A Day In The Bay

Pulren.

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Known as the Celestial Seat, Nyka is a religious city in Northern Sylira. Ruled by four demigods and traversed by a large crevice, the monk-city is both mystical and dangerous. [Lore]

A Day In The Bay

Postby Ssezzkero on March 10th, 2016, 1:32 am

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79th of Spring, 516 AV

Fishing had never been her strong point. Even as a child she'd always found an excuse not to, and once she begun to surround herself with humans, easily eating the meat that others had hunted, she never bothered. Since the rations she was given were hardly edible, mostly corns and green things, she'd come to the ocean with the intent to fish. It was hard to trade for meat with the humans, it was rare enough in the rations, but she still gave the repulsive plants that they ate to them anyway. No sense in wasting them. Fishing was meant to help her put some meat on her bones, as she begun to notice her jaw protruding more than usual, a sight that made the Iyvess uncomfortable now that she had daily access to the cracked mirror in her room.

Of course she had gotten distracted. Even though it was saltwater, a buoyancy this water snake was not used to, she was soon playing like a child. Exploring the seaweed groves beneath the waves and scaring the fish she was meant to hunt. She enjoyed their colorful scales that glinted in the sun, yet, like a child, she did not wander too far from the wall. Although able to hold her breath for hours, she had been coming up in short spurts to ensure the current had not carried her farther away from the wall than she intended.

Of course now she had to pay attention. The sun had reached the peak of high noon, and she was glad to be in the chilly sanctuary of the waves. Taking another breath of the salty ocean air around her, the snake sunk back into the waves. The docks, that were just far enough she couldn't make out the moving figures of fisherman, had seemed to dull in the last bell. The heat of the late spring day likely getting to them.

Until the sun was far from her eyes, and the long stalks of seaweed surrounded her, she didn't even begin to look. The waves of the ocean were gentler to her senses than the assault of a river bed, and it left the murky green water around her with a slightly eery feeling. Perhaps it was her anticipation for the hunt that had begun to settle in, brushing away the childish glee of finally releasing her scales that morning. Or perhaps it was the oncoming murder she was about to commit.

Oh, shutup, it is a fish. She rolled her eyes at herself before closing them. No longer breathing, she took a moment to feel the vibrations around her. With her tail resting on the mushy sand between the stalks of the seaweeds, she could feel the digging of shelled creatures beneath her, but only barely. A few ways off, there was a school of something, tiny fish. Not something she could catch or want. They skirted the edges of the seaweed surrounding her, but otherwise ignored her presence.

Hoping their reaction might calm the other fish who left at her presence, she continued to wait.

It was then that she got lucky. Trying to be as still as possible, since the water spread her vibrations more noticeably than air, Sezkero opened her eyes and looked up. A small school of snappers floated above her. They scattered at her movement, but quickly returned above the grove a few feet from her. Watching them carefully, she didn't recognize the fish all too well. She would have liked to think they were yellowtails, a popular meat in Nyka, although she didn't know enough about the fish to know for sure.

And she didn't really care.

Darting out from her resting place, Sezkero snapped one hand out, closing a webbed fist around the struggling fish. She felt monstrous doing it, but doing as her brothers had taught her, she latched onto the struggling fish with both hands, crunching down on its head with her jaw to kill it. Disgusting. The thought resonating in her as the blood of the fish washed out into the water, two crescents hugging it's eyes where she had bit it. She'd spent too long with the humans.

She'd easily scared off all other prey, but her maybe-one-pound fish, but Sezkero really didn't care. She was the worst fisher in her family anyway, it was a miracle she'd caught this one.

Like a human, Sezkero peeled the scales away, before tentatively taking a bite. The strong oily taste of sea-fish filled her mouth, and she was quickly pulling the rib bones from here teeth, picking the last bits of meat from the spine. It had been a small meal, but more than the rations had allotted her carnivorous diet.

Twisting between the wooden poles under the docks, she swam back out to the lighter waters, a little ways away from the boats. She was about to come up for the air she was quickly running out of, when she noticed she was not alone. The shadow that flickered above her was not the round shape of a boat, nor the scarred hands of a fisherman rinsing his tools. It looked as if the person above her was laying on the water, leisurely paddling his feet with his face turned upwards.

