The Song of the Siren (Accepting :: OPEN)

[Drunken_Ninja08]

Joey finally gained control and stopped laughing, though a big grin remained on his face. "Really. It was pretty funny, I have to admit." He shrugged.  

[Lucky_Tiger]

Joshua gave Katalina a huge grin. "It was awesome." He glanced up at Liwa. "Well, I wasn't sure of what your ate. I figured it was safer that way. Sometimes, I don't want to know what others eat." He reached out and took the feather from the mermaid. "Thanks."

 

[SilentShadowDreamer]

Katalina smiled up at Liwa and listened to her silently for a moment or two, then nodded. "Thanks so much," she told the griffin. "I sure will. And I'll tell her."

"I see," Liwa told Joshua once Katalina stopped speaking. "Well, I need to return to my fledglings. Please return when you wish to." Her wings opened and she flew up towards the nest.

Katalina turned to Joshua once Liwa was gone. "I'm glad you liked it," she said with a grin. "I thought you two might get along. Are you ready for the next one, or do you want to rest for a while before we go?"  

[Lucky_Tiger]

Joshua watched Liwa fly back up to her nest. He only stopped watching when the griffin disappeared from his sight. He looked back at Katalina. "I've love to go on." He paused for a second. "Though, I need somewhere to store the feathers." 'It'll certainly be interesting to see if they work like the myth says they should.'

 

[SilentShadowDreamer]

Katalina frowned. "Don't you have one of those...pouches? Those wet-suit pouches? I've seen divers with them," she explained. "I would have thought you would have one." If he didn't, maybe they could just leave the feathers here and pick them up on the way back.

"I think we've got time for one more visit today," she said. "I don't know if this one will be quite as...exciting for you." She looked a little embarrassed and a little shy. "It'll be exciting for me, though. It's been a while."  

[Madness Delivers]

Aoife grinned sheepishly. "Well, I didn't say I 'looked' strong." She offered herself a reprieve.  

[Lucky_Tiger]

Joshua just stared at Katalina for a moment. "Wow. I can be so dumb at times." He shook his head and twisted the belt around his waist. Attached to the spot that should have sat against his back was a pouch for carrying treasures that a diver might find. 'Though I don't think they quite meant this kind of treasure.' He chuckled quietly to himself. Some of the feathers were too long to fit in nicely and had to be bent. Joshua worried for a moment about how that would affect them, but unlike normal bird feathers, these ones didn't seem to crack or break in the slightest. They just folded the way he forced them to.

When all the feathers were safely stored, the diver twisted his belt back to the way it should be. The pouch settled snugly against the small of his back as he looked back to Katalina. He wondered why she all of a sudden looked almost shy. "Where are we going now?" Joshua asked. Her behavior had peaked his curiosity. He wondered what in the world the next being would be.

 

[SilentShadowDreamer]

"This way," said Katalina, still looking a little uncomfortable as she watched Joshua put the feathers away. It was interesting that none of them seemed to break - maybe it was the feathers, or maybe Joshua was just good at handling them. "It's not far." She struck off, going northeast.

After a couple of hours of seemingly interminable swimming, the question would have raised in anyone's mind what, exactly, Katalina considered far. Just then, she slowed and announced, "Here we are."

It was another cavern, much like the ones they had gone to when they'd seen the undines and the Sirens. Katalina glanced back at Joshua and said softly, "I know you had questions you wanted to ask mermaids. Stuff I couldn't tell you, because I'm not normal. I thought you might...well. Come in." That said, she went into the cavern, pausing only once to gesture to him to follow.  

[Drunken_Ninja08]

Joey laughed. "True, true." He floated next to her and looked at the sky.  

[Lucky_Tiger]

Joshua's eyes lit up as the pieces fell into place. "We're going to see some of the other merfolk?" He asked, trying to confirm his thoughts. He followed Katalina as she swam into the cavern. Keeping his eyes open, Joshua took in all around him. He was excited to meet more of Katalina's kin. 'Well, the other side of her family at least.' The sirens could stay back at their own cave.

 

[SilentShadowDreamer]

"Yes," replied Katalina. "The rest of my family."

"Katalina?" The voice was sweet and ringing, like a bell. Katalina stiffened slightly and looked back at Joshua. My mother, her telepathic voice whispered in his ear. The Siren that relates me to Narcis and Riiya.

"Yes, Mother," she called back. "It's me."

A soft rippling and splashing announced the approach of Katalina's mother, before she came into the dim light given by the cavern mouth. She was beautiful, as befit a mercreature, and strongly resembled her daughter. "I'm so glad to see you," she murmured, coming forward and smiling, revealing the same sharp silver teeth as the Sirens they'd seen earlier. "Narcis told me you came by to visit him earlier. Have you come to your senses? Are you ready to take your place in the clan now?"

Katalina looked away. "Mother, not right now, please," she said, a little flushed. "I've brought a friend of mine to meet the clan. That's all."

The Siren - Katalina's mother - sighed. "I should have known it was too much to hope for. Well, where is your friend, then?"

Katalina turned and gestured to Joshua. Come say hi, if you want. She's not as bad as the others, she thought to him.  

[Lucky_Tiger]

Joshua looked slightly wary as he came up beside Katalina. The other sirens had instilled a wariness of their race. He wasn't one to judge the entire race by a few examples though. 'I mean, look at human and the diversity there. Though I wonder what she meant about "place in the clan"? What is Katalina's place?' Joshua tucked the thought away for later. She obviously didn't want to talk about it right now. He gave Katalina's mother a smile. "Hello. I'm Joshua."

 

[Madness Delivers]

Strangely, she laid on the water, propping her elbows on the water, but remaining afloat. "What are you thinking about?" Aoife said. Her curiousity piqued.  

[Drunken_Ninja08]

Joey shrugged. "Nothing, really. I am jut letting my mind wander, go where it wants, think what it wants." He looked at her. "How the heck?" He blinked.  

[SilentShadowDreamer]

The woman looked at him for a few seconds, then looked at Katalina. "This would be the boy Narcis was speaking of?" she asked, sounding mildly interested but not really of any strong opinion.

"Yes," said Katalina quickly. She looked at Joshua, then back to her mother. "Mother, would...?"

"Oh, of course. Forgive me. Hello, Joshua," said the Siren, inclining her head graciously. "I am Aura. The rest of the clan is farther within the cavern. Please come join us. Katalina, darling, your father will undoubtedly wish to speak to you."

Katalina gave her mother a pleading look, then glanced at Joshua as her mother began to return to the main cavern. "Well, come on, then," she said. "They'll all be waiting for us now."