[PLOT] Taking It Slow (Anatolio, Caymus)[FIN]

[Menelie]

Mene

It was Toli's day off, and he'd decided to check in on Caymus. He stopped by the market for some fresh squid to share, along with a bladder of some kind of interesting surface drink. Wine, perhaps. He'd slung the net bag and the bladder over his shoulder and swam to where Caymus had been staying, last he'd seen of her. It was a quiet part of the Lake. He hoped she'd been settling in well. Truly, she had captivated his attention and he couldn't wait to see her again.

"Caymus?" he called at the entrance to the cave she'd chosen. "Are you around? It's Toli..."

Wolf

Caymus had spent a good deal of time trying to get adjusted to life in the lake. She had learned plenty of new things, although she wasn't quite ready to fully integrate with the naiad. Her desire for community was there, but she hadn't quite gathered up enough nerves.

It was still early enough in the day that Caymus was weighing her options for the day when Toli stopped by. She had considered if she might want to attempt to find a secluded space on the surface to sunbathe, or if she might want to go for a hunt again, get some exercise. Her choices were the complete opposites of each other.

At the sound of her name, which so very few knew just yet, Caymus lifted her head. She was certain she knew who it was, she had wondered if the naiad hunter would stop by again. That gave her a different option for her day. Caymus found herself thoughtlessly running her fingers through her hair, neatening it out before responding, "Hey Toli!" She called out as she swam into his view.

Mene

Gods and little fishes, she's even prettier than I remember. Toli turned just a little pink and gave a little wave. "Caymus!" he exclaimed, pleased that she'd heard him and come to meet him. "I, er, I hope you're not busy," he said. "I brought lunch, I hoped we could share it together." He held up the net bag with the squid.

Toli had been fighting with his natural inclination to get way too attached way too fast, and it had burned him in his last two relationships. He wasn't even sure he wanted to make something like that with Caymus, but it was in his nature to just dive in head-first with no mind to consequences or future heartbreak. So for this--whatever it might turn out to be--he was determined to be slow and methodical.

Wolf

With a smile Caymus responded about being busy, "Oh, not exactly." Her eyes widened as he held up the bag, "Well, you sure have figured out the way to my heart." She said with a quiet laugh.

"Lunch sounds great, uhm.. do you want to stay here?" She motioned to the dimly lit cave, the atmosphere might seem intimate or it could feel as cold and dark as the rocks. "Or somewhere brighter?"

Mene

Toli's heart did a little flip-flop. Well, he was for sure tucking that piece of information away. He grinned a boyish smile and nodded. "We could go inside, if you wanted." Don't want any passing fish to try to snipe any of their meal. He felt privileged, somehow, that she'd invite him into her home--new though it was. She felt like a very private naiad, so seeing a little piece of her like this seemed like an honor.

Wolf

"Ok, sure," Caymus agreed, motioning for him to follow before she flipped around to go back in the cave. It was mostly a place for her to sleep and eat, as most of her free time was spent sun-bathing or swimming, so the place was somewhat bare. Thankfully she was a tidy Selkie, so there wasn't fish bones littered all over the place. The cave was dimly lit by some colorful bioluminescent plants. She lead Toli over to the center of the space where the thick bed of kelp she had created was.

"It's good to see you again." She said happily, although she felt some amount of shyness from saying so out loud. Caymus sat herself on one end of the kelp bed.

 

[Menelie]

Mene

Toli smiled and curled his tail under him, sitting on the other end of the bed. "Thank you," he said warmly. "It's good to see you again as well. How have you been settling in?" he asked as he began to arrange their meal, careful not to get any on the bed itself.

Wolf

Caymus smiled, "Oh, I haven't been in too much of a rush to settle in," she admitted. "But the lake is growing on me and I do seem to be settling in." There was some downsides here, she didn't really feel as strong in the lake, but she did enjoy the peace of it, which seemed like a fair trade off. "It's really peaceful here. I haven't made any return trips to the palace yet though."

