Ships Aren't Fortes [[Voxxus]][[Closed]]

[Canali]

Summer
Day 33
Year 508 AV

A seagull screamed overhead; diving like a bungee jumper towards the water. With surprising quickness did this bird move. A straight bee-line also. For a split second, it didn't stop; looking like it and it's greyness was to fly straight into the dark blue water. Finally, though, it swooped upwards; wings spread and a fish flailing in its mouth. Dinner was caught.

More seagulls had gathered overhead, circling above and diving for the water. Most pulled up before they actually touched, flapping back towards the others. It seemed like a game. See who could skim the water the closest without touching it. If one caught a fish, whether with the beak or claws, others took off after it like a bat out of hell.

Savoring the salty air, Canali took a deep breath. It tickled her nose and brought liquid to her eyes. A light breeze was blowing, probably from the water's edge and carried the sounds of the pier with it. Waves gently lapped at the shore; stirring up foam and spraying where it hit a blockage, such as rocks. She was seated back from the shore a ways, just out of spraying reach. A blank book was setting upon her knee, turquoise ink and a black ink container nearby and a quill lay lazily in her left hand. The sun beat down from above.

Her dark hair was tied back but messily cut bangs hung around her face; framing it. Thoughtful eyes gazed at the horizon, wondering just how it was to draw a moving object. Capture a mental picture like a still-life or just… scribble in motion? Deciding it would probably be easiest to simply sketch it with multiple lines, Canali started on the sky.

A single, quick flash of her ink-dipped quill and a line arced cleanly. An open beak with a sharp point; small beady eyes. On this seagull, the wings were tucked close to the feathered sides. It was diving towards the water, preparing to catch a fish for dinner. The rough sketch almost showed the air whistling out of the way with scratches. Canali watched the live birds for a few more minutes before doodling a flying seagull. It came out more wobbly, but legible.

A pier was within seeing distance, so Canali splattered a couple lines on the book paper. Tiny scribbles represented people mingling. She even dared to try a ship! The mast, a curve sided triangle, was the easiest to recognize; to say the least. Ships were not her forte.

Canali mustered through the first set of wave outlines, the ones resembling the foamy waves which smacked against the sand. They resembled two sided triangles which overlapped and had too long of sides after the point. This style of drawing did make it seem like there was actual movement of some sort with them. Canali had no idea how to doodle the mist and foam, though; so she spent the next ten minutes simply staring at them.

Capping the ink, cleaning the quill and setting the paper aside; the outline aside; Canali slid to her bare feet. The sandals had long since been ditched. Shedding her skirt and jacket, she meandered towards the liquid; clad in leggings and a purple tank top.

[Voxxus]

The water dropped in temperature and Voxxus felt the warmth of the sun hidden behind the clouds. The darkened sky made it more difficult for Voxxus to see in the water, but he remained motionless. His spear in hand and still prows towards the direction of his future target, all this concentration took allot of discipline for an individual to overcome. He had to learn to remain motionless, because the fish can detect the foreign movements of water, also he had to learn to hold his spear in the proper position so once the moment arrived he could react in a split second. This heavy weapon would make the average man tire out within five minutes of holding it in the position Voxxus was holding.

The cloud moved and in that second four fish became visible, right in his vision. His brain quickly detected what appeared to be the largest one, and he threw the spear a good distance in front of it. With the clear water and the sharp sunlight, as soon as the tip of the spear hit the water surface it projected the illusion of bending right towards the fish, impaling it through its head. He dove into the shallow water convexing his body so he could have a quick up rise in his dive, yet have the speed required to reach his fish. He drew his knife in mid-stroke and was glad to as he noticed the dead fish still flapping around viciously in the water. Before, he had lost a fish because he didn’t expect it to have so much fight left when he struck it, he also has lost one because a predator sensed the death from the fish and was able to get to Voxxus’s spear before he could. Voxxus yanked the spear from the water and was pleased to find that the fish was secured very well to the head of the weapon. He swam with one arm, the other holding the spear above his head, towards the shore making sure of his surroundings.

