[The Patchwork Port] What Luck! (Jay Darkcrest)

by **Karin** on March 1st, 2016, 4:49 pm

It wasn't long before the two of them were making their way. Apparently she had made a good decision with the fish, and taking little, curious glances at what Jay had in his hand, it seemed his trip had been successful too.

It seemed he'd guessed her inner turmoil, and she blushed internally. But the question needed an answer. "Well, Alvadas has a lot of parties, or celebrations, y'know? But they've always been big events."

"I've only really been there by myself too, just observing from a distance. So, maybe they haven't been as fun as they could be?" She looked back over her shoulder, rhetorically.

She warmed into the conversation, and as they drew closer said, "I do have a couple of questions actually. Do Svefra... do we celebrate things in particular when there's a party? Most of the ones in Alvadas have been for Ionu, the god."

Her thoughts were interrupted by the bustling sights and sounds of the Port, busy in the sunshine. The girl's gait immediately became more relaxed, without her even noticing. The glimmering surface of the ocean looked like a blanket of gems that day, beautiful, Karin thought.

She was properly excited now, and not afraid to show it. Somehow, along with the day, she was warming to Jay again, getting back into the swing of things.

"Hey, Jay! This way!" Suddenly hoisting the supplies into a more sturdy position, the girl ran along the port-side, making her way to a narrow wooden staircase that led down to the beach she visited most, the one that was closest to the Port.

She grinned, wide. This was what life was about. Suddenly, in a brief tick of realisation, she understood what being Svefra was about. The clear understanding was gone the moment it arrived, but she glowed knowing that it lurked nearby.

OOC :

by **Jay Darkcrest** on March 4th, 2016, 2:55 pm

Jay nodded along to her description of Alvadas parties. Since the city did everything differently, mocking reality itself, he guessed its parties were nothing to judge all land-dwellers by. He should’ve thought of that, no? Then again, what fun were parties to the detached observer? “Aye, I think doing it with others makes it fun. Parties are about being together, you know?”

As they were walking through the streets, slowly leaving behind the bustling center and nearing the wall, Jay chewed his lip and gathered the words to reply. He smiled a little at the ‘we’ she pronounced after correcting herself. “Aye, we celebrate many things. The day someone is born and gets older a year. A day with good weather, a day after a storm, a beautiful sunset. When we anchor near a nice island with a beach and good food.” He laughed. “Sometimes I think we celebrate so we have something to do. There is a campfire, of course, music and stories and hunting so everyone has some food.”

While Jay talked, they were leaving the city and strolling down the path towards the Patchwork Port. At first the distance between port and city proper had been irritating, but Jay had come to appreciate it. The illusions didn’t touch the anchored ships and the sea that he loved. “But it’s the most fun when two pods meet! Even when they have met ten days ago, they celebrate again. When they never met before, the party is even bigger!”

He had wanted to say more, but they had almost reached the port. Jay had gestured to illustrate his tale, now he lowered his arms and inhaled deeply. The salty ocean breeze refreshed and welcomed him. The wind whispered messages in a language known only to the Stormwarden.

Suddenly Karin called out. Gripping his bottle tighter, Jay laughed and ran after her. Blessed by both Zulrav and Laviku, together, what did they have to fear? Two didn’t exactly make a pod, but Jay didn’t mind. For the time being, having fun with Karin was enough. They went down a wooden staircase before sand caressed his bare soles. Jay smiled, taking in the beach and rolling waves. “See? I knew that you were right. This is a good place!” Still smiling, he turned towards Karin and spread his arms. “First we swim, aye? We can hide our things and get them later.”

by **Karin** on March 14th, 2016, 2:27 pm

Almost without realising, the girl went to say, 'Aye', in the manner that Jay did. Instead, she quickly morphed it into, "Aa..yeah! I'd love that." She blushed, imperceptibly but nodded enthusiastically. She would love that. She loved swimming. But somehow, she had rushed forwards into something, without really knowing how to go about it.

Because when she swam, she swam alone. She didn't want to look stupid in front of Jay, and her swimming skills were surely lacking when it came to someone who had always been in the water. But... the girl took a deep breath, and nodded, somewhat to herself, and somewhat determinedly. "A little swim and then we can dry off in front of a fire?"