Mene

Toli shrugged casually as he handed her a "plate" (which was really just a stiffened piece of kelp) which was loaded with fresh squid. He'd given her the tastiest parts. "The palace'll be there," he said offhandedly. "Is there anything else you'd like to explore? Or is there anything I can help with to...help?" He chuckled with a little blush and ran a hand through his hair. She had him a bit off his game, that was for sure. If he had any game to start with.

Wolf

"Oh, right," Caymus chuckled quietly in response to the palace still being there. She so strongly connected the naiad to that palace. "Wow this looks delicious," she grinned accepting the 'plate' from Toli.

Caymus stopped to gaze at Toli thoughtfully as he asked if there was anything else she needed help with. "Hm, I've actually been curious about the surface..." She hoped that didn't sound too odd to him, the naiad were able to develop legs themselves afterall. "Do you know much about the land around the lake?"

Mene

Toli's face darkened for only a moment before he nodded with a smile. "I don't know much about all the land around the lake, but I know there's a little coastal town, Sunrise Terrace, on the northeastern shore that's friendly to naiad." He contemplated how much to mention about his connection to said village. Somehow oh yeah, my ex lives there and my son is the mayor seemed like rather a lot of information, and besides, did Trager even count as an ex? "I could take you there sometime, if you like," he offered before he could stop himself. That's a terrible idea, Toli, what are you thinking?

Wolf

Caymus was too busy taking a bite of her squid to notice Toli's face change at the mention of land. Friendly to naiad though, that was a curious thing, but she was no true naiad, and any land pae would see through that facade. She wondered how her kind would be received there.

"Oh... A town sounds busy," she said thoughtfully, "I was wondering if you knew of any locations that might be more... Secluded... I like things quiet, you probably know by now," she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

 

[Menelie]

Mene

Whew. Dodged that one.

"True," agreed Toli, tapping his chin. "I've never been too far from the Lake, but the beaches are pretty big. I bet if you wanted to go beachcombing or something you wouldn't be disturbed. And beyond the beach on the south side of the Lake there's like...some forest, I think? So if you wanted to explore that I'd start there."

Wolf

"Oh no, I don't think I would want to go to the forest," she shook her head. "But that is helpful to know." She took another bite of squid, the flavor melted into her mouth. "Wow, this is perfect," she sighed.

"Do you go to the town often?" She asked him.

Mene

Toli, who was munching on his squid, nodded in acknowledgement of the question, then shook his head. "Not really," he said. "I don't go to the surface often anymore. There's just, uh, not much up there for me, y'know?" Although he did make a mental note to visit Dysmas soon.

Wolf

Anymore. Which means that at one time he had gone up more often. Caymus latched onto that word and took it to mean that it wasn't unusual to spend more time on the surface. Her questions weren't too out of place.

"Oh yes, I understand. Our life is down here. The sun and sand just feel so warm and cozy sometimes." She smiled thoughtfully. "Have you run into anything interesting on your hunts lately?" She asked, "More naiad turning into sea creatures?" She joked with a quiet chuckle.

Mene

Thankful and relieved that Caymus had changed the subject, Toli laughed and shook his head. "I'm not sure I'll ever encounter anything as interesting as you again," he said. He gave a little smile. Was he flirting? Absolutely. "But you never know. It's a big lake. Maybe my next route I'll run into a shark!" He chuckled.

Wolf

It was possible for Caymus' cheeks to become pinker than they already were. He thought she was interesting. She wasn't quite sure how to take that at first, if interesting meant that she was too different from a naiad, but his smile said it was a good thing. She couldn't help but wonder if he had ulterior motives in his friendship, but she was intrigued by the idea of a naiad. The thoughts was interrupted by talk of sharks.

"A shark?!" She exclaimed, "No, no, I came to the lake to get away from those pesky sharks." Caymus was curious what might happen if she subtly pressed more, "I don't have to worry about you getting yourself eaten, right?"

 

[Menelie]

Mene

Toli laughed and made a waving motion with his hand. "No, no," he said. "You don't have to worry about me," he said, feeling butterflyfish in his belly. She was concerned about him? "We naiad are the biggest thing that lives in the Lake anyway," he joked. "And I have no real desire to explore the open ocean."