The filets on the flat rock were pretty few compared to what Vox’s standard haul was, but this last catch was significant enough to make up for it. And besides, he had money if he couldn’t fish tomorrow. The fish he had just recently caught was far larger than the others. He knew it as a spotted sugartail. He had always assumed the locals called it that because of its spot and its strange sweet aftertaste it left. He also knew that the fish was a predator and not a bottom-feeder. This meant that it was good to eat without cooking. He laid it out on the rock and drew the same knife from earlier. The fish’s mouth continued to open and close even after its head was cut off. This used to bother Voxxus until he made up words in his mind that the fish would be saying. “You may have caught me, but your time will come…” He smirked as he drew the entrails and threw them at the gulls that started to show from the southern part of the beach. Finally he grew tired of the monotonous cutting and finally grabbed a fist full of muscle from the cleaned filet and placed it in his mouth. This one was particularly sweet. Raw fish was Voxxus’s favorite, he knew decent recipes to cook, but nothing felt more primal and rewarding then the fresh taste of life his mouth.

When he finished eating the left flank of the fish he felt the sun dried the other filets well enough for him to wrap them in some dried seaweed he had found. He placed them on one long strip and folded the sides of the seaweed over the filets, and then he placed another over the other side, so no part of the fish meat was visible. After packing up his spoils he headed out towards the southern part of the beach were he had noticed the gulls from, curious to see what all the commotion was about.

After a good walk, the sun started licking his right shoulder as it began to set. He realized he fell into the habit of not looking too far ahead of him when he walked and brought his looming gaze up. A book was off in the distance. His eyes followed a trail of foot prints till the widened at they female that they led to.

[Canali]

The water was compelling; alluring; attractive. It sparkled upon the top, splashing against the sand in systematic intervals. The tide was out, leaving less of a wading in area and closer to the drop off. Soft, lapping noises came from it. Somewhere, high above, in the sky; a seagull screamed. Fish swam lazily in the water, completely unaware how visible they were.

Canali was in the same boat. Though her brain was aware that partially undressing and trying to swim in plain view was a bad idea for Sunberth, she ignored it. One arm reached up slowly, her hand massaged her neck, and then she flicked, literally, her dark hair over her shoulder. It fell curls. Naturally light pink lips were parted unconsciously in her fixation. Bare feet left tracks in the sand. Upon the next wave, they were filled and washed away.

Curiosity filled Canali's head. What exactly did it feel like to swim? To kick feet and flail arms in a graceful fashion? Was the water still cold once you were no longer on the surface? Would her hair fly around her face like a summer breeze or like zero gravity? Other Sunberthians she had talked with, told her of the feeling of flying.

A wave flowed over her feet, trickling out between her toes. The water was cool; definitely not air temperature. Slowly, Canali continued into the water. The noise of the day was droned out; focused generally on the liquid. Another step, and another… Only stopping when it was just under her breasts.

Lowering, Canali began to feel full of dread. Goosebumps rose over her skin as the water rose. Breathing out of her nose, Canali blew a couple bubbles in the water. They popped and dissipated; a couple splashing her in the eyes. Taking a deep breath, Canali ducked her head under. Her eyes stayed shut and lips pressed tightly together. She neither moved nor blinked, and pushed up a few seconds later; exhilarated. It wasn't swimming… But...

A beaming smile lit her face as Canali shoved her hair back. Water dripped from her body. A quick happy dance showered drops around her. Her clothes clung.

So focused upon her task was Canali, she failed to notice the seagull dive bombing her. Until it screamed and, in surprise, Canali followed suit. Her head jerked up, body mid-motion, and the sand beneath her feet shifted. She toppled into the water, still screaming. Water was sucked into her lungs and, in retaliation, Canali tried to cough. Instead of helping her, it had the opposite effect; the burning fire in her lungs grew hotter and hotter as Canali struggled.


And darkness closed in like a winter night; quick and suffocating...

[Voxxus]

The women, about to disappear into the water, gave Voxxus the nostalgia that he had known her quite well before. Voxxus heard an old women in town once say that she could speak to people from other lives. Perhaps the very connotation was present in this instance. ‘No… she reminds me of a someone… I used to love.’ The erased part of his mind ached. He could detect a love that wasn’t romantic, but still important. “Mother…” his voice whispered. He analyzed everything about her, so foreign, yet familiar. Then the way she touched the water, she acted as if it was a whole new element for her. His nostalgia broke. “It’s that damn girl…” he growled. ‘Why does she have such a strange influence on me?’ His thoughts flustered as the same surge came over him that happened in the tavern; the angry realization that she is not what he had hoped.

