aterat | Logs for October

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Logs for October

Who; Caelan and you!
What; Phone troubles, pillow forts, discussions on the weird goings on, and a seal in the tub
Where; Red building, and the docks.
When; End of September / Early October
Warnings; Mentions of nudity (Not descriptive, shape changing just doesn’t work with clothes), references to alcohol abuse (marked in thread with Nida), references to suicide (marked in thread with Nida)

What Do You Mean It’s Not Water Proof?

Caelan was experiencing some very obvious levels of confusion and frustration as he wandered up from the docks post swim that evening. His hair was still dripping and damp as he walked, eyes glued to the tell-phone that was looking rather... Less functional than it was meant to be. He hadn’t even bothered to button his shirt all the way, after the damn thing slipped out of his pockets and into the water when he was getting himself dressed and presentable by human standards.

At first, he’d only been annoyed because he’d had to stop what he was doing to fish it out of the water. Now he was doubly annoyed because the screen wasn’t lighting up. It was like the damn thing didn’t have any life in it...

Weird and very inconvenient if he had anything to say on the matter.

Which he was... At length, muttering under his breath and his accent growing a touch stronger than usual as he forgot himself. “The bleedin’ hell kind of joke is this? Really? Give the man who spends copious amounts of time near the water something that up and dies just because it gets a little wet. Can’t handle your drink at all, can yah? You finicky little box of nonsense.”

Speaking of a drink, he had a feeling he was going to need one very soon. Between that weird energy pulse a while back, the nightmares and now this? He was willing to admit he might need several.

A Fortress Fit for a Princess

Caelan wasn’t asleep when a mist slipped under his doorway, he’d come to expect at least one interruption a night since a few prior when something exploded somewhere and released a shockwave of mysterious energy. It had upset a whole lot of people (him included, for all he said he wasn’t bothered). Holly had become the most frequent guest, especially when the nightmares had begun.

Tonight he was ready though, and hoping to get the kid to talk a little more rather than the sullen insistence that she was completely fine and whatever other absurd excuses she came up with for her visit that night. Because honestly, she wasn’t the only one having nightmares, and he was starting to worry more about what they actually might have meant.

Hard to tell though if there were any connections or similarities if you weren’t talking.

Thus, tonight he was more than prepared for the visit. The living room space in his apartment had been entirely disrupted, cushions and pillows moved to the floor along with some of the chairs from the dining area, the sheets from his room and the pillows for good measure. All because he’d gotten it in his head that he was going to try one of those ‘Pillow Fort’ things that Holly had mentioned once or twice in one of her super-fact-filled-rambles.

When Holly materialized into a solid form again, she would be greeted by the sight of a very large, very chaotic looking fortress of pillows and blankets. If she ate food, there would have been all manner of sweets and snacks. Unfortunately, as happy as he was to make sure she could feed safely, he wasn’t confident in grabbing a random person off the street for her to snack on.

Someone would be bound to ask questions if they saw him lugging an unconscious body up and down the stairs... right?

So... No snacks, only a structure that was only slightly stable, but magnificent to behold (in his personal opinion).

Splish-splash

If there were any human creation that Caelan favoured over any other (aside from motor cars, they were fun) it was most decidedly the bathtub. A place to soak and relax at the end of a long day? A place where you could safely just splash around or doze off for a little nap without worrying about a predator?

It was brilliant. A private bath was practically a requirement when he was staying somewhere on a job. It wasn’t a replacement for the ocean by any means though, it did little to quiet the call in the back of his mind. It was, however, the nicest substitute on days when the call wasn’t loud, and he couldn’t be fussed with sneaking down to the shore.

Even the Lighthouse he’d purchased had a nice one installed, despite the fact that the ocean was just down the cliff side.

So after he’d finished a day busking in the market he hadn’t taken long to run a nice hot bath, grabbed his pelt, and slipped into the water like the delighted seal he was. It wasn’t as though he didn’t have the time, he wasn’t expecting any company for a while yet. Usually his visitors tended to show up slightly later.

Wildcard!
Have something you want the seal boy for in particular? Throw it at me! Also, if anyone wants something specific in a starter they should let me know. I can totally write one. <3

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“Am I not...?” He responded with a tone that very much suggested that he knew that already. Caelan cast a playful smile over his shoulder as he continued, “And I should hope so, I can’t imagine it’s every day you see someone like me.” Does he mean a fae or himself in general? Who knew? The selkie was known for thriving when he had attention. Always a perform at heart.

“Unfortunately for human sensibilities, skinchanging fae can’t shift with clothes on. Otherwise, my life’d be far less complicated when I need to take a dip in the ocean.” Moving forward he snagged his trousers up, finally pulling them on with a little huff. “Why don’t you go get settled with the food, I’ll be there in a minute.”