Wolf

"I am relieved," Caymus responded with a soft smile. She finished up the last few bites of her squid before she said more. "Well this is the second time that you have fed me, I suppose one of these days I should bring you some shellfish."

Mene

Toli got a bit pink and ran a hand through his hair. "If you like," he said with a smile. "I do like shellfish," he admitted. "But it's no trouble, and always worth it to share a meal with a friend."

Wolf

"I would like." Caymus responded. "Like you said, it is worth it to share a meal with a friend," she echoed his words back to him with a grin. "And next time it's my turn."

After that was settled, Caymus remembered that Toli had something else with him when he arrived. Her eyes darted around trying to find whatever it was, landing on the drink bladder. "What's that you have?" Caymus asked curiously, never seeing anything like it before.

Mene

"Then I look forward to it," said Toli warmly. He let his gaze become soft, almost dreamlike, until she asked him another question. "Ah! Yes," he said, straightening and reaching for the bladder. "It's some kind of surface drink. Wine, I believe? I usually don't bother with it but I thought it might be new to you. It's a bit of fun, it has sort of a warm sensation when you drink it." He demonstrated how to take the top off and drink, then replace the top, then handed it over for her to try.

Wolf

A surface drink? Caymus eyed Toli and the drink curiously, it seemed that maybe he visited the surface more than he let on. Although it was entirely possible that these sorts of things were carried at that market they had been too, she had been too overwhelmed that day to make sense of most of the things she had seen that day.

Slowly she reached for the drink and imitated Toli, taking a brief sip to taste it. The fruity flavors of the surface were unfamiliar to her, and she was intrigued by the sweetness of it, and yet somehow it was bitter at the same time. Like spicy grapes. There was the warmth that Toli had talked about which was quite a contest to the cold water that surrounded them. She liked that, it almost felt like laying in the sun. "I guess the surface pae are good for some things," she remarked as she took another sip.

 

[Menelie]

Mene

Toli laughed and nodded. "Right?" he agreed. "I'm not sure about how they make it, exactly, but I think it's made from a particular fruit." He reached for the bladder once she handed it back to him and took a deep sip himself. "But it is quite pleasant. It's lucky we can get it in the market here instead of having to go all the way up for it," he remarked.

"D'you fancy a swim?" he asked after a few moments. He'd promised himself he'd go slowly, but the wine had him feeling in a romantic sort of way.

Wolf

"Oh, they carry it in the market? That's fortunate." Well that answered that question. She was going to have to investigate the market again on her own time one of these days.

"Sure, we could go for a swim, it was one of the things I was considering before you stopped by." It was strange to Caymus how she could still feel the warmth of the drink even though it had been a moment since she had her last sip, "Oh, just don't forget your fancy surface drink. What did you call it? Whine?" The land pae clearly needed help naming things.

Mene

"Wine," agreed Toli, taking the bladder and slinging the strap over his shoulder. Perhaps they'd finish it off at a scenic location on their swim. He made a mental route of where they could go, pretty sights to see, places that would be more secluded and quiet, as he knew Caymus preferred. He headed for the entrance to her cave, then offered her an arm with a boyish smile. "Shall we?"

Wolf

Caymus noticed the way that he offered his arm, just like last time. That seemed to be a thing with him, and she wondered if it was a thing for most naiad. Toli sure had a cute smile though. She took his arm and nodded her head, swimming side by side with him. "Mmm, I didn't realize how much time has already passed," she mused as they exited the cave and she noticed the natural light. Toli seemed to have magically slowed down time while they were together.

Mene

Toli put his free hand over hers, resting on his arm. "Those glowy plants'll do that," he joked gently, chuckling. "But we don't have to be out long, if you're wanting to be back before dark." He began to swim them toward the delta where the sea came into the lake. The mixing of the waters created an interesting effect that he thought she would enjoy. It was almost like looking through glass.

Wolf

She laughed at his joke about the glowing plants, "Oh no, I don't have anywhere I need to be," Caymus responded, in no rush to part ways. She enjoyed being in the company of another, it wasn't really that she enjoyed seclusion, it just kept her safe. As she felt Toli's hand on hers, she had to wonder if this was something more than companionship, and were they her feelings or his?