He gritted his teeth, and started to turn his back when she screamed. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the ugly thrashing of water, which proved her complete lack of knowledge in swimming. ‘Maybe she will drowned…’ he had a twisted hope for the demise of the girl with a strange power over him. But that thought was quickly overshadowed by the notion of whoever she was, ceasing to exist. It was as if she somehow held a key to Voxxus’s memory. But, could that be the part of Voxxus’s mind that was fooled by her? He heard the silence in the water, and growled as he couldn’t turn his back. ‘Why do I blame her anyway? She hasn’t done anything to me…’ he was mentally kicking himself from both sides of this dilemma.

The spear flopped to the ground and a few feet away was the satchel of goods Vox collected. From the get go he analyzed his dive. Watching the water draw out, deciding when and where would be a good place to jump. His feet sunk into the wet sand, and the waves overlapped them. A larger wave overcame his hips and he used the water mass to fully submerge himself with his dive. He opened his eyes underwater, allowing them to sting for the few seconds required for his eyes to adjust. He peered for the girl’s body, already swimming in her direction. He reached out for her, still a few meters off, but his heart was racing now realizing that every second counted, so much now that his method was panicked.

He grasped her soft drifting wrist. The contact made his heart skip, but his brain overpowered his emotions with adrenaline and forced him to continue. Dragging her down to the bottom, he sunk his feet into the clouded sand, realizing that he had not come up for air the entire swim. She drifted a good bit from her original footing, when Vox touched the ground he looked up and felt about five meters from the surface. Wrapping her arm around his neck, he pushed off and shot towards the surface, feeling his lungs burn until he broke the top.

He gasped for breath and pulled her head out of the water. He noticed that she wasn’t breathing as he was able to reach a shallow part of the water. He laid her down gently, noticing her risen chest, determining she had swallowed too much water. He tilted her head back and placed his mouth on hers, breathing as hard as he could into her chest. If she didn’t respond to his breath, then he would press hard on her chest. He had never done this before, but had seen a sailor do it to a boy who fell overboard. The sailor, however, couldn’t get the boy to wake up, but he figured whatever techniques he did would be the right thing to do. He just hope that if he managed to wake her, she wouldn't get the wrong idea.

[Canali]

She was floating; drifting in a black abyss. No sound echoed in the darkness. A small light flickered too far ahead to reach; almost too far ahead to see. The squinting of eyes would be necessary to truly see it. Surprisingly, the abyss was warm. Her body felt cold; lifeless. Somewhere, seeming like the end of an echo, came the sound of a… Splash? Almost unrecognizable.

Thoughts echoed around; both literally and figuratively. "Honey, I have to do this. Be strong for daddy, okay? Just one more run…" "Peel those potatoes faster, hun." "Who the hell are you?!" And more, by people who knew her well and people who barely knew her. Never did the speakers actually appear.

Memories played like a movie. Her father, squatting down, hands on her shoulders, to look her straight in the eyes. Brown and caring were his; confused and afraid were hers. Slowly, he explained what thunder was. Or, what he believed it was. Anxious and afraid, Canali screamed bloody murder when another clap shook the ground. Patient and soft voice soothing, Nathan talked to Canali all the way through the storm. A smile twisted her lips by the end of it.

The cook at the orphanage, slicing and dicing carrots like they were an enemy. A bead of sweat dripped down her pale face and she swiped it away casually without missing a beat. Pinned up blond hair bounced in place as she moved. A plump body jiggled in the kitchen. Small feet pitter pattered when she moved to place them in the pot. Seeing the tiny Canali sitting upon a stool, the cook puckered her lips. Ordering Canali over, the cook handed her a slightly dull knife and showed her how to cut a carrot. It took many tries and lots of blood, before Canali could cut a carrot like the old cook did. But it was worth it.

Suddenly, before another memory could play, the light at the far end of the abyss grew bigger. And brighter. Closer. Entranced, Canali lifted her face towards it; relishing in the warmth. A deep breath she tried to take, shutting her eyes to savor it… And something moved up her throat.

