Closed The Water's Edge

[Ariann]

His voice is... kind... was the first thought that entered her mind, even through all the fear there was a moderate amount of curiosity. He had stated several times over that he wasn't interested in eating her. "...... Wait." She said hesitantly, bringing her head out of her protective shell of her arms, "So... you really aren't going to eat me?" She asks hesitantly. She had known nothing of the land-dwellers besides the terrifying stories from her childhood.

Should I... give him a chance? She questioned herself, squatting on her knees hesitantly before beginning to crawl towards the human, stopping ten feet from the man and sitting on her knees, although leaning forward curiously. "If... if you're not gonna... eat me..." She paused, looking away hesitantly and nibbling on her lower lip, which was a more substantially darker blue feature than her skin, before continuing. "Will you... stay?"

She had so many things to ask the man, especially of the overworld cities. "Can you... talk with me?" She asks, looking back to the human. "I wish to know about the overland cities..." She said quietly, barely speaking. The water around the bridge began to pulse slightly outwards in a circle from where the Charoda sat on the bridge, a soft pulse that was slow and sure, much like a curious child when they just learned how to walk.

[Erekez]

"I've said that three times now. No, I'm not." Turning around, he saw that she had come out of her safe zone and had found the courage to move forwards. This was a sudden turnaround from the way the conversation was going a few moments ago. She still looked quite scared of him. What had changed so quickly for her to change her mind? Something he had said? Or something of her own accord? From paralysing fear to asking him to stay and talk. This one was becoming more perplexing by the chime. I don't plan on heading back into the city any time soon. "I can stay and talk if you feel you can stand me." It was good that she was able to ask without cowering away when he spoke back. With any luck, she would be able to build enough of a tolerance to other people's presence to be able to fight back or run away. The rhythmic beat of the pulsating water around her only made him consider how powerful she would be in a fight if she meant it. Maybe the way this meeting had gone so far wasn't so bad after all. Erekez returned to his original place in front of her bridge and house. Gently easing himself down, the sand shifted out from underneath his feet. Hitting the sand with a thump, he clenched as he reflexively threw out his arms to stabilise himself. His cut burned in protest to the strain. He had probably just reopened it. Wonderful... The pain passed and he was in the same place as before. "I can't guarantee I'll know the answer to every question you ask, but I'll help any way I can. What is it you were wanting to know?" Stopping in thought for a second, Erekez decided to take this opportunity to do something he couldn't do whilst she was pleading to him. With an inclination of his head, he said, "I'm Erekez. It's a pleasure to meet you."

[Ariann]

Ariann's eyes widened in shock when he fell on his rump. There was a soft gasp that escaped her lips when she heard him grunt, his body tensing in pain. Her bottom lip was nibbled on even more when she thought to herself. He's hurt, I can smell it... She murmured, moving slowly forward until she was right next to the man. Her melodious voice came forth once more when she looked at his body closely.

"I smell it... blood and pain..." She said with a frown, her blue lips curved downwards at a soft angle, her frown denoting worry. He's a land-dweller, but he's hurt... I can't... She let out a sigh. "Ariannaliese." She muttered, reaching out tenatively to reach for the bottom of his shirt, her toes digging into the sand as she lifted the shirt, looking for the thing that made the blood-scent.

He still wants to eat you... She frowned slightly, "Let me see your hurt..." She mumbled, keeping arms-reach distance between them as she continued to lift his shirt up. Her eyes were filled with wonder and the water no longer churned the way it had when she was on the bridge. It now remained still and gently rolling outwards in a natural fashion.