She pulled away from her thoughts, trying to focus on enjoying the swim, letting him lead. "You seem to know where you're taking me," she mused thoughtfully. Caymus realized that she hadn't felt suspicious about that at all. How odd it was for her to just let him lead her somewhere unknown to her. It was strange to her how quickly she trusted him.

 

[Menelie]

Mene

"Mhm," agreed Toli. "Just a few little quiet spots you might not have seen yet," he said. "This first one's a bit of a boring swim until we get there, though," he said apologetically. After a few moments' pause, he began again. "I....I'd like to get to know each other better, if you'll allow," he said, turning slightly pink again. He was enjoying their companionship, but having her tucked beside him like this....he was beginning to feel that electric feeling of attraction. Which he was doing his best to ignore. Slowly, slowly, he reminded himself. "Do you have any family?" he asked, trying what he presumed to be a safe question.

Wolf

Caymus nodded her head along as he spoke and then she froze (although somehow managed to keep swimming) as he talked about getting to know each other better. She kept her eyes straight ahead of her. She thought that getting to know each other was what they had been doing... She was reminded of her earlier thoughts. Oh.

Caymus grew pinker as well, and the warmth she felt, was that still the wine drink at this point? Yet, somehow she wanted to trust him, but at the same time she needed to be protective of her secret. It didn't seem possible she would ever be at the point of sharing that with him. "A kind of family," Caymus answered, thinking of her pod, "But the sea is a brutal place..." she said sadly "Some left to come here, before me. I haven't found any of them yet though." That wasn't so bad, she thought to herself. She could get to know him more. "You mentioned a father before?"

Mene

Toli nodded along as she spoke. He didn't press her for details, those would come if she wanted them to. He scratched the back of his neck, though, when she asked about his family. He should have figured she'd politely turn the question back to him. "I, uh, yeah," he started awkwardly. "I have a large family. It's kind of complicated. My parents aren't together anymore. Well, they never were, I guess. But that's the way it is sometimes, y'know?" Not like Naiads were real big on commitment. "So I have a brother and a sister, and then several half-siblings since both my parents are with someone else now." He laughed nervously. "My father is...." he hesitated a moment, not really wanting to go into the whole Queen's Consort thing. "He's a high-ranking Queensguard, he protects Queen Tariel from harm. And my mother...." Again, how to explain that she was Royal Governess for the princesses, who were currently still kidnapped. "She takes care of family." It wasn't that he was ashamed of his family, not at all, but their situation was so complex, and Caymus was still new to the Lake, he didn't want to overwhelm her. "I don't see them as often as I ought to," he continued thoughtfully.

Wolf

Caymus couldn't help but giggle a little as he seemed completely unprepared for her to ask the very same question. It sounded like he had enough family to have his own pod. Her eyes widened that his father was so high-ranking. "Wow, I had no idea you were so important," she said earnestly, and then realizing that it sounded kind of funny she corrected herself. "Not that you weren't important before." No, that wasn't any better, it was no use.

His family was kind of like a pod, and yet he didn't see them very often. It was odd to Caymus that someone wouldn't spend all their time with their family, but she supposed with duties like the naiad had, that just wasn't a possibility.

Mene

Toli made a bit of a face and shook his head, waving one hand dismissively. "Me? Nah," he said. "I'm nobody. I'm just me. Not to worry." He patted her hand reassuringly. It was flattering that she thought he was important, but that couldn't be further from the truth. It did make him wonder, though, if his parents were just...regular naiad? If all this wouldn't be so complicated.

Eager to move on from the topic of his parents and their relationships, he shared something else he'd been hesitant to. "I, uh, that's not all my family, though," he added. "I have two sons--they're grown and gone now, with families of their own."

Wolf

Caymus turned to Toli to give him an inquiring look. Him, nobody? She hardly believed that, it was always the ones who were somebody that tried to make that claim. She would remember that later.

"Oh, two sons, that's neat, your family really is quite large," she responded to the news that he had two GROWN sons. Caymus was trying to make it sound like it wasn't a big deal. Inside she didn't know what to make of it. Was their mother nobody too? Why did that even matter to her? Two grown sons. That was a long time ago. Caymus tried to find something else to say to take her own edge off. "Families of their own, you must be so proud of them."