Coughing, hacking and choking, Canali bent over double. She was on her side, wobbling arms barely holding her up. Liquid spewed from her mouth, tasting like bile water and lunch. A few specks hit her face as the bile splashed. Lungs burning, Canali sucked in air like a gaping fish on land. Wet strands of curling hair hung down. Almost translucent was she. Shivering and shuddering, Canali curled back up in a ball; eyes pressed tightly closed, arms around her aching stomach, and a couple tears dripping down her pale cheeks. A few coughs echoed from her. Every swallow hurt.


Canali could feel the warmth of another close by, but couldn't muster the feeling of caring currently. Her body subconsciously shifted towards the warmth, but not very much. Canali was wore out.

[Voxxus]

‘Well she was alive…’ His thoughts came with the sigh of ease to know that she was breathing. He could tell by her pathetic display, she was in allot of pain, so much so, she couldn’t see him. He pondered just leaving before she could realize it was him who saved her, but a half naked women left alone on the shore of Sunberth didn’t seem like the best idea. He felt his heart beat heavy as she moved closer to him and all the strange emotions that happened during the whole event became apparent. His whole life, he had never felt this way for another person, and even the woman this girl reminded him of, who was vague and displaced from his memory, still resonated a different emotion. “Are… you alright?” he said kneeling down bringing himself closer to her. He attempted to show a compassionate tone…it was difficult. 'She probably doesn’t want to be seen like this...’ his mind jerked his eyes to her scattered clothes. He got up slowly and went over to them, picked them up, and shook the sand out. Returning to her side he knelt down tried to lay them out flat over her, remaining there for awhile before he was struck by a thought, ‘what attacked her? I don’t believe I have ever seen a large hostile fish in these waters. Surely she can swim. Who lives in Sunberth and doesn’t know how to swim? Perhaps some ONE attacked her. I need to get her out of such plain sight’ Pirates were prevalent in these waters. Voxxus would know; he was one of them. He also knew that some pirates have little morality, and would take Canali for their sick fun later. She wouldn’t be seen again. The thought made him strangely angry, as he reached down and furiously scooped her up. He stood and looked around, noticed a thick brush line towards the vegetation side of the beach. He looked down at her; strands of hair painted her white face.

She was laying in a grassy paddock that was encased inside large wild shrubs with dense leaves. The setting was particularly nice and disclosed. Voxxus would not have noticed it, if he had not penetrated the greenery at the right spot. Canali was laying by herself and if she was conscious she would be greeted shortly by Voxxus who had retrieved their items. After ridding the sand from her things, he would place them neatly beside her and sit on the complete opposite side of the clearing, fumbling in his bag for some fish, but never taking his eyes off of her.

[Canali]

A low whimper slid from Canali's parched lips as she was picked up and cradled. Curling towards Voxxus, her head nuzzled softly against his chest. Warmth... Pale hands folded together as she into a light sleep. Small was she in his arms. Shivers racked her body.

"Ugh…" Canali groaned as she rolled over. Her body felt like a bunch of leaden bricks. Muscles she wasn't even aware she had were sore. Sand coated her skin; sliding through her long hair. A few beads even lay upon her eyelashes.

Taking a couple deep breaths, Canali mustered the energy to open her eyelids. Above her was a cloud; it looked suspiciously like a smile. Scowling at it, Canali turned her head to the side. Licking her lips, she slowly pushed to a leaning position. Her back was slouched and for a few seconds, her forehead rested against her covered knees. A light breeze tickled her scalp.

Hearing a sound next to her, Canali stiffened. Not sure what to expect, her body twisted slowly to view the person. Oi. It was the man from the tavern. Mustering up the energy to move so she wouldn't be seen so...Vulnerably, Canali met his eyes. She wasn't so dunce that she couldn't put two and two together.


"Thank you," came out raspy from her lips. Clearing her throat, she tried again. "Really, thank you." No more than a whisper did her voice go. A small patch of sand covered her pale cheek.

[Voxxus]

He ignored her thanks. Not one for mannerisms and formalities, Voxxus would assume the safe route of quietness and speak little and in short phrases to responses. He stopped his current objective to find the particular filet he wanted to share with her, instead he easily located and pulled out his water sack. “Here…” he threw the sloshing sack within her arms reach. “Are you hungry?” he retried his attempt to find the filet. Whether she accepted or not, he finally found the Sugartail’s left flank and unwrapped the seaweed that contained it, and divided it into four hand-sized pieces with one of his daggers on his belt. The meat was still fresh enough to enjoy the original taste, but Voxxus doubted her approval of his savored delicacy. She didn’t seem partial to much from the ocean, save an interest.

