[PLOT] Turin and Kelebek

[Menelie]

Kelebek had noticed the party going on on the beach and washed herself ashore. She does her best and doesn't wretch as she watches her magnificent tail split into two legs. "Yech," she says.

There seemed to be a sort of commotion going on around the punch bowl. She looks into it and smells it. "That's an odd smell," she says to herself. Shrugging, she ladles herself a glass of the fruity drink and takes a little sip. It's delicious. It's sweet and smooth and it's warm as it goes down her throat. Her pink cheeks instantly flush to a deeper shade as she takes a longer sip. "Mmm..." she says happily. She starts walking toward a seat, but trips and spills her drink all over the sand. "Crayfish," she swears, and turns back to the large bowl to refill her glass. She wanted more, always more. She carefully, carefully walks over on these disgusting feet until she reaches the table.

Kelebek takes another deep drink of the punch and looks around for someone she knows. She wonders if any of her people would be here. Maybe the queen, even! Or some of her court, anyway.  

[Teigra]

Normally, the overly-serious bodyguard wouldn't have been seen anywhere except practically attached to the Queen, especially in a strange new land. However, even he couldn't defy a direct order.

Hard to believe the Queen had ordered him away...to 'have fun.'

...okay, maybe not that hard to believe for those who knew the Queen well. She wasn't always the most serious, not all the time...only when she needed to be. She'd assured her personal guard that she'd be alright for a while, especially with Lady Aeroniel at her side...but that did little to reassure Captain Turin. Not that he didn't trust Aeroniel...but it was his job to handle the physical safety of her Highness.

Still, to be at all accurate, while she could order him away, she couldn't order him to have fun. That's what he kept telling himself while he wandered about, sipping glass after glass of the odd sweet drink he'd heard being referred to as 'punch' by some of the other party-goers. He'd just have a couple more, then go off to find her Highness again. Maybe she'd be assured that his absence had involved enough 'having fun' for now. Maybe he could consider this little excursion as reconnaissance, yeah...

In heading for the punch bowl once more, Captain Turin nearly stumbled into a young lady. Curse these stupid awkward land legs! "Excuse me, miss, I meant no harm." He paused, blinking repeatedly as if in confusion. Or haze. Did he know this female? Was she familiar? He couldn't be sure exactly...  

[Menelie]

Kelebek eeps and falls on her rump in the sand. "Oh!" she exclaims, scrambling to stand up again. "Captain Turin! It's lovely to see you here!" she gushes. She refills her glass of punch and drinks half of it without breathing once. "You look so odd with those silly appendages," she says with a giggle. She lifts her own foot and wiggles the toes. "Then again, I suppose I must look odd as well...."

Oh gods, he's talking to me. He's actually talking to me! Wait, why is he talking to me? Nobody ever talks to me unless they don't know me already. But surely he recognizes me, I mean, the Queen knows everyone and he's practically attached at the hip to her.

Kelebek smiles her best pretty smile and bats her eyelashes at him.  

[Teigra]

Still blinking a bit, Turin automatically reached to help the female to her feet. She seemed a bit awkward and...wait, she'd just used his name, hadn't she? Did he know her? Wait, yeah, he thought so...but what was her name? Barnacles! Why was he so hazy?

Grasping for a fragment of a name, he hoped she wouldn't notice he couldn't quite place her at the moment. "Still, I apologize, er...Kel, isn't it?" It was something like that, right? Only longer maybe? "Well, at least we all look odd together, hmm?" He chuckled a bit, wondering momentarily why she kept smiling and blinking at him like that.

He refilled his glass, having lost count to how many he might have had at this point. The warm sensation rushing down his throat was pleasant and calming, and he'd nearly polished off another glass before speaking again.

"So, um...odd appendages aside, have you been enjoying the party?" Social pleasantries weren't Turin's strongest suit, not to mention he felt awkward without his spear at hand. Still, a party wasn't the best place to be carrying weapons about, especially when one was a guest. Instead, he fidgeted a bit with the cup in his hands, not so much nervous, but just needing something to do.  