[Erekez]

The roles had reversed as Erekez was the one becoming hesitant of Ariannaliese. He watched tentatively as she got close enough to be able to reach and touch him, paying close attention to her face for any signs of deceit that might give her away. There were no such signs. Did she really want to help him? He couldn't understand why one person would be willing to heal another they saw as a threat. One wound could be the advantage needed to win a fight, and she wanted to help? Not everyone is like you. Erekez sighed at the rebuke. As much as he didn't trust most people, there were those that decided to do things for different reasons. Some made sense to others, and some only to the individual. Different races, different people, different personalities. The skill was learning what a person's true intentions were before they could bring any form of harm to yourself. It was difficult, and Erekez didn't believe that it was one that anyone could become flawless in. As Ariann lifted his shirt, trying to find the cut, he hesitantly lifted up his left arm. The cut-up shirt had done its job well, keeping pressure on his arm, but it couldn't be considered clean by any means. It was a temporary fix to stop the bleeding and it had done just that. The blood had soaked through the material, staining it a shade of red. Undoing the knots, the blood rushed through his arm after being constrained for so long. Pins-and-needles followed shortly after as he clenched and unclenched his hand, helping to get the blood flow going again. The cut was still open, but blood only seeped and trickled from intermittent places, as if his arm was an overstuffed sack. Erekez looked back at Ariann. He still had his dagger if she tried anything.

[Ariann]

Ariann's fingers ran along the cut, her soft delicate skin gliding over the wound like water. She frowned slightly, making a motion in the air in a circular pattern. A ball of water one foot in diameter came out of the sea and floated over, wrapping itself around his arm. She began to move her hands around in a churning motion and Erekez would find that the ball began to churn and wash the cut clean, stinging slightly as it did so. "Bad wrapping... will not heal like that." She said with a frown, pulling her hands back and swinging them back towards the water. The ball of water pulled off his arm without leaving any moisture, his red blood swirling inside as it flew back to the sea and dropped in. She then sat down beside him again, sighing. "Will need to bandage it..."

She leaned over and placed her lips on the cut, pressing down softly. The kiss was soft and carried the salt of the sea, causing the wound to sting for a moment as the salt began to absorb the blood. She pulled her lips away and licked her lips, drawing in the salt. "Should be better now... come." She says, standing and turning, walking back towards the bridge and crossing the span, opening the door into her small living room. The room was only three-fourths complete, the other third being a hole that drops down into the lower levels. A bed made of coral, straw and seaweed rested to the left and a couch of similar make off to the right. She motions to the bed. "Sit."

[Erekez]

Erekez found it difficult to believe that, with the way Ariann was acting now, she was the same scared Charoda that she had been when he first called over to her. Was it curiosity or kindness that overwhelmed the fear she had moments ago? Perhaps a little of both, maybe neither. Whatever the reason, here she was now telling him what he was doing wrong with his bandages and to follow her. His arm felt refreshed after Ariann's attention, but the salt she had left when she kissed his arm still stung. It was a method of healing he had never heard of but, if it worked, he was in no position to argue. Ariann had been right about the previous bandages. They weren't any good. It was likely his cut would've become septic if he had left it. The loss of his entire forearm wasn't a pleasant thought. The urge to scratch or rub the salt was difficult to resist, but Erekez managed to as he sat on a structure of coral as told. It had layers of straw and seaweed over the top of it, something akin to a bed. The inside of the coral structure was even more impressive than outside. Every living amenity was made out of coral. How was that even possible? Perhaps he'd find out at some point. Erekez turned back to Ariann, taking the time to actually look at her, rather than attempting to calm her down. Her clothing and figure was definitely that of a woman, but he didn't think he would be able to guess her age. Ariann looked quite young in human terms, but that didn't mean she was in Charoda terms. Her skin glistened with different shades of blues, and patches of white,as if she had just left the water, and the green of her eyes made an excellent contrast with it. The fins on her arms and legs, as well as what seemed to be in place of hair, added to her unique look. Stop. Staring. At. People. You do this every time, analysing every little detail! Stop before you scare her again! Erekez pulled his eyes away and focused back on her face. "Sorry. Thank you for what you did to my arm." He motioned to it as he spoke, gently placing it in his lap to rest. "You said you wanted to know about Zeltiva?"