Sorry, Nida. Show’s over. He needs to hide his pelt, and as much as grand as he thinks you are? There are some things a selkie didn’t get careless about.

"Honestly, it turns out it is rather often these days that I see someone just like you," Nida counters. But he definitely doesn't see them like this. He hasn't... Well, he hasn't seen a naked man in a VERY long time. Ignore him while he finds a seat to take and just control his reaction in.

"Hey, I'm not going to judge you for being you. Just didn't know if you, well, knew. You're flighty, if you don't mind that I'm being honest."

And soon he's setting the food out, eager to eat rather than think about naked people.

“You don’t say? Huh, maybe those who brought us here have a type.” He joked a little, though he’d hardly ignore Nida. He could take his seat, but the selkie was very aware of where the man was out of habit. Occupational habits and all that. Plus, this was a rare and interesting interaction. Yes, it had been a mistake. A blunder on his own part, but it was nice to just be himself for once.

Spoiler alert, Nida. If he didn’t often have a twelve-year-old misting her way into his apartment under his door, he might not have even bothered to get presentable given the man’s comment about not judging him.

Yeah, people entering his apartment in unconventional ways was definitely becoming a thing.

He did laugh though, a loud and musical thing at the comment about his sometimes ‘flighty’ nature. “Oh, I can hardly mind a little honesty. It’s not like I haven’t been told that before, though I do remind people that I’m not capable of flight, that’d be a couple other members of my crew.”

Once Nida is busy setting the food out, Caelan moves away to the closet. He doesn’t rush, just moved in a random little path around the bedroom area at a casual pace. Stopping t the dresser here, grabbing some hair pins from the nightstand to put up his hair there, eventually tossing his Inverness coat in the closet.

But by the time he took a seat at the table, the pelt was no where in sight. He eye’d the seafood curry curiously, “Now let’s see what this is like, and you can ask your questions or I can just ramble on a bit depending on your preference.”

Nida didn't care about the pelt. He had literally no idea of the significance. Barely even noticed it in the face of Caelan's nudity.

"Alright then, Doe-Eyes. Welcome back. What in the world is a selkie, and which form is your natural one?"

Yes, he's starting with the basics.

He looked up from the food, still very much ‘doe-eyed’ considering he certainly hadn’t bothered with his glamour. Clothes were enough effort for now, “Seems my collection of names is growing again.” Is he complaining? No, on the contrary he was grinning with delight. The selkie was going to have fun with it. Had even started to see the appeal of some fae who collected names, even if this was more becoming a game between friends.

“Alright, as I mentioned before. Selkies are skinchanging fae. Selkie is the term for the sort who turn into seals. For example, there’s also swan skinchangers, they’re called nereids. They come from a different part of the world than myself though, but there’s one on my crew. Snagged her shawl back from a bastard trying to control her, can’t shake her now.” He said this fondly, the woman was an invaluable member of the group.

He was a little off track, but it wasn’t often he got to chat about his world properly. “Now to answer your second question, that’s the tricky thing. It’s hard to really separate one form from the other in my head? I’m both the seal and not, though we do start off in seal form when we’re born. Then depending on the person, you learn to half shift about a year or so later.”

He stops talking, letting Nida ponder over that a bit while he tucked into his meal. Hmm... A minute or two later, he adds. “Oh this is good.”

Hey, don't get Nida wrong. He thinks the selkie looks GREAT without the glamour. And with legs. And really, only one of them was gaining a lot of names. Nida was always just Nida.

"Of course it's good. I only like the very best in everything," Nida teases. Which isn't true, but he's enjoying himself. HIs favorite food, a font of new knowledge, and one who respects that Nida's former profession makes him nosy as hell.

"I love the cardamom. Really sells it, right?"

He's enjoying his own bowl, thoughtful and quiet.

Well now that nearly everything was out in the open, Nida would probably get that view on occasion. What point was there in keeping to normal expectations around someone who knew you weren’t? There wasn’t.

“Clearly. You keep coming to my window, so I can’t find fault with your taste.” He responded back with a light tone, keeping up with the conversation easily. It’s a mood he thrived on, teasing and openness. Did it make him miss the other few people he enjoyed it with back home? Yes, but it didn’t take from the moment. Just made him a wee bit nostalgic.

“It pairs with the fish very well, I wasn’t sure what to think when you described it.” Clearly, this was absolutely nothing like a chowder as he’d imagined for a time before being corrected. “I’m definitely going to be wanting more of this in the future.” How do you keep a seal happy? Feed ‘em plenