The Song of the Siren (Accepting :: OPEN)

[Lucky_Tiger]

I wanna be the very best

To catch them is my real test

Like no one ever was

To train them is my cause

Adrian sighed as she walked out. "Dammit! I almost had her!" He cursed then went back to his couch to sit and sulk. Shally came to comfort him and he pet the dog absently.

-------------

Allen sat on his porch outside the house, knitting of all things. It was a new piece so it was impossible to tell what it would be but he sat there, happily chatting away to Aria. She lay on the deck, barefoot again, a sketchpad before her. She smiled, listening to her grandfather chatting away about, what else, merfolk.

Clickies please? You know you want to click the adorable pokemon on my farm

 

[SilentShadowDreamer]

Tianara had taken quite a while to get there, even with her sense of direction working overtime. It was a long way, and she had been nervous about just showing up on their doorstep. Nevertheless, she made it - and paused while she looked at the homey scene in front of her.

She wanted that, one day, when she got older. She wanted to have family who would sit with her and talk, who could spend time on their own projects while still being together.

She wanted it so fiercely it made her heart ache a little. One day. One day.

But for now she had other troubles.

Stepping out onto the path, she smiled a little, tremblingly. Then she called to them. "Hi!" A part of her flinched away when she did it - some part of the trust she had begun to build in other people had been hurt by her revelation about Adrian. But she held on to what she had all the same.  

[Lucky_Tiger]

I wanna be the very best

To catch them is my real test

Like no one ever was

To train them is my cause

Allen and Aria both looked up from their work and smiled. Allen waved his knitting at her. "Little Tia!! Welcome! Come, come. Come join us. What brings you here this day?" He asked warmly, pleased to see her. Aria waved in greeting. She looked like she would have returned the girl's greeting verbally if her grandfather wasn't talking a mile a minute.

Clickies please? You know you want to click the adorable pokemon on my farm

 

[SilentShadowDreamer]

Tianara flinched at the nickname. Just barely. Just for a second. But she walked up to the two of them and sat down on the porch steps with her tired smile in place. "I just came to ask a question," she explained. "I...don't suppose that either of you would know how to reach the cove from somewhere besides the forest?"

She didn't phrase the question very well, but she figured they would understand. They knew that she lived at the cove right now. They knew more about her than anyone but the merfolk. And Joshua.

With a sigh, she settled herself more comfortably on the stairwell. "Something is out there," she explained quietly. "Something that I don't know if I can pass again. And I don't think I can wait for very long."

She had to get back. She didn't know how she knew it, but she had to get back.  

[Lucky_Tiger]

I wanna be the very best

To catch them is my real test

Like no one ever was

To train them is my cause

Allen snorted and shook his head playfully. "You lived with the merfolk and you never even thought of the sea route?" He smiled at her. "Child, it's a cove. It's connected by water. So long as you give the cliffs a wide enough berth, then you'll be fine. Oh, and the reef around the cove. But there's breaks in that. Easy enough to do." He explained, returning to his knitting as he spoke. "The water is actually the easiest way to reach any cove along this shore. Sometimes the only way." He did look mildly worried about what she was saying though, something in the forest. "Do you have any idea what's blocking the forest?"

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[SilentShadowDreamer]

Tianara frowned. She'd automatically written off the sea route, since there was the problem of boats and divers and those whaling ships that had been attacking the merfolk. But now that she thought about it...right. She looked human. Unless they called out to her and she answered them

(or unless they have something with magic something like the thing in the woods something that can sense me)

they would never know. "I guess I'd thought it wasn't so safe as it was," she admitted at last. "But I suppose that if I'm careful I might make it."

Suppose. Might. Not very encouraging words.

At Allen's question, she shook her head. "No. I didn't wait around when I felt it coming - it's different. It's nothing I've felt before. I don't really know what to think of it." Except that it was dangerous. And that it was why she had to get back.

Why she shouldn't have left.

"I need to get back to Joshua and make sure that he's all right," she said quietly. "He was at the cove when I left. And whatever it is, it's between me and the cove."  

[Lucky_Tiger]

I wanna be the very best

To catch them is my real test

Like no one ever was

To train them is my cause

Allen shook his head slowly. "More and more odd things cropping up lately." He mumbled to himself. "Aria?" The girl was already standing up, hunting down her shoes. "I know, I know. I'm going." She answered with a smile. She turned to Tianara and told her, "Come on. I'll take you in our boat. I know these cove areas almost as well as Joshua does. We'll be just fine." She said reassuringly, heading down the path towards the beach where a small motor boat was moored.

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[SilentShadowDreamer]

((OOC: Lazy Silent is uninspired. School is haaaaaaard. *whimper*))

Tianara got to her feet. But at the words, she wrinkled her nose a little. Boats were still not her favourite thing. But she had to get back to the cove, and they had to do it now. She couldn't wait for the thing in the forest to take its sweet time leaving - and it seemed to be content just...staying there.

"Okay," she replied hesitantly instead, following Aria down the path. She seemed a little unsure of herself, and that was fair enough - the girl didn't like boats, and who could blame her? But she would manage, because they had to get there.

Once they made it to the boat, she stared down at it. "That? Is that yours?" she squeaked. It was really small. About the same size as Joshua's, and his had freaked her right out.

But after a minute or two she shook her head. "Let's go."

They had to get back. They had to get back now. She couldn't wait.