 

[Menelie]

Mene

"Very proud," agreed Toli. "They've really made a place for themselves. Dysmas lives in Sunrise Terrace--I was telling you about the village--with a girlfriend, and Anxo runs a trading route between here and there. He lives here in the lake, though, with his partner and their daughters." Who were also grown. Suddenly he missed them all very much, and felt very guilty for not visiting more and made a vow to do so soon--within a moon phase.

"Ah--here we are," he said after a moment, gesturing to the space around them. "It's not the most picturesque, but the way the waters combine here has always fascinated me," he explained.

Wolf

"Wow, your son lives in the land village," Caymus said thoughtfully, imagining a naiad that spent most of his time out of the water. It made sense how Toli knew the village was friendly to the naiad now.

When they stopped, Caymus took a breath of water, trying to clear away questions about his sons' mother. It wasn't unusual for naiad to have multiple mates, and why did that even matter to her?! He was a naiad. "It is very fascinating," she agreed. "You can feel cold spots from the sea water," she laughed.

Mene

"Isn't it fun?" Toli asked. They swam around together for a while, then paused to sit and chat again. Toli found a slightly elevated, flat rock, and offered for Caymus to take it while he sat on the lakebed. He pulled out the wine bladder again and took a sip, then offered it to her. He felt like he should ask her another get-to-know-you question, but she'd turned the last one back on him, so he'd choose more carefully this time. "So what do you like to do for fun?" he inquired.

Wolf

In some ways it felt hard to be so close to the sea, it was where she most felt like she belonged, and she missed that, but she wasn't sure that feeling was enough to make her want to go back. She sat on the rock and then noticed Toli didn't sit on it too, "There's enough room for both of us," she offered him as she accepted the wine. Caymus patter the rock next to her and then took another sip.

"Oh, I feel like this is going to sound really lame..." She winced at his question. "My idea of fun." She paused because she didn't want to say it out loud, "is laying out on the surface on a warm day," she knew she had already mentioned that to him when she had asked about the surface, but she wasn't sure he actually realized she considered that to be fun. "Although occasionally a good chase is nice too." It sounded so simple. "I know you have parties and music and dancing... You must think I'm boring now."

Mene

Toli accepted her invitation to sit with her with a little shrug and a smile. He moved up next to her, and it was perhaps a tighter fit than either of them had anticipated, which made for Toli sitting very close to her. He put one hand behind her on the rock, so they weren't quite so shoulder-to-shoulder, but now it almost felt like he had an arm around her. He blushed but tried to be cool.

"There's nothing wrong with having quiet hobbies," he said. He'd never been sunbathing before but perhaps he would give it a try for her. "I do enjoy parties and music and dancing. But it seems like a long time since we have had one...so I'm open to other experiences." He smiled.

Wolf

Caymus had been right, there was enough room for both of them. She just hadn't accounted for how much of a squeeze it would be. She was painfully aware of every space of her that touched Toli, increasingly so after a few more sips of wine. She was enjoying it though, whatever in the waters that meant. It took every inch of her restraint to not melt into him like she wanted to, but it didn't seem appropriate.

Caymus wondered why it had been a long time since the naiad had any parties, but she decided not to ask. "Well you will have to come with me sometime," she said impulsively, not thinking about the implications that might have when she didn't sprout legs upon exiting the water like he did. "So without parties... What is it you like to do?"

 

[Menelie]

Mene

Toli couldn't help imagining what she'd look like in the sunshine, her scales sparkling with the light. "I'd like that," he said dreamily, then cleared his throat and took another drink of wine.

"I, uh, I like exploring the market. Always something interesting there, and naiad of all colors and types. I guess I could say naiad-watching is a hobby as well," he said with a chuckle. "Been experimenting with cooking," he added. He hadn't done much of that since he and Lala had ended things. He flushed pink and pushed that thought away. "Do you like to read?" He asked, turning the conversation back toward her. He took another drink and breathed deeply, trying (and failing) not to notice how close she was. How easy it would be to put his arm around her.