The was a small place that lay in the softer, warmer sands of the beach, backed against the reassuring presence of some small dunes. It was away from the wet sand, only recently drenched by the tide, which was a plus. The girl placed the supplies she carried down next to a small driftwood log, and slipped her shoes off in the process.

The things Jay had said were enticing, and she stalled a little, asking, "So, I guess you've seen a few parties in your life?" It was half a question and half a statement, and she glanced at Jay as she quickly brushed her hair back with her fingers, tying it into a quick braid with a well-used hair ribbon.

It'd be nice, at some point, to find out a little more of what Jay was, who he was. There had been something on the mountain, something he'd quickly hidden. She didn't want to probe or pry, she had respect for the man, and if he decided not to tell someone something, she wasn't going to force it out of him.

She knew well enough that sometimes she didn't want to talk about the past. But it didn't stop her wondering, in her head. She hoped that it wasn't something terrible, if only so that she knew her friend hadn't suffered too much. It was probable that something bad had happened though, which was again another reason to not pry. There was a lot of hardship in the world, and demanding to know it was rude. Not only that, but... she wanted him to trust her with it, one day.

A soft sea breeze washed over her, and she breathed in deep, smiling at her surroundings and letting out a sigh as she let her thoughts go. She pondered of the parties she'd been to, the ones she'd seen from the outside. The ones Jay mentioned sounded much more preferable. She couldn't really place why, but that kind of easy-going celebration sounded beautiful... relaxed... something she could aspire to celebrating herself. It truly felt like their own small party today was going to turn out that way too, which made Karin curiously happy.

Whilst they talked, Karin idly drew in the sand with her toe, moving small sand grains around and building a little mound absent-mindedly. With a quick, unembarrassed motion, she shimmied out of her trousers, placing them in a small pile next to her other belongings. In preparation for the swim, she also took out the glass beads she had laced in her hair, and curled them on top of her other clothes. She still wore her top, preferring to keep the slight chill of the waves out a little.

by **Jay Darkcrest** on March 16th, 2016, 10:06 pm

OOCSorry for the short post. I wanted to drop the bomb with maximum effect, haha!

His expression widened into a grin as Karin confirmed the plan. If she felt a little awkward, Jay didn’t notice that. In her company and by the sea, he wasn’t concerned about their relationship in the least. “Aye. We should put the food in the shadow.”

Following her to the sheltered spot by the dunes, Jay sighed a little at the soft sand under his toes. He made sure their food and drinks were both shadowed and relatively hidden behind the log. Then he began stripping, shrugging out of his vest and pulling the tunic over his head. Although he cut a less than impressive figure, slim and almost scrawny as he was, Jay didn’t particularly care. The sunlight felt good on his bare chest and highlighted his soft tan.

While he dropped his clothes over their supplies, giving them even more shadow, Jay gave an enthusiastic nod and a little laugh. “A few. Like I said, we celebrate lots of things and they happen all the time. But I’ve not experienced as many as you probably think.” He hesitated, but only for a tick or two. “The thing with Kelvics is… most are younger than they look. It depends on which animal they are. As a kid, I was growing until about my second birthday, then finished. It’s the way it is for my animal. You understand?” Frowning slightly, he wondered if he’d gotten all the words right. Talking about himself was safe, he figured, as talk about Kelvics didn’t include his family.

After emptying his pockets (adding the piece of bread, some pebbles and his lucky miza to the pile), Jay discarded his pants and turned to face Karin. He didn’t seem to notice his state of advanced nudity or at least didn’t mind it, the latter being more likely. Karin’s reaction he did notice and address with lifted eyebrows. “Let’s go?”

by **Karin** on March 21st, 2016, 9:54 pm

Karin gawked for just one tick as Jay talked and she listened and then looked all around as he turned and said, "Let's go." It wasn't that she felt awkward... no, she did feel awkward, a little. It wasn't just the almost nudity though. It was that she didn't know how to react.

So, instead, she simply nodded and followed the man towards the waters edge. She couldn't stay silent for long, though. She wasn't even sure why she felt she needed to be reserved. He was, after all, a Kelvic. She supposed, if she thought about it, that animals didn't wear clothes.