“How did you end up in the water; near drowning?” He was still expecting for her response to be that she was attacked, but now that his heart calmed and his head was clear, it would be hard to determine that as she was surrounded by nothing hostile in the expansive ocean, having just start to struggle in the water. His suspicion began to set in that perhaps she could not swim at all. Probably the first person Voxxus had met that potentially lacked that skill, yet he decided against pushing the truth out of her, if it did not already come.

[Canali]

A small amount of irritation slid through Canali. Could he not even say welcome or anything in response? She had been raised to be polite but reserved in the case of not wanting conversation. There was no need to be rude or silent if necessary in simple conversation. Silence was golden; but not in common courtesies!

Taking a deep breath, Canali brushed leisurely at the patch of sand on her cheek. The specks fell off easily; rough against her palm. Making a face, Canali went through a tedious ritual of cleaning the sand off of her body. Unfortunately, not all came out of her hair and a glob was on her back that she could not reach.

"Thank you," sounded in the clearing; originating from Canali. It was little more than a whisper, but strengthened to a soft talk after a cooling drink of water which fell down her scratchy throat; soothing it. No answer about being hungry came from her; though she did take a piece and nom on it. The fish was bitter, but left a delicious after-taste. Surprisingly.

Not one for seafood, Canali knew only a few recipes for fish. Most didn't sit well with her; but this seemed alright. Later, if she remembered, Canali would ask how this was prepared.

Freezing at Voxxus's question, Canali slowly lowered the piece of fish. Unabashedly, she met his eyes with her own grey ones. Even though she had been out of the water, her tank top still clung to her. "I do suppose it is a short story to tell." A pause.


Canali wasn't ashamed to admit she couldn't swim. However, it was embarrassing. Who in Sunberth didn't know how to swim? Nathan, her father, never had the chance to teach her. "I can't swim," fell flatly from pink lips. A slight pout puckered them as she admitted this. "I traveled a little too far into the water, and a bird; perhaps it was a seagull? dive-bombed me." A twinkle started in her eyes, lightening the dark color. "I guess I resemble a fish from way up high. They were catching them before I decided to test my sea-legs. Over there, in my drawing book, I was doodling them." Canali tilted her head towards the book. "If I may, what were you doing out?"

[Voxxus]

Voxxus saw how uncomfortable the sand made her, “You can use all the water… I was heading back soon.” He had also already noticed her top, and how detailingly it clung to her. He would try to say something but played safe with silence. A flash in his mind told him to offer her his leather top, but it probably didn’t smell pleasant, and he wouldn’t want her to see his back. His back declared a story from his history he wished no man to know, and the language permanently written into his flesh is something he was positive she would not find pleasant.

He fought the smirk growing on his face, as her words matched his far-fetched suspicion. “That was foolish… testing your sea-legs when you have none.” He couldn’t fight his persistence, “I doubt the gulls thought of you as a fish, because most fish can swim. Perhaps he was trying to rescue you.” His smirk a full whitened smile now, he let his tone relax into a more playful one. His eyes met hers. It was a strange sensation, to look at someone and have no control, nor the desire to control, any part of their emotions with his hypnotism. It was almost as if he was playing a card game without cheating. Perhaps the lack of control is apart of what bothered him prior, but now it’s like a lifted burden. He felt since he had no choice, he could be himself, and enjoy the reactions of person to his genuine communication. Something he had not experienced in a while. The only person he had trusted to not manipulate was his master, and yet he could detect the haze in his mind that was associated with his master’s manipulation.

“I was catching what you’re currently eating. I was curious as to why the gulls were not bothering my spoils when I saw a cloud of them down the beach… So I went to inquire. That’s when I saw you go under.” The smile returned to his face, “In a way the gulls did end up saving your life.” He reclined into a relaxed posture. His expression was perhaps a little misleading as he looked at her. He was enjoying the moment for honest intentions, only because he rarely gets to communicate like this. Anyone who did not know this would take the look on his face, perhaps, out of context. Especially anyone who wore skimpy wet clothing.