Wolf

Caymus raised her eyebrows, she could easily convince herself that his naiad-watching hobby was how they met, although she had been in seal form. He liked to watch naiad of all kinds and types, she wondered how he would take it if he were to ever find out she was a different type altogether. Not that he would ever find out, if she could help it.

"Oh, cooking?" She asked curiously, there Toli went speaking her love language again. "Mmm, I can't say there's a whole lot of reading material where I come from, is it a popular activity here?" Caymus asked, she wondered what sort of things the naiad might read about and if any of it would interest her if she were to try it.

The warmth of the drink was starting to make her cheeks feel extra flushed, making Caymus feel sleepy. She also found herself wanting to cuddle, more so than they already were, she was unaware that this might be an effect of the surface drink. She rested her head against Toli as if it wasn't any big deal at all.

Mene

Toli was slightly startled by her gesture, but he tried not to let it show. Was she that comfortable around him? It warmed his heart and he moved his arm just slightly to be more supportive. "I thought that might be the case," he said of the reading material. "It's not really my thing, I have trouble sitting still long enough, but I know one of the archivists--extended family member--and would be more than happy to take you to the library if you wanted to explore."

Toli's own experience with the surface drink was limited, but he was noticing how he was feeling sort of fuzzy around the edges. Not impaired or otherwise, just...pleasantly warm.

Wolf

Caymus let out a giggle as he mentioned the archivist being a family member. It was funny to her how big his family was and of course the archivist was family. "You must be related to half the palace," she teased. "You're not about to tell me the Queen is your cousin, are you?"

It was also amusing to her that Toli had trouble sitting still, she wasn't sure why she found that amusing, everything felt a little amusing right now, "You could show me the library if you wanted..." She could at least see what it was about.

Mene

Toli made a snort of laughter. If only she knew how close that was to being accurate. "No, certainly not," he said, running a hand through his hair. "But one of my son's daughters is a lady-in-waiting to the Queen." He shrugged playfully.

His expression mellowed and he smiled. "I'd love to. My next day off, for certain. I'll even try to read something myself." He'd do just about anything to keep seeing her.

Wolf

Caymus smiled. She was certain that next time she met a naiad she would ask if they were a relative of Toli's. "You're actually going to sit still and read?" Caymus asked, surprised. She thought about how much he was sitting still just now and lifted her head up off of him. "Oh, this must be driving you crazy." She didn't suppose he would like sunbathing very much either.

 

[Menelie]

Mene

"Well sure," responded Toli with a chuckle. "I'll need something to talk with you about after, of course."

He almost made a protesting sound when she picked her head up. "I mean I can sit still," he said. "It's just not my default, y'know? But I'm always open to new things, expanding my horizons, learning new stuff, right?" He smiled. "But if you like, we can get moving again."

Wolf

The selkie laughed back, "Oh I'm sure you could figure out something without having to read something," She watched Toli with a tilted head as he spoke about trying new things, she thought it might be one of the things that made him so appealing to her. "Right." She agreed. "Okay, just one more sip of the wine, it was a good choice," she had grown accustomed to the taste. After she got her final sip, she slowly extracted herself from Toli's side and the rock. "On second thought," Caymus said, sinking back down, "maybe we can stay here a little while longer... Unless you have somewhere else to be?"

Mene

Waters help him, he was falling hard for her. "Nothing could steal me away from you," he said, with perhaps more emotion than he would have liked, but it turned out that genuineness was in his nature, and he couldn't help it.

Wolf

Caymus froze, unsure if he had meant that the way it had sounded. Heat rose to her cheeks. Caymus considered that maybe that should be her last sip of the wine as she was now feeling a little too warm. She also hoped the current shifted some of that cool sea water over to them soon. She chewed on her lip thoughtfully, before allowing herself to melt back into the rock and naturally, Toli. "Good," she said simply, a tiny smile on her face.

Mene

Toli smiled warmly, putting his arm tentatively around her. He took a sip of the wine, then, realizing it was nearly gone, went ahead and finished it, slinging the empty bladder over his other shoulder.