Completed [Solo] Born Out of Water

[Cascade]

The moment that she fell into the water, she would feel the icy sea envelop every inch of her skin. The change would be abrupt and very startling, her teeth clacking together as her body felt the repercussions of such an act. She would also feel Ardein soon letting go of her hand, as he swam away from her. “How interesting!” said a melodic voice. A warm hand came up to touch her on the cheek, and she would turn to see the odd face of an Otani looking back at her. For a flicker of a second, the Otani’s face seemed to change into her own—as if she was looking at her reflection in the sea, right before the waves washed it away. On closer look, Tsukiko would see that both Otani had scales running all over their skins. The one in front of her had the body which was half a woman, half a dolphin. The other one had long, strange tentacles which were found where legs otherwise would have been. “Oh, a new girl!” the other Otani said as a wide smile spread over her face. “How pretty! Is she not pretty, my sister? Very pretty!” “Very pretty!” the first Otani mimicked. The two of them giggled in unison. They were only cut off when Pinn suddenly exclaimed, “Hey! Let’s race! Usual race, just a race round the ship, what do you guys say? Winner gets to pick the new girl’s name!” “Ohhh, she has no name? That sounds like a splendid idea,” one of the Otani said. Ardein looked uncomfortable at this. “A race to pick her name? That sounds silly.” “Don’t be such a petching spoilsport… new girl, you any good at swimming?” asked Pinn as he swam closer to her. That was when she would realize that he wasn’t wearing a thing. Also, he was shivering, his lips trembling. The coldness of the sea was getting to them. “Mister Pinn, you are starting to become blue,” giggled the Otani with the tentacles. “I do believe it would be best not to prolong today’s dip too much.” “Are you kidding? We just jumped in!” replied Pinn with a laugh. “What do you say, Ceta, Cea? Just one round, or ‘ya afraid you’ll lose? You scared as well, new girl?” Tsukiko would soon be feeling that the Otani were right—the winter sea was cold, and they were out in open waters. Should she decline and risk being called a coward? Or should she take the challenge despite the warnings of the Otani?

[Tsukiko]

As her body struck the icy cold water, she was immediately enveloped in the memory of the previous day's events, and began kicking frantically to the surface. Luckily, it seemed that she had some skill in swimming, for she was able to break the surface, gulping in the air. She found the she was already beginning to regret her hasty choice, and began to panic when Ardein let go of her hand. Freezing from head to toe, she shivered, her skin covered with goose-bumps. Suddenly, she felt a warm hand against her cheek, just as she heard a melodic voice, and turned slowly to face the owner of the hand. Before her were the two Otani who had greeted her hosts. 'Interesting? Who are they talking about..? It couldn't be...' Just as she thought this, she noticed that the Otani who's hand touched her face, seemed to reflect her own, almost as if she was looking at her reflection on the waves of the sea... The next moment, vanishing. Curiously, the coldness forgotten for the moment, she reached her hand hesitantly towards the Otani, copying her touch. She was intrigued by what she noticed: that the creatures had scaly skin, and that one had half the body of a dolphin, and the other of some tentacled creature, perhaps an octopi or squid, or even a jellyfish, both having the form of a woman from the waist up. At their next words, she looked up into their faces, and had the curious sense that they were very fickle creatures. However, they seemed to have no ill-intent, and she was even embarrassed by their flattery. As they giggled, she caught the last part of what Pinn had said. 'Winner gets to do what?!', she thought, shocked that he even suggested it. When the Otani took an interest, she became even more nervous, wondering what kinds of names they would think up. Then came Ardein's words, “A race to pick her name? That sounds silly.” She agreed with Ardein, sending a grateful smile. To add to her shock, she realized that Pinn wore no clothes as he swam closer, and began backing away slowly, treading water. From the looks of him, he would soon become as blue as his eyes, and that did not seem to bode well. As he pushed for the others to race, she considered begging off, saying that she was cold. The tentacled Otani's words rung true in her ears, but she did not want to seem a coward to Pinn's challenge. Then, a sudden idea sprang to her mind. Closing her eyes, she calmed herself, repeating in her mind, 'It's alright, nothing to be embarrassed about, nothing to be embarrassed about...' Finally, as mentally prepared as she could be, she took a breath, and opened her eyes, staring at Pinn dead in the eyes. Smiling, or rather, smirking, she let her eyes slowly trail down his form, raising them slowly to again meet his gaze. "I wonder if your... little friends down their will survive in this cold...", she purred playfully, swimming to her right, and circled him slowly. "Wouldn't want them to... shrink and fall off... now would we?" , she said, raising an eyebrow pointedly. Inside, she was cringing, but she hoped that she was passing off for being moderately seductive, hoping that he would take the hint. She shivered involuntarily as she moved, for the motion of swimming brought on a new wave of icy coldness that sunk down into her bones.