And if Joshua went off about "I told you so," well, she had no problem shoving him into the water.  

[Lucky_Tiger]

I wanna be the very best

To catch them is my real test

Like no one ever was

To train them is my cause

((Poor Silent.....Have a cookie. Cookies make everything better. *hands cookie* ))

"We'll be perfectly safe." Aria reassured her, getting in. "We won't go close enough for the cliff rapids to get us. Besides, we're both good swimmers." She said with an easy shrug.

Once they were both in, Aria set the boat out to the ocean. She curved it in a gentle arc, skirting around the cliffs and heading towards Joshua's cove. She kept an eye on the cliffs, making sure to stay away from the base. Even from this distance they could see the turbulent waters that thrashed around the cliffs. She slowed as they approached the cove, knowing the reef barrier was somewhere there. She began hunting for the break in the reef. Finally she found it and headed through, to the shore. "See? No problem." She said brightly, cutting off the motor.

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[SilentShadowDreamer]

((OOC: *halfheartedly nibbles cookie* Four midterms. Ten days. D8 Halp.))

Tianara didn't mind the rapids, or the water, or anything else involved. The boat itself was the problem.

As soon as Aria cut the motor - despite the fact that they weren't actually at the shore yet - Tianara jumped out of the boat and waded to shore. "I'm supposed to pull it in, right?" she asked, guiding the little boat with one hand while she moved.

Assuming the answer, she continued to pull it until the tip of the boat hit the beach. "Thank you, Aria," she said quietly, then turned around to survey the shoreline.

Nothing.

Uncertainty warred with fear, and she looked towards the cabin. If something had happened, would Joshua have taken shelter in there?

She walked up towards it, half-forgetting Aria's presence behind her. Cautiously, she knocked on the door of the cabin. When there was no response, she risked it and - not knowing what she would see - opened the door a little.

"Joshua?"  

[Lucky_Tiger]

I wanna be the very best

To catch them is my real test

Like no one ever was

To train them is my cause

(( O.o *hugs* You poor thing.))

Aria nodded, jumping out once the boat was shallow enough for her. She pulled it up higher so it wouldn't float away, then followed Tianara up to the cabin. She wasn't sure she liked just how quiet the cove was. Joshua usually had something or other going on.

Joshua lay on the bed, asleep. He was curled into a tight ball, clutching at his head. "Nooo.....Go 'way...." He mumbled in his sleep, a pained expression on his face. Nightmares of the strange creature and it's alien thoughts plagued his restless sleep.

Clickies please? You know you want to click the adorable pokemon on my farm

 

[SilentShadowDreamer]

((OOC: Yeahhhhhh. *whine*))

Tianara inched into the room, closing the door softly behind her. If Aria wanted to come in, Tianara would probably not even notice - she had basically forgotten about her. She made her way slowly to the side of the bed and sat down beside him.

"Joshua," she called softly, taking his hands gently into hers. "Joshua."

Her leftover anger and fresh shame were still a hot, twisting ball in the gut, but his pain pushed it away. Whatever was going on, she had to do something to fix it.

"Joshua, wake up."  

[Lucky_Tiger]

I wanna be the very best

To catch them is my real test

Like no one ever was

To train them is my cause

Aria watched the two for a minute, then slowly left. She had a feeling like she was intruding on something. She headed back to the boat, pushing it into the water and leaving.

Joshua slowly calmed, the tortured expression leaving his face. He woke looking around blearily. Seeing Tianara, he jumped and sat up. "Tianara!" Guilt quickly covered his face. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pried into matters that weren't mine. You were right, I don't know exactly what you're looking for. I'm sorry." He apologized, hoping she wouldn't be too mad at him. He still needed her help and he didn't want to strain their relationship.

Clickies please? You know you want to click the adorable pokemon on my farm

 

[SilentShadowDreamer]

Now that he was awake, Tianara finally remembered Aria and looked around for her. She was gone. Tianara felt awful, but told herself she'd find her later to talk to her.

She was still holding onto his hands, but at his words she closed her eyes and looked away. "I should be sorry," she whispered. "I...went into the woods, and left you alone. I shouldn't have. I was supposed to stay with you. And it wasn't just for me." Her dark blue eyes were miserable. "But I went into the woods, and there was something there. So I had to run. I shouldn't have left you."

Still looking away, she seemed like she wanted to say more. But she didn't know how.

"I ran into him," she said. And then she was quiet for several minutes. "I was wrong."

That was all she had to say. She stopped talking for a long time. She didn't know what to tell him. There were tears in her eyes, but she was still looking away - unless he looked, he wouldn't be able to tell.  

[Lucky_Tiger]

I wanna be the very best

To catch them is my real test

Like no one ever was

To train them is my cause

Joshua blinked in surprise at her words. It took him a minute to realize what she meant. When he did, he sighed. "I'm sorry.....I didn't want you to find out like that....." He said softly, realizing she must have seen Adrian right at work. He hesitated, then pulled her into a hug briefly before moving back, as if afraid he was overstepping his bounds.

Changing the subject, he told her, "I tried to seek out whatever that thing in the forest was. Mentally, I mean. It was...." He shuddered. "Horrible. I can't even explain. It's just so unlike anything I've ever felt before. I felt like it was going to drive me mad if I listened to those thoughts for a moment longer." He said quietly. Whatever that thing had been, Joshua was not eager to tangle with it again.

Clickies please? You know you want to click the adorable pokemon on my farm