Unable to stop herself, Sezkero abandoned the remains of her meal, flicking her tail to urge herself a bit closer. With a mischievous grin the Iyvess reached one webbed finger up to trace it down the back of one of the waving calves, sure to disturb this leisurely swim. With a little more power, she shoved herself backwards, deeper into the water. The blue-green water around her was not as murky as the Suvan, but she only had depth to hide her so she stayed low, watching the strangers reaction.
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A Day In The Bay

Postby Pulren Marsh on March 13th, 2016, 9:21 am

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Standing on the edge of the pier, Pulren looked out at the distance he was about to cross. He had been swimming more and more as the weather warmed and his physical activities had increased. It was calming and meditative for him to enter the sea at any time and swimming was an excellent exercise as well as a kind of prayer to Laviku. Bending at the waist, he stretched his legs and then jogged in place for a moment, his eyes still set across the bay to the southern arm of the strait, which was his goal. Once Summer flare in the Watchtower, he would push himself even more and strive to reach the northern arm of the bay.

He was noticing the trend in his life, most assuredly since his adventure into the Aperture last season, to constantly improve and better himself, either with allies or alone. It was as if the Aperture rebirthed Marsh as a Nykan version of himself rather than a Zeltivan. Now, this certainly didn't mean that Pulren would ever speak ill of his hometown. Quite the contrary as he found himself missing it often. however, he was Nykan now and he would continue to push himself. In almost an answer to his internal queries, his sufficiently warmed body dove into the water, slicing its surface easily as he kicked and pushed himself through the depths.

He loved that disappearance of the sound of the above world and the sound of the bubbles streaming through his nose as he kicked furiously to get his momentum going. Once he broke the surface a second time, he was a good way from the dock, his arms pulling him as his legs pushed him through the water. The sights were left and right versions of the surface and the vague gray outline of the arm of the Bay, easier seen in that southern side. When he would swim the northern side, he would have to really pay attention to his orientation, as the expanse was larger and hid the northern arm better.

Easily having traveled halfway, he slid over on his back and took a break. He wouldn't let himself completely cool down, bu the warmth of Syna on his back against the coolness of the water was too pleasant a sensation to ignore. Besides, he felt equally safe in the realm of Laviku as being in proximity to the Aperture. He understood that worshiping Laviku did not make one safe from sea creatures nor immune, especially without a mark of the Sea Lord, but he just didn't ever feel nervous or out of place in the water. It was a second home to him. It could be a first home, really, should he ever discover a way to breathe water.

As he grinned to himself at the thought of sleeping in a shipwreck, a peculiar sensation trailed along the back of his calf. It felt specifically like something hard and sharp tracing against his flesh. He became vertical in the water, treading slowly so as not to make too much of a splash and either attract attention or disturb the surface so much as to distort what was beneath him. Maybe it was a rogue branch. he wasn't sure but he wasn't afraid, either. He was most certainly curious and he did slowly kick and continue in the direction he had started in.
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A Day In The Bay

Postby Ssezzkero on April 2nd, 2016, 3:15 pm

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oocSorry my reply is so late! D:

A frown creased the edges of the Iyvess' lips as she watched the reaction, or lack thereof. She wasn't entirely sure what results her childish tendency should have gained her, but this man hardly seemed to react. He flipped from resting on his back to treading vertical, but seemed utterly comfortable with not knowing what was in the sea below him. There was no freaking out, or swimming back to the dock, which she supposed was beneficial, because then her little distraction would have been over, and she might be inclined to return to the sunny land above her once more. She was quite fond of this city, but the water was always more enjoyable, if she had a preference.

Still taking refuge between the forest of poles beneath the docks, Sezkero glided upwards, steering clear of the sharp barnacles near the top. When she gently broke the surface, keeping in the short shadows of the dock, Sezkero blinked the water out of her eyes a few times, and inhaled the salty air she'd been missing.

He was turned away from her now, further out, swimming in that same direction. But Sezkero sunk back into the gentle rolling waves, keeping only her upper lip above the water to watch for a tick. He was too far away to notice her as he kept swimming, so Sezkero pushed out of the docks. Trying to break as little water as possible, Sezkero inched herself forward, flipping on her side, letting her tail do most of the work, so she could try to get his attention. Although barely considered graceful on land, her muscles transcribed with ease to the water, making it relatively fun to keep pace with the stranger's leisurely swim.