[Cascade]

Despite the weather, Pinn went red with embarrassment at her words. Behind him, the two Otani giggled in amusement. “Oi, what did you just call little!?” said Pinn, though his expression said that he had been caught off-guard by the comment. He struggled to keep the upper hand, not wanting to be talked down by the newcomer. “Come here and take a look, then tell me if you can still say—” “I think we’ve heard enough,” said Ardein. Suddenly, Ardein’s hand came forward as he clamped it flat over Pinn’s face. Pinn tried to claw his grasp off, but it appeared that Arden was stronger. After a while, Ardein finally took his hand back and swam towards the ship’s side. “Lia, could you throw the ladder over the side?” “It’s too bad we can’t stay in the water for long, but yes, I think it’s time we went up,” said a shivering Ceta. “Someone get the thick blankets as soon as we get on deck! Pinn, you do it!” Soon enough, a rope ladder was thrown over the side of the boat. It fell to the water in a splash, and the group proceeded to climb it. Most of them did so in a hurried manner. Staying in the winter air while drenched in icy sea water was not a situation they preferred. As Tsukiko climbed the ladder herself, she would notice the two otani following her suit. The bottom halves of their bodies had morphed at one point or another, and they now held human legs such as everyone else. However, the strange color of their skin made it evident that they were far from human. As Tsukiko reached the deck, she would see that the group was huddling around what resembled an iron pot with grills on top of it. A pile of coal was burning inside the container, giving of comforting warmth. Before Tsukiko would realize it, a thick blanket was thrown her way. There was also a mass of clothes being thrown around and shared by everyone. She would notice that the group was already talking amongst themselves, and that they were taking about the ‘new girl’. “Better get out of those drenched clothes, dear,” said the gentle voice of the Lia. She was being addressed. “It would not be good for you. Did you have fun? Here, sit with us and let’s decide on what to do with you for now.” One of the women, the one named Ceta, had taken her place beside the Lia. She had several piles of blankets around her as she warmed her hands by the pot. Ceta raised her eyes to look at the Ethaefal. “If you stayed, is there anything useful you can do? Cooking? Sailing? What can you do?”

[Tsukiko]

Before anyone could see the slight blush creeping up her cheeks, she turned and ducked underwater, hoping she would be able to pass the water's chill as it's cause. Resurfacing, she cleared her eyes to see Ardein grasping Pinn's face, and it seemed that he had a strong grip. As the Lia lowered the ladder, she followed the others, and began to raise herself quickly out of the water, careful to not look up. As she did so, she looked behind her, and saw that the Otani's lower halves had changed. Where there were once tentacles and a flip, human-like legs remained, though they had a certain look that made one sure that were not human at all. 'Perhaps it's their skin...', she thought absently as she returned her gaze before, eager to be out of the cool air. On deck, she saw the others huddled around some type of contraption, which seemed to give off some warmth. Shivering in nothing but her undergarments, she hesitated only a moment before making her way towards the group. She felt a sudden weight when a thick blanket landed in her harms. Quickly, she wrapped it around her shoulders, grateful for it's protection against the wintry air. She picked up her clothes from where she had left them, finding that they had soaked up water when everyone had returned on-board. Sighing as she approached the others, she saw clothes being shared around, and heard the words 'new girl' being whispered in their conversations. Jumping slightly, she looked beside her, only to see the elderly woman, the Lia. It was more the unexpectedness that had caused her reaction, for the woman's voice had been gentle, rather pleasant. Within her blanket, she quickly put on her clothes, removing her drenched underclothes in the privacy of the cloth, taking the Lia's advice. She went to the railing and quickly rung some of the water out of the garments and her hair. As the wind brushed against her still damp skin, she felt a nostalgia, as if on the verge of remembering something. Testing this, trailed her fingers lightly over some of the rope holding the sails in place, the feeling of familiarity growing stronger. Confused, she returned to the others. "Yes, I did have fun, although it was.. cold," she replied with a sheepish smile. Settling among the others, she felt her limbs relax in the warmth. Meanwhile, her mind raced as the Lia and Ceta asked her about what she would be able to contribute in her future with them. 'If she had a future with them,' she thought. "I... I think I know how to sail..." she turned deep into herself, trying force herself to remember what she could do. Something that would help her contribute to these people who had seen fit to save her, a stranger, from drowning.