[Ariann]

A light red blush touched on Ariann's cheeks when she looked back, noticing that he was staring at her. A soft smile curved her lips before she moved over to a small hatch on the side of the wall, the hatch made of wood with steel hinges, opening it and pulling out of it a pack of healing supplies she had scavenged and bought from the sea-traders. She brought the pack back to Erekez where he sat, smiling softly as she nodded. "I did... I am curious of the land-dweller cities. The stories say you all are evil who use the sea only to eat our bretheren and the fish that populate it..." She says with a slight frown. "But so far you've not been aggressive... even when I was allowing myself to cower before you..." She still didn't know why she did that. Her legs still felt like jelly, but she knelt before him and began to unload the materials, setting upon putting some aloe and a strange blue paste on the wound before wrapping it in clean seaweed, tying it off. The seaweed had the feel of a normal cotton bandage, but was twice as strong and entirely water-resistant.

"There... it should be better soon." She said softly. He's kind of... cute. The rogue thought crossed her mind, causing her to shake her head, the fins protruding from her scalp splaying out for a moment before returning to rest. "Seaweed is resistant to water, but the ointments will wash away if exposed to water." She explains, smiling softly, "So no swimming for at least ten hours. If you want..." She looks at the bed and frowns lightly, "... you can sleep here for the night. The bed might be a little rough for a land-dweller, but I tried to replicate the styles your kind uses for beds." She says softly.

She stood and began to clean up, a redness touching upon her cheeks as she did so. He's not cruel at all... but he's probably just special... She thinks to herself, smiling slightly. She returned the healing supplies to the hatch in the wall, returning to sit before Erekez on the coral and sand-paste floor. "How old are you?" She asks, tilting her head off to the side.

[Erekez]

Erekez examined Ariann's handiwork as she explained what he should be aware of. He never would've considered using seaweed as a bandage. It was tight against his skin, but smooth to the touch. He assumed that the ten hours was also the length of time it would need to stay on. It would probably be a good idea to leave it on for a little bit longer, just to make sure the ointment had been given time to do what it could. Ariann's words echoed through his head as he ran his fingers over the seaweed. Pursing his lips, he said, "Unfortunately, what you say holds some truth to it. I've never heard of a Charoda being eaten on land." He didn't know what one was before today. "But we do eat fish. We're careful about what we catch, as there are some fish we don't eat." "As for us all being evil? Not the case. In all likelihood, you are about as likely to find someone who is a threat to you as you are someone who is harmless. The trick is discovering who are what." As he spoke the words, it felt like he was forcing his beliefs on her. Talking to another person in Zeltiva, they had their own beliefs and would accept Erekez's beliefs as his own. From there, only reasoning would sway another's thoughts on a subject. With Ariann, she knew nothing of those who lived out of water. Anything he said could be taken as a rule, as opposed to one individual's belief that meant to leave room for own decisions. Hopefully she would come to her own conclusions in her own time. "Besides, I wasn't going to attack you. You weren't threatening me in any way. I had no need to." The bed looked well-built. It may even be an improvement to a bed roll on the floor of a tent. Erekez looked over at Ariann as she returned her supplies to alcove in the wall of the coral. The offer of letting him stay the night was a generous one, but there was a nagging feeling that was instantly against it. He had only known her for a few chimes. He still didn't truly know if she was trustworthy. He wasn't entirely sure what she would do, after she was earlier, but going on a limb here and say she wasn't convinced by his words. Fear for your own survival made a person do things they never thought they'd be capable of. It would be too easy to put a knife to his throat as he slept. He smiled at her. "I appreciate your offer Ariann, but I'll have to say no. It doesn't feel right, and I still need to take care of Moon." He really did appreciate it, but he didn't know how she would act whilst he slept, and knew he probably wouldn't sleep because of his own paranoia. Moonraker would need to be found anyway. No doubt she was eating half the forest by now. "I'm nineteen, in human years. Twenty, closer to the end of the season. Why'd you ask?" Was asking a woman's age considered rude only amongst humans, or was it a general rule for every race? Something was different about Ariann's facial colouring from before. Is she blushing?