"You don't ssscare eassily, do you?" She questioned the man, who seemed to be swimming slow enough that she didn't have to yell at him to get his attention. Russet eyes peered out from her scaled and angular face to gauge his reaction. She didn't exactly anticipate scaring him this time around, although if he'd not seen a Dhani before, let alone an Iyvess, she might succeed.
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A Day In The Bay

Postby Pulren Marsh on April 7th, 2016, 12:24 am

Soon something broke the water's surface, but it was no branch. Continuing with his relaxing pace, his legs kicking lazily to continue his movement, Pulren grinned at the creature before him. "I guess I don't. I feel at home in the ocean, surrounded by Father's embrace. I suspect that if He intended that I die today in this bay, there wouldn't be much I could do about it." Judging from her sibilant intonations, he deduced that he was speaking to a Dhani like Viper had been back in Sunberth. The thoughts took him back to another meeting in the water, but the motions ha been a little different in that case.

His arms began to pull in water like a pair of oars on each side, increasing the distance between them. She would surely keep the pace but just in the off chance that she wasn't friendly, he felt he might do a little better on land. Maybe, maybe not. Either way, it was like he had told her. He trusted that Laviku was always with him in the water. It was just something that felt as natural to Pulren as a bird sailing though the air above. "You must be a Dhani. Is that right? I took a Dhani as a lover many seasons ago." He smiled at her in an endearing way, though he didn't want to appear too amorous. Some animals took that kind of thing as aggression.

"Are you native to Nyka or are you also a visitor?" This was a way to keep the snake woman speaking to him and her attention on his words, not his actions. He truly did want to make a friend if it was possible, but if not, he would prefer she use her teeth for making words and not wounds.
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A Day In The Bay

Postby Ssezzkero on April 7th, 2016, 1:49 am

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At the mention that the ocean was his father, Sezkero immediately glanced at his eyes. There was no unmistakable blue of the Svefra, rather a more subtle, warm green. He was no Svefra, and he called the ocean his father? She hadn't known humans could be so devoted. But her question was immediately distracted by his mention of Dhani. A frown really creased the scales on her face and she slowed a bit.

Quickly catching back up, she forced out a chuckle. "Not a Dhani, but I'm sssurprissed you sssurvived that encounter." She grinned for real now, amused with the idea. She didn't think her disgraceful kin would bother with a human, let alone leave him living, especially the women. "How much damage did that do?"

His own amused smile faltered a bit, and she realized that he was not ignorant on the ways of the Dhani. Oh how her cousins gave her a bad reputation. Not thinking about it, she kept pace with the swimmer, trying to stay far enough that she wasn't making things uncomfortable, but now interested in the conversation. This human did not come from Nyka, so where did he come from? And why was he so devoted to the sea? Of course she'd met many who appreciated him, but he spoke with the reverence that meant he likely thought so much more than that.

"Alsso a vissitor…" She quoted him in answer, curiosity falling back into her words as she remembered her earlier thoughts on the man. By now, in the barely two chimes she'd known the man, Sezkero was impressed by his nonchalant attitude. She wasn't terribly interested in pressing it, as she had before, but the Iyvess vaguely wondered what it would take to get a vibrant emotional reaction from him. But then again, she may have caught him on a leisure day, perhaps he was more volatile on land, away from what seemed to be his beloved diety. "My name isss Sssezkero, where do you come from, o'sstranger?" Unsure of her memory, the Iyvess russet gaze checked his own once more, making sure her next jesting question was not too accurate. "You aren't a casstaway Sssvefra, are you?"
Last edited by Ssezzkero on June 28th, 2016, 2:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
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A Day In The Bay

Postby Pulren Marsh on April 20th, 2016, 1:01 pm

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His motions unbroken, Pulren continued to reach back and pull water with his arms like oars, his feet kicking a lazy cadence as the conversation continued north through the water. He felt completely at home in the sea, even more comfortable than in his incredibly cozy bed. Too bad he couldn't sleep in the sea, but that seemed like it might not work out well. When he had his own ship one day, he could try then. It was a cheap comparison to his current companion and her natural affinities, but he could only do what he could do with what he had.

