; the woman's mirth beginning to bring tears to her eyes, while her voice was light and merry.

Moving the side of the catamaran, she felt a twinge of shame at her outburst, when she noticed the man's reddening cheeks. "Ah.. I'm sorry. I just.. couldn't help it," she smiled lightly, though her earlier mirth could still be seen, reflected in her eyes. "Your reaction was quite... amusing," this time smiling with a hint of her other form's almost carefree nature. The Ethaefal had the feeling that this man, who had earlier seemed to care deeply of his control over his emotions, had perhaps displayed more than he had intended to. She watched his swimming form thoughtfully. "I could have warned you... but what would be the fun in that?" she mused out loud, almost absently, reaching out a hand to help him up. He would find that she was surprisingly strong, though she found that her were arms sore slightly from her earlier work at the Stallion. Abruptly, she said, "Perhaps we could try working on your swimming later. It could use a bit of cleaning up," adding a small wink. Turning away, she ducked down into one of the cabins to retrieve her cloak. Though it wasn't necessarily cold, it was cooler than it had been earlier. "Here, use this to dry off a bit," pushing the dry bundle of cloth into his arms.

[Matthew]

He waved a hand at her apology, the irritation fading from his eyes almost as quickly as it had risen there. "It is quite alright. I know you meant no harm, and I am sure it was a funny scene." He didn't sound bitter or humored at all, instead going right back to that nuetral tone he had been using before. He took her extended hand and clambered onto the small boat, eyes studying her new form quickly. She looked completely and utterly different. It had been quite a while since he had seen one of her kind, and it brought back memories of Zeltiva and the University. He hadn't believed in Ethaefal when he had been a little boy. He had thought it was two different people playing a trick. Eventually he had come to find that it was just another one of the illogical things that existed in a world that he wished was completely logical. He frowned to himself briefly, but his distant gaze would hopefully signal that she wasn't the cause of his frown. It was gone just as quickly as the irritation of earlier had been gone, either way. The harlot noticed how this form was slightly different in personality than the other. He couldn't lay a finger on it exactly, but it was there. How curious. He had never paid any mind to if the two different forms varied in personality. He nodded at her offer of helping him with swimming, missing the wink. "I am not fond of the ocean, but I do need to work on my form. I have a Svefra who tried to help me, but as you can see, a lot more help is needed." He took the cloak that she offered him, and draped it over the side of the ship, making sure it wasn't going to slip off before he began to disrobe. His method of drying off was perhaps a bit different than most, but the harlot didn't seem to notice or care. She had surprised him, anyways. It was only fair that she deal with any shocks that came her way. First went the jacket, and then there was a slow arch of his body as he peeled off the shirt underneath. His figure was slim and defined, obviously not for muscle, but for complete show. Then there was the slow shimmy of his V-lined hips, leaving the harlot's golden flesh only in a pair of undershorts that clung just as much as the rest of the wet clothing had. His movements had been slow and pronounced, drawing attention to obvious places, Matthew taking much more time than was needed to simply get off his wet clothes. He looked completely innocent the whole time as well, as if this was natural to him, as if the graceful and sultry movements were just the way he normally took off clothes. There was a very distant spark in his eyes, though. Apparently he hadn't forgiven her for the bout of laughter as easily as she may have first thought. The cloak was used to slowly dry the rippling wet patches of muscle, and it was briefly ran through his slick hair to ruffle it up a bit. It was then laid out on the railing of the ship, along with his other wet clothes, securely placed so they wouldn't slip off the ship and so they could air-dry at least a little bit. Turning back to her in still just his undershorts, apparently completely comfortable in parading around like that regardless of the cool air, he rose an eyebrow in her direction and tilted his head. "Shall we try to catch a fish? Or would you rather switch to swimming lessons?"

[Tsukiko]

It was curious, the way he hid his emotions; he seemed to store them away somewhere behind a nearly expressionless façade. The difference was like night and day. It was quite intriguing, for she had met very few like him, if any, who were able to bury their emotions so well. Mostly, she held the company of more boisterous and humorous folk, who often had the vocals to go with it.
In some aspects, the Harlot reminded her somewhat of herself, though it was not quite the same. For her, she was cheerful, easygoing, even impulsive, during the day, but in the nigh-time bells, she allowed herself time for thought; time to reflect on the day's events. She had found that it was easier to mull things over in the darkness, along with Leth and the stars. Tsu had yet to realize that to others, it would appear to be as though she had different personalities in her two forms. The Ethaefal briefly wondered if others of her people did the same. Especially the Lethborn; after all, their 'father' was the God of thought.

"Great!" she said in reply to his acceptance.
The fact that the harlot began to disrobe did not surprise her in the least, having half expected him to do so. She had grown somewhat of an immunity to the embarrassment of seeing a person in the nude, during her stay with the Oceangems; the day after her Fall had been quite eventful, what with a dip in the Suvan, and a few from the pod deeming the early Winter temperature alright for skinny-dipping. Admittedly, after a couple of years, she had unwittingly grown accustomed to it. So, instead of what might have been the desired affect, she observed him with a hint of awe, taking in his graceful movements as though they were from a dance.