[Ariann]

Ariann listened intently, soaking up each and every word like a dry-baked sponge. She nodded after each segment of his speech, but her head quirked to the side when he said he was only nineteen. "Then that makes me your elder by seven cycles..." She said in an almost depressed tone. She frowns slightly and looks away towards the couch on the other side, thinking for a moment. "I should... apologize about my actions earlier... in my culture, fear is expressed more prominently than the land-dwellers. Very few of us Charodae can feel fear and not end up frozen to the spot..." She states with a frown, "And with your sudden arrival, I had expected you to be one of the evil ones that they tell stories of in my culture..." She explains, the redness in her cheeks growing out of embarrassment.

She looked back to him when he declined to stay, frowning in an almost pout-ish way. "Why not? Did I make the bed wrong?" She asks with a frown, "I can reform it if you need..." She reaches out and touches the side of the bed, drawing her hand back very slowly. The coral that had made the head-rest was drawn along with her hand, pulling out to form a dulled bump when Ariann finally removed her hand from the coral. "The Charoda can manipulate coral to suit our needs, even grow entire farms of it... I built this house by myself over the years, trying to make it suitable for both Charodae and the land-dwellers..." She states, looking to the ground with a frown, "But it doesn't matter if no one will stay here... it gets really lonely, too... there aren't many of my kind left and the fish flee from this area too often to have any company at all..." She murmurs, her voice soft and sweet, to the point where it could have easily been mistaken for a seductive tone. She clasped her hands together, nibbling on her bottom lip nervously. "Or do you not want to stay because of... me?" She asked softly.

You are loosing it, Ariann... He's a land-dweller...

[Erekez]

Erekez sighed as Ariann spoke. He could sympathise with being lonely. His own loneliness had been a result of keeping others at a distance over his travels, something he was still trying to do now. Even after a season in Zeltiva. It didn't sound like Ariann's was out of choice though. She made it sound like she wanted some form of company even if, despite her inital fear, that company was a land-dweller. "It's not you personally. Neither is there anything wrong with the way you've constructed your house." Erekez didn't exactly know. Everything looked suitable at first glance, adn probably was. He felt he needed to reassure her that his decisions wasn't because of anything she had done. "I find it hard trusting anyone I don't know. Similar to how you didn't trust anything I said. I don't see wanting to live as a bad thing." He hoped comparing his own thoughts to Ariann's made it easier to understand what he was trying to say. "Besides, you shouldn't feel the need to apologise for being afraid." Massaging his temples as his gaze wandered across the room, he tried to think of a solution that would suit both of them. When had looking out for yourself become so hard? Probably from when he took his first steps into a city. In the wildlands, nobody could expect to trust or be trusted by anyone else. Bandits, mercenaries, killers of all kinds lurked around every possible bush. And that was just the things that could talk. Animals and monsters were just as likely to kill you as another person was. It was understandable why everyone was on edge. In cities, it seemed that everyone was expected to trust each other absolutely. Probable because they were the more civilised parts of Mizahar. "You seem like a good person Ariann, but I just can't take the risk. Not without knowing you for longer." He sighed again. What's wrong with your mark? He stopped for a second. Looking around the room, there didn't seem to be much that wasn't coral. That wasn't any good. Lykata didn't work on anything that was, technically, alive or even connected to anything that was. Perhaps the straw he sat on? That had potential to have been handled by others. No, he needed personal things. Things that only Ariann had truly handled. "Ariann, do you have anything that only you handle? Your healing equipment, jewellery, anything like that? The more things, the better." Lykata's uses were limited at the first mark, but if he had access to more than one item, it might just do what he was hoping for.