The mention of Shani and lovers had seemed to put a brief break in her pace, though her lithe form quickly returned to him, a smile painted on warm features. When she mentioned that he shouldn't have survived, Pulren couldn't help but laugh out loud, his progress slowed as he brought his legs down and began treading water. "I've survived much more than a Dhani lover. Do you mean her poison? I never experienced it directly, though many of her actions were venomous. I was left with a few scars but I am born to wear them." truer words were never spoken. When she mentioned that she was also a visitor, Pulren felt that little bit of camaraderie that he generally hoped for with anyone that he came across. They had at least one thing to share. It was a start.

A name came soon after, another thing they could share. Pulren was happy to tell her as he had no secrets, especially from such a comely and natural creature as what swam before him. "Pulren Marsh. Pleasure to meet you, Sekero. I'd shake your hand, but well, you know." He laughed heartily as he looked back over his shoulder. There was less than half of the distance left but he felt they might bond better where he could focus his energies on the conversation and not merely staying afloat. His legs floated back up as started moving again. "I hail from Zeltiva, the Great Harbor. While I appreciate the compliment, I am only human. I would be proud to be a Svefra and share the blood of Father and his world. I can only do my best to live that life with what I have been given. What's your story?"
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A Day In The Bay

Postby Ssezzkero on June 28th, 2016, 2:40 am

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"Oh sshhe wasss a poissonousss one? How very dangerousss." She wiggled her eyebrows, grinning. For a moment the pacifist was acutely aware of the venom in her spit and a stray thought wondered if her own left scars. Knowing she'd rather not figure it out, Sezkero brushed the violent thought away as he continued.

"Zzzeltiva? You'll have to enlighten me on the cccity, I've not made it that far easst." She commented, tired of the same trek. Were they going somewhere? Why was he in a rush? Sezkero ducked her head under water, twirling into the depths for a second to rewet her scales before re-emerging to answer him. They were not so deep now, and she could see the rolling mounds in the course sand that showed the tracks of the waves. She was suddenly interested and greatly amused by this stranger. Perhaps it was her never ending necessity to entertain herself, but she realized she was sort of collecting his story, adding it to the many strange things she's heard. "My story? Well, hmmm… I've been sent from an ape kingdom to rape and pillage this town." She said as unamused and matter-of-factly she could.

Unable to hold her charade for more than a few ticks, Sezkero grinned. "C'mon, it wasss funny." she glanced ahead of them, realizing for the first time that the shore was much closer. So he was bringing them towards shore? That was fine, perhaps the human was not so at ease in the waves as she, even if he wanted to be. Humans had a versatility that she envied, but she was beginning to see that the race also had its weaknesses. Such as swimming.

"No, I am a child of Makutssi, and I've come in sssearch of my mother. Her ghosst vissited me during thiss passt Fall, and I hadn't even known sshhe had died. It'sss of my job to figure it out, I think. My brothersss won't do it." She spoke more evenly now. When she spoke her purpose for being here out loud it seemed far more depressing than she thought. In her mind it was more of a job and a relief than a mourning, but she was worried it wouldn't come across that way. "Or, I am actually here to ssstart a war with the monksss." She filled the last part in, unable to create a good joke from it.

She glanced ahead of them once more, then slowed to a tread. They were nearing what she thought to be his destination, the shore, but she had little intention of going up on land. He may not be utterly frightened by her, but she doubted he realized that she was nearly thirteen feet long. Not the largest of the Dhani, but she held to the old fears of being seen completely. Still, if her head wasn't weird enough to him in this form, she was sure her tail would be little surprise.

Instead she curled the strong muscle beneath her, letting it rest on the wrinkled sand as an anchor. He may be able to stand here, a few meters out of the break water, but Sezkero stopped , letting the waves gently move her back and forth.

"Ssso, you are aware the Sssvefra don't sshhare Laviku'sss blood, yesss? He hasss many children, sssome of which he never claimed," Such as the one standing before you. "You're human, Laviku lovesss you. Hai, most Godsss do, actually," She didn't grin, trying not to lighten her words. Didn't he appreciate being born human? She sure would have.
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