The sailor considered his question, noting that since it was dark, it would be near impossible to catch something without a lamp. "Aha, perhaps I made you dry your hair in vain. Since it is night now, without a source of light to attract the fish, it is unlikely that we will get a single catch, in which case, teaching you how to swim would be much more productive." As she stated the last, she began to strip down to her undergarments, her lithe, but curved form like faint, pale opals in the moon light.
After folding her clothing in a neat bundle, she reached up to re-tie her hair more securely. She felt the deliciously refreshing touch of the calm, cool air caressing her skin, while she soaked in the moonlight. As a Lethborn, she could sustain herself, for a time, with Leth's light, almost like a plant. It was a quality she had found to be quite useful, and was thankful for.
"Shall we?" she asked, and without waiting for a reply, strode with a few quick steps towards the edge of the ship, and dove over the side with a slight splash, as the water swallowed her whole.

[Matthew]

The hint of awe did give him pause. While he was usually admired for his sultry movements, it was usually a different kind of admiration. The kind that she was looking at him with was a bit different. It was like she was looking at a work of art, perhaps? He wasn't exactly sure. His lips parted to clarify the stare she had given him, but then closed just as quickly as they had opened. He was slowly learning not to ask every single question that popped to mind. Her words snapped him out of that line of thought, and he blinked a few times as she explained her intentions. A source of light to attract the fish? So the fish needed light. Perhaps it was because they couldn't see the bait in the dark waters? He had noticed how some of the bait had little pieces of metal, likely there to either weigh the bait down or perhaps make it sparkle. Maybe it was both. It certainly wouldn't be able to sparkle if there was no light. He bobbed his head back and forth in thought, absentmindedly watching her undress. He watched with the eye of a scholar, perhaps unsurprising to her by now. There wasn't lust in his eyes or a sexual interest, it was more as if she was a sudden focus of study. She was fit but curvy, and her skin had an odd color to it. Pale, but rather luminous in the light of the moon. Was that a natural occurance, a special trait, or something that came along with her race? Then like that she was over the edge of the ship without a care in the world. People who swam seemed to enjoy it so very much. They were always so eager to get in the water. He couldn't say he felt the same way. After a few moments he sighed, and then quickly ran and jumped. His leap was much less graceful and was soon accompanied by a multitude of splashed waves. He flailed around just a bit as he got his bearings, holding his breath as the water consumed him and continuing to hold it for a bit even after he had bobbed back up to the surface. Breaking through the dark water, he quickly doggy-paddled in place, an awkward mixture of the paddling motion and a treading motion. While the harlot might have been quite graceful in the bed, he was not at all graceful when it came to the water. He patiently waited for Tsukiko to reappear on the surface, then quickly phrased the question that had been lingering at the back of his mind for awhile now. "Are the two different forms of a different personality as well? Or just different appearance? Have you ever taken a lover, and does the lover have to appeal to both sides of you? Or perhaps each side has a lover?" Something in his doggy paddle went wrong, and he bobbed to the side a bit, then quickly straightened himself. There was a brief flash of annoyance on his handsome face, but it soon dispelled like the rest of his expressions so quickly did.

[Tsukiko]

The sea was a bit chilly, but this was to be expected- having just been warm and dry, before plunging into the dark waters of the night. It was a wonderful feeling, as the water rolled along her skin in cool waves, cleansing her of the day's dust and dirt, the saltiness of minerals on her lips. Challenging herself, she swam a bit deeper; legs and arms pumping, pushing her deeper into the dark depths. Her eyes stung from the salt, a sensation she had grown accustomed to, while minute bubbles escaped from her nostrils.
Darkness spread before her- so much so that she would have perhaps never have known in which direction she swam, if not for the few scant rays of moonlight reflected in the watery depths. Even then, it was difficult to see. She kept seeing flashes of movement out of the corners of her eyes, but she could not be sure. Turning to look towards the sky, she could just make out Matthew's form, accompanied by the dampened sound of a splash, and grinned.

Her lungs began to burn with lack of oxygen, so she kicked, propelling herself smoothly through the water, toward the surface, until she neared Matthew's legs. Perhaps she drew some personality from her distant relations to the playful Otani, but she had the sudden urge to tease her new student, and faintly ran a couple of fingers along his leg, just enough that he could feel it, before bobbing up beside him. Her eyes were alight with mischief and were an especially brilliant hue of blue due to her changed appearance.

Kicking her legs in a slightly circular motion to keep afloat, she pushed back her soaking hair, and considered his questions. "As far as I know, my personality remains the same in either form; it's just my appearance. However, I have noticed that at times, I seem to be able to sustain myself on moonlight. Handy, right?" she said with a thoughtful smile, which soon became somewhat sly. "Why? Are you that curious about what sort of people I take to my bed?" She was pretty sure that he held no desires for her, other than perhaps knowledge, and neither did she for him, but... she wondered at his question, not entirely sure of how to answer. "It depends on the person," she answered evasively.

"Anyways, let us work on your treading... Watch me." Holding her arms out to her sides, slightly bent at the elbows, she began to trace interconnecting circular shapes in the water; her hands open, almost cupped, to effectively push against the water. "By doing this, you keep yourself pretty stable, though without practice, your arms will begin to burn. On the other hand, it allows you to tread without kicking your legs, if you choose to do so. Give it a try," said, wait and watching. How would he fare?