[Cascade]

The Lia rubbed her chin thoughtfully as she looked at the young woman. She nodded her head slowly. There was silence for a few moments as the group took in Tsukiko’s answer. The only sound that could be heard was the sizzling fire, and the faint giggling of the two Otani. Nobody would know why they were giggling, and nobody asked, for they were known to be fickle. “That doesn’t make much sense,” Ceta finally said, breaking the silence. The Svefra woman had scrunched up her nose, an expression which she had when she was having difficulty believing something. Ceta waved gestured with her hands in an animated way as she continued to speak, “She doesn’t know where she’s from, she doesn’t even know her name, but she states she thinks she can sail? How is that not suspicious? How does nobody find this frustrating?” “I think the most frustrating matter here is that I we don’t know what to call her, really,” said Ardein with a shrug. It wasn’t being said, but he was much more lenient for he actually knew what Tsukiko was—and he knew why she couldn’t remember her name. However, the truth couldn’t be said at the moment, not when the Lia had told him before to let Tsukiko discover it on her own. The other girl, Cea, spoke up to answer her Ceta’s worries. “Perhaps her amnesia hasn’t taken everything, sister. She knows how to speak and walk and swim, does she not? If sailing would be second nature to her, it’s possible.” “That makes sense,” said Pinn as he nodded his head along to Cea’s conclusion. “And look at those eyes; they are blue as the sea. We shouldn’t be too harsh to another one of the sea god’s children.” The Lia smiled at Tsukiko gently. All eyes were on the Lia, as if waiting on her final decision. After a few moments of tension, the Lia spoke, her words addressed mostly to Tsukiko. “I see no harm in letting her sail with us. Whether or not she can truly sail, we will find out. How does this make you feel, dear?”

[Tsukiko]

She was brought back from her thoughts at the sound of the Otani's giggle, ans felt the tension heavy in the air. As the silence grew deeper, she began to panic, wondering if she had said something wrong. When the silence was finally broken by one of the women, she winced slightly at her words, and she bowed her head.Ceta's comment left a small stinging sensation in her conscious, for she had spoken honestly. As the group debated on her memory loss, she listened, and thought of how it did not even make sense to the person in question, herself. In fact, she was surprised when Ardein spoke to her defense, and looked at him questioningly, wondering if he was holding something back. Why would he be so lenient, especially in winter, when supplies were so precious? Considering the later two's words, her suspicion began to ease slightly, and she began to doubt her reasoning behind it. "I would be forever grateful," she replied quietly. She had not been expecting them to allow her to stay with them for long. She dipped her head as the spoke, meeting the Lia's eyes, and allowed herself a small smile. "I am willing to learn anything that will benefit you and your family, and will would be pleased if I can help in any way. I owe you all my life." She said this with sincerity, and she was determined to work hard at anything presented before her.