Karin smiled a little as the first, cool tingle of water touched her bare feet. She replied, finally to his question, "I understand. Maybe you've heard this before... it's hard to remember that you are kind of, well.. part animal too." A slight hesitation as the water swelled further up her legs. "Sorry if that's the wrong way to say it."

The ocean wasn't strong, at least, not where they were. Every feeling and sensation flooded through her as she felt the kiss of the waves on her skin. Its every move felt as clear as thought, and in delight, forgetting everything, she dived her head down under the water and pushed her arms forward, and she was swimming.

It was such a strange, but wonderful experience to swim alongside another. Karin didn't say anything, unless Jay did, as she concentrated on her arm strokes and her legs. But knowing that he was there... there was such a sense of companionship, something which she never even knew she needed.

With a reckless grin, Karin flipped water at the Kelvic, and then stopped to laugh and tread water as she waited on his reaction. She felt like a totally different person. Alive, wild and awake, and enjoying real life with a friend. "Hey Jay!" She spoke loudly, not a shout but simply projecting her voice over the sway and click of the waves, and the distant sounds of the city, bustling and the seabirds crying below the face of Syna.

She didn't have anything to say, but perhaps that didn't matter. She wondered, again and again at how easy it was to be with him. She smiled, and splashed water, and dove down under the rim of the sea to swim, her eyes open and watching the way Jay's shadow looked in the water.

A noisy splash of water signalled the girl's resurfacing, as she cleared messy strands of blonde hair from her eyes and snorted water from her nose. Half to herself, and half to Jay, she said, "I really love the water..." It was an obvious statement, but she didn't care.

by **Jay Darkcrest** on March 29th, 2016, 8:26 pm

OOCAgain, sorry for the delay! I'm slowly getting back into writing Jay!

Jay only noticed her silence in passing, although he wasn’t as worried as he would’ve been with someone else. Karin fell silent once in a while, he already knew, maybe to think or choose her words carefully. He didn’t mind, on the contrary, he even found it relaxing.

Where Karin approached the water slowly, almost carefully, Jay waded in eagerly. He only stopped to look back when it rose over his hips and belly. Then he laughed softly. “No, it’s alright. It’s true, isn’t it?”

As Karin approached, he let himself fall backward against the next wave. With a content sigh, the Kelvic held himself steady on his back, treading water and using the waves as a cushion. When Karin had reached him, he turned to follow her. Soon they were swimming side by side, diving under waves, and Jay realized he hadn’t felt this alive in a long time. The sun was pale, the water chilly, true, but the Sebakem had always been colder than the Suvan. The sensation only opened his eyes and widened his senses. The sky, the water and Karin herself seemed more colorful, almost radiant.

Then water was flipped in his face and he coughed, trying to get it out of his nose. Soon he returned the attack, then whirled around to escape the retort. When Karin called his name, however, he turned around with a wide grin. “What?” Nothing, apparently, but they continued splashing water at each other, enjoying the water, salt on lips, and the company.

By then, the words were at the tip of his tongue, waiting to burst out. Jay waited until Karin surfaced, then waved at her. “Hey, Karin! I want to show you something.” And when he had her attention, Jay shifted. It was something he had thought about for some time, revealing that other side. Among the port cities the Darkcrests had visited, some treated Kelvics as inferior to humans, just animals in human skin. Those were dangerous, so his mother had taught him not to shift in front of strangers. But Karin was a Svefra and a friend. Surely she wouldn’t mind his animal form.

His body erupted in bright light for only a tick. Suddenly a small marten was paddling towards her, with reddish brown fur (the exact color of his hair in human form) shining in the sun and long tail drifting on the water for balance. Jay observed her out of pitch black eyes, then stabbed his nose in her direction. Repeatedly. It was an invitation, to touch, to play, whatever she wanted.

by **Karin** on April 16th, 2016, 10:43 am

She finished clearing the water from her gaze as she saw Jay motioning her. Treading water by kicking her legs in a constant motion underneath her, she watched in complete astonishment as Jay shifted, bright lights hiding his body for a tick. In a blink, a small, red-ish coloured animal was in his place.

Although, she supposed, that in fact he hadn't been replaced. This was Jay, too. The girl grinned, her face split wide in childish glee. So, this is what being a Kelvic means. As the marten's eyes followed her, she swam closer.

He pointed his nose at her, and she said softly, curiously, "So, this is what you look like..." With a hesitant touch, the girl gently patted his head, feeling his soft, slightly damp fur. Suddenly concentrating, Karin reached and picked him up, gently, not wanting to hurt the man.

She scooped her hand under his belly, and slowly lifted him into the air, trying hard not to topple under the waves whilst she held him. But finally, her aim was achieved- the Kelvic now had a spot on her shoulder, whether he cared to stay there or not.

Jay felt a lot warmer than she would have realised, and she told him so. A whole host of new questions now swam through her mind: could Jay swim in this form? Could he even understand her as he would when he was in his human form? What could he see and feel?

The girl now swam forwards a little, to keep active and warm more than anything else. She wanted to ask him so many things, but didn't know how to, so simply decided to enjoy the moment for now. The questions could surely come later, if they needed to be asked at all. Maybe it was all too personal. She nodded to herself, yes, leave the questions for now.

There was one thing she would ask though. She wasn't sure how he could answer her, but she was sure she could figure out a simple head gesture. "Jay, do you want to head back to the shore and, maybe, have some food? And a fire?" The girl lifted a free, dripping hand and shyly stroked the marten's tail to get his attention, running her fingers across his fur before dropping her hand back into the water to propel herself forwards.

OOC :

by **Jay Darkcrest** on April 22nd, 2016, 8:47 am

When Karin broke into a grin, Jay was more relieved than he cared to admit and suddenly glad that animal expressions were rather hard to read for humans. At the same time, it was far easier to show affection in the form he was in, so he bumped his nose at her hand and then pushed his head into her palm.

He watched with mild curiosity as she came closer and then picked him up in both hands. Jay tried not to move too much, although his tail was wiggling slightly, keeping his balance, to her show her it was alright. He’d shifted in front of her voluntarily, she could do anything she wanted. He didn’t believe she could ever hurt him, not her. Eventually he came to sit on her shoulder and held on, trying not to tangle her wet hair, but he couldn’t avoid digging his claws into her skin a little.

So he felt warm? Jay wanted to laugh, after all, what had she expected? Instead he simply nuzzled closer, touching her cheek with his cool wet nose, hoping she understood. When she moved, he clung to her shoulder and moved his tail through the water to give himself some momentum and better balance. Surely Karin had many questions, he could almost feel them bubbling under the surface, but sometimes experiencing a thing was better than all the words in the world.

After some time, she stroked him again and Jay leaned into her touch, almost forgetting her words. Catching their meaning almost felt harder as a marten which, he figured, had something to do with the time he’d spent in Sylira, confused, alone, never shifting. Eventually, however, he moved his head up and down next to her cheek. He could’ve swum for bells and bells, but Karin hadn’t grown up in the water. If she wanted to warm up and eat, it was fine by him.

Jay debated swimming to shore by himself, but in the end stayed where he was. His claws were probably hurting her, but it simply felt too good to ride her shoulder, be that close. Her smell mixing with salt water and sunlight. Her golden hair against the crystal sky.

When Karin could stand again, he left her shoulder to hop into the water and paddle the last few feet to the shore. Turning around, he lifted his head and waited for her to catch up, ears upright and eyes shining. And after a moment of hesitation, he shifted back in a blinding flash of light. Extending his arms, he grinned at her as if he’d just performed an extraordinary piece of acrobatics. “So… you liked it?” A tiny grain of hesitation wormed itself into that grin, even after the petting and riding her shoulder Jay wasn’t sure if she was alright with his Kelvic side.

by **Karin** on April 25th, 2016, 1:27 pm

Jay clung to her shoulder and Karin felt the grip of his claws, firm but tight. Contrary to what he thought, the feeling was not one of pain, but of satisfaction. Those claws meant that he trusted her in some way. He wasn't letting go, and that warmed her as they swam more than any fire could.