[Menelie]

Kelebek grins ear-to-ear when he helps her up. He'd actually showed her some courtesy! "Oh yes, yes, I have been enjoying the party!" she gushes. "It's so much fun meeting new people, don't you think?"

So why was he acting so strangely? Well, it certainly isn't unwelcome behavior, thinks Kelebek, but definitely out of character for the captain of the guard. It must be the drink! It must be magic drink that makes folk more courteous and pleasant!

Eagerly Kelebek ladles herself another glass of punch and drinks deeply. Her pink skin flushes a deeper rosy shade. Belatedly she realizes she hadn't bothered to correct Turin's recollection of her name, but it was close enough, wasn't it? The shortened version sounds like a nickname to her. An endearing nickname...  

[Teigra]

"Yes, I suppose these land-dwellers aren't so bad..." Turin mused, finishing his glass. Was it the surface making him this thirsty? Maybe.

He waited his turn before getting more punch, taking a moment to watch Kel as she ladled up her own. Granted, he spent most of his time with his attentions on the Queen, however...when was the last time he'd stopped to even look at another female? He couldn't recall. Kel was far from bad looking, even here on the land and with those odd leg appendages...

It never occurred to him to realize this was not a normal train of thought. At least not for Turin. Nor were the continuing thoughts.

Kel's hair was such a beautiful color, much like reef coral, and yet, it looked so much softer. What would it feel like to run his fingers through it? He chuckled at the silent thoughts, still watching her. It was getting a little warm here and he started thinking that maybe a change of scenery might help.

"Hey, how about we grab a couple more glasses to take with us? Maybe continue this discussion down by the water?" It never occurred to Turin how forward his offer might sound. He was just thinking it might be cooler down by the water, more relaxing and easier for conversation. He was finding it easier and easier to keep talking. That...and Kel was growing more and more interesting to stare at.  

[Menelie]

Kelebek drains the rest of her glass before nodding eagerly. "It's so hot up here under the sun! We could sit in the surf so the water washes over us!" she suggests, bouncing on her toes for a short while before stopping as she almost knocks over the punch bowl. "And I should def...defiant..." She stops and wrinkles her nose. "Defiant-netly get away from this pretty glass bowl 'fore I tip it over!"

He was so beautiful. If she'd been familiar with a sunset on land she may have compared him to that, but as it was she could only compare him with the most brilliantly-colored fish she'd ever seen. She wanted to touch him, to trace the patterns on his skin with her fingertips, to have him run his hands through her hair and whisper into her ears. I think I'm falling in love... thinks Kelebek, putting a hand to her cheek.  

[Teigra]

Laughing, Turin steadied the bowl first, then reached out for Kelebek. Not that he was all that steady himself. "'S prob'ly a good idea," he chuckled, getting lazy in his speech. He looped an arm around Kel's waist and pointed toward the shoreline with his free hand. "To the surf!"

Snickering a bit, the captain turned to grab some glasses of punch to take with them, stumbling and staggering a bit in the sand on the way. Fortunately, most of the punch managed to stay in the glasses. "Stupid leg things..." he grumbled, frowning at the appendages momentarily. Obviously it was their fault that he seemed especially clumsy tonight. Stupid things were probably plotting against him all along. Some sort of...land-dweller island plot. Yeah.

So, with some difficulty, but succeeding in his great effort, Turin managed to reach the shoreline with most of the punch remaining in the two glasses he carried. He turned to smile at Kelebek, chuckling again. "Punch, soothing waves, and pleasant company. What more could ya' ask for?" Flashing her a bright smile once more, he set the drinks down before flopping down in the sand, seeming much more relaxed than he was earlier.

With such beautiful company, how could he not?  

[Menelie]

Kelebek snaps out of her thoughts. That grin gets her heart rate going something serious. She sits beside him, positioning herself so that the water will wash over her up to her waist. She digs two holes for her two cups in the wet sand.

His touch on her waist had set her heart on fire. She takes a sip from the first glass and sets the second in her makeshift cupholder. The surf rolls back in, and turns their legs back into their tails. "Ohh," she murmurs softly. "That's so much better-er, don't you think?" She leans back on her hands and looks over at him. "You have such a loverly tail," she says, grinning like an absolute idiot.  

[Teigra]

Kicking his feet in the water until they transformed back into his tail, Turin watched the process as if entranced, rather than disgusted or disturbed as usual. Shapeshifting...without conscious thought. Magic. It could only be magic.

Wait...what was that? He blinked, looking over at Kel distractedly. "Yep, much better-er," he nodded in agreement. He rolled his eyes good-naturedly at her compliment, shaking his head before leaning over and resting against her shoulder. "Me? Nah, not really. Plus, I like yours more. 'S priddy..."

He stared at the entrancing pink and white scales for a moment, launching into another thought. "I dun like mine. 'S too bright. Too shiny. What kinda' guy is all...pink and bright and glowy? 'S...not cool. Not cool at all." He pouted childishly, his head still resting on Kel's shoulder. "Couldn't be a hunter, e'en if I was good with a spear. Couldn't sneak up on stuffs. Lucky the Queen neededed a guard guy. She's nice."

He looked up at Kel, grinning. "Ur nice too." With that, he leaned up and kissed her cheek.  

[Menelie]

Kelebek thinks she might faint when he kissed her. "Oh...!" Her head is swimming with the drink and the affection. Nobody had ever told her she was nice, or pretty. Most of her people seemed disgusted with her. Water creatures were all graceful, but not Kelebek. Somehow she manages to be clumsy and muck up almost everything she does.

"You're nice too, Turin," she says, leaning her head on top of his. "And it doesn't matter that you can't hunt because of your colors. I like you just the way you are."  

[Teigra]

"Tha's niiiice..." Turin slurred, grinning like a fool as he looped his arms around Kelebek's waist affectionately. She smelled nice. Like the sea...and punch. It was intoxicating.

Or maybe that was just the punch itself.

Either way, Turin was feeling quite warm, happy, and relaxed at the moment. And Kel was pretty. And nice. He liked being here with her. No worries about anything else for the moment, just conversation and company. He smiled, nuzzling against her neck. "I like you toooo, Kel." He laughed after a moment. "I like you and you like me. Eberybody's happy!" He was resting more and more of his weight on her as they kept getting closer.  

[Menelie]

Kelebek giggles at the contact. "Ooh, that tickles!" she exclaims. This is the best evening of her life. She can't believe that Captain Turin is being so nice to her! "Ebreybody's happy!" she repeats enthusiastically, laughing.

His weight against her feels nice. She feels wanted. Needed, even. These are sort of unfamiliar feelings to her--at least very distantly remembered. She can't recall the last time someone paid her compliments like this, or hugged her, or put their nose in her hair. Kelebek sighs happily, watching the surf break over their tails.

"Want to go for a swim?" she asks suddenly.  

[Teigra]

Swim? In the water? Water felt nice. Like Kel's hair.

"Uh huh," Turin nodded, his head still resting against her shoulder. "I like swimming," he droned, barely listening to himself anymore. He just wanted to get Kel to talk more so he could listen. She was the most fascinating, beautiful lady...

A wave washed up further than the rest, breaking over the two of them as the Captain flexed his arms to hug Kelebek tightly for a moment. "Come on, beaut'ful, let's go!" Laughing, he attempted to pull her into the wave as it receded back to the sea.  

[Menelie]

Kelebek laughs merrily as he wraps his arms around her. The Captain's strong arms and the pull of the water lead her back into the sea, almost like magnets she's inexplicably drawn to. The water feels good against her skin, which had been getting hot and dried out. She hadn't really noticed until now.

"Ooh, it feels so good to be back in the sea!" she exclaims. She tugs on his hand to pull him away from the shore, and does a few loops and twists. She imagines herself being graceful and arched, but since she's Kelebek, and also intoxicated, it rather looks like writhing. But maybe still pretty. Maybe. The one truly beautiful thing about her is her hair. Coral-colored hair that shimmers in the water as the currents pull it lazily around her.

Kelebek allows herself to drift closer to Turin, without letting go of his hand, until she bumps into his chest. She smiles and drapes her arms over his shoulders, holding him close.