[Cascade]

At the newcomer’s response, Ceta gave a nonchalant shrug. Everyone else had been giving her wary stares, as if urging her to just let it go, and she conceded. The group accepted Tsukiko’s words as sincere. The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Ardein showed Tsukiko around the ship, telling her where the sleeping quarters was and where the food was cooked. He also showed her the side of the ship where several casinors were anchored, and told her that many svefra received their own casinor at a certain age. During the midday they ate another meal and this was also when the two Otani left. It all passed quickly and in a blur. Soon enough, the skies were getting darker. “I am going to go help with summer,” Ardein had said, avoiding Tsukiko’s eyes. “You can hang out here in deck.” The Ethaefal was soon left alone. Only the darkening skies were her companion. However, a soft voice soon cut through the air as the Lia walked over to her. “Hello, dear,” said the Lia. “Do you enjoy the skies? Soon the stars will be out, and I think you would be fascinated by them.”

[Tsukiko]

She had enjoyed being shown their daily life, and home. Throughout the entire day, she found that many of the things she saw seemed to have a familiarity she could not place. Seeing the casinors brought a faint wave of pride, confusing her even more so. At the midday meal, she was slightly saddened at the Otani's departure, but smiled and waved a farewell. As the light of day faded to sunset colors varying from yellow to purple, gradually darkening as the sun goddess lowered herself further in the skies. Syna almost seemed to sink into the waves. When Ardein excused himself for summer preparations, she noticed that he would not meet her eyes. 'Strange.... I wonder what is bothering him...', she thought to herself as she smiled, and thanked him for the tour. Moving towards the railing, she rested her forearms, leaning forward to watch the waves as they danced cool breezes. Humming lightly, she turned her gaze upwards, noticing the sky had darkened considerably, though still too light for night, marking Leth's soon rise to the skies. A yearning washed over her, anticipation pooling in her chest as her gazed on the area where he was soon to appear. She barely noticed the footsteps approaching her from behind, turning at the soft, but resonant voice, and smiled to the Lia in greeting. "Though I cannot remember the last time I saw the stars, nor the moon, I love the night sky. It seems to be filled with... endless possibilities", she said the last in soft, wistful voice. She gazed at the darkening sky for a long moment before continuing. "I do not know why, but I feel this... strong urge to see the moon... it is strange, but I also feel... a great sadness.." Her head lowered from the sky to the sea, smile dropping slightly at the last. She looked back to the Lia, her expression becoming curious, "but how did you know?"

[Cascade]

“It is not a difficult matter to expect,” said the Lia. She took her place beside the Ethaefal and looked to the horizon. “Oh, do you feel a strong urge to the moon? Leth’s children do feel the urge to be united with him. It is a tragedy when they are separated, and I believe that the longing may encompass his children’s beings. Looking, there is the moon, behind those clothes.” It was as if she was speaking in riddles. The Lia brought up a hand and pointed at the moon. The skies were not entirely dark but the moon was already visible. As the clouds shifted its crescent shape came out to greet them. “Syna governs the day and Leth governs the night. Long ago there was a terrible catastrophe, and while the two lovers banded together, it did not end well. Do you know this story, dear? Does it stir any familiarity in you?” Soon enough the elderly woman put her hand back down and turned her head to take a glance at the Ethaefal, as if gauging for her reaction.

[Tsukiko]

She was surprised how the older woman seemed to take it as something to be expected, as if everyone, not that she thought there were many, her family picked up from the sea had some connection to the moon. "Leth's... children? Children of the Moon?", she murmured quietly. '...Is that what I am..?' she thought, feeling a small bud of rightness bloom somewhere within her mind. Following the Lia's directions, she turned her gaze to the sky, a pale glow against the darkness drawing her eyes. Slowly, without catching her attention, her skin began to glow gently, traveling up from her finger tips in soft waves. The moonlight reflected off her smooth pale skin, much resembling how the moon reflected the light of the sun. Her form grew slimmer, her hair became silvery, and slightly longer. Slender black horns grew, curling at her temples, while her eyes became a vibrant indigo blue, holding deep sorrow within their depths. "I... feel a terrible loneliness as I watch it... him...", she said in a saddened tone, her eyes fixed on the moon as it made it's steady progress in the winter's darkness. Turning her gaze to meet the wise one of the elderly woman beside her, she asked hesitantly,"Do... do you know... what I am?"