His answer she assumed to be in the affirmative, and she made her way to shore, swimming leisurely and enjoying the feeling of waves on her skin and Jay's silent but very appreciated company. Soon the shifting sands of the beach were underneath her feet again, and Jay hopped off with a small splash. He swam to the shore, and so that answers that question. She floundered onto the beach, swimming in on her belly and pushing herself up from the waves to stand, shin-deep in the slight swell.

There was a flash of light, sudden and strange, and there stood Jay, in human form once again. He bowed, and Karin looked at him with animated, smiling eyes as she figured out what to say. Put quite simply, she had been surprised at first. But Jay as a marten and as a human wasn't too hard to comprehend, now that she'd experienced it.

She nodded once, and then said, "Yes, I did." Her expression was soon matching his in a slow-spreading grin. Not noticing the hesitation he felt- she beamed and splashed forwards. "I wasn't sure if you could swim, but you swam really well!" Excited, the girl reached forwards and in a rare moment of unthinking action, gently picked up his hand. "Although I have no idea how you do it, how you fit into your marten shape."

Karin inspected his hand, holding it softly in hers for a moment as she looked at the back of his hand, his fingers and nails. It was so different to a marten's paw! She let go, suddenly embarrassed. Why did I do that? Her pale skin blushed faintly, and she turned her head to the side, looking to where they'd left their clothes.

"That swim was wonderful though, Jay. I really enjoyed it." She was serious now. It was such a different experience to swim with someone else. Perhaps it wasn't such a big deal to anyone really, but to her? It brought back memories, half-hidden and fleeting: of ships, songs, sunshine, smiles. And Jay's presence... felt natural, in a way the girl didn't understand.

Karin looked down, suddenly. She scanned the shore, looking for something, and... there! She reached down behind some seaweed, and withdrew her hand with two round pebbles nestled in her palm. "Jay?" She offered her palm to the man, and said, "Pick one?" The other one she looked at, scrubbing the sand from the surface before she threw it with all her might into the ocean, shutting her eyes briefly. "Thank you Laviku."

by **Jay Darkcrest** on April 30th, 2016, 7:03 pm

Jay noticed the smile in her eyes before Karin said anything, but it was still nice to hear her answer. As she splashed closer and took his hand, he laughed and exclaimed something in Fratava about sweet Laviku and barnacles. “What? You think I survived on a ship for so long when I couldn’t swim?” He laughed again, more softly, as she examined his hand, turning it around. Between her small fingers, his hand looked both bigger and darker. While she did that, he shrugged. “Don’t ask me how it works. It just happens, the light, then the shift. It’s two sides of me, like a coin. That’s why clothing doesn’t go with it too.”

Jay let her touch and look at his hand as long as she liked. When she released it, he went to put on some clothing. Pants at least. She hadn’t said anything about his nudity, but it was still possible that it bothered her. So, in order to eliminate the mere possibility, he (reluctantly) put on pants, although he supposed the weather and prior swim provided enough reason to go shirtless.

He looked over his shoulder when Karin called out, then returned to her side with two quick strides. After a tick of hesitation, he picked the larger, less round pebble and watched curiously as she hurled it into the ocean. Suddenly grinning, he took a few steps to gain momentum before throwing the pebble and echoed her words in Fratava. It was his language, after all, the trade pidgin of the sea and those who lived on it. Also, it seemed fitting to thank the Ocean Father in different ways that still meant the same.

Jay remained silent for another moment before he turned around with a lopsided grin. “Now we make the fire, aye? Get some firewood?” Provided Karin agreed, he’d bustle about and pick up various pieces of driftwood lying around the upper portion of the beach. He took care they were reasonably dry and kept an eye on Karin in case she didn’t know which ones were suited for a campfire. She hadn’t mentioned anything before, so if she was clueless, it wouldn’t bother him in the least.

After collecting enough wood, they returned to their supplies and Jay began building the fire. In fact they discovered an abandoned pit nearby, so Jay only had to put the stones back into a neat circle and stack the wood they had gathered. First the big logs, then the smaller twigs. He wasn’t sure if they were supposed to talk while working. The swim and little nod to Laviku had planted a silence into his heart that was hard to shake.

Closed [The Patchwork Port] What Luck! (Jay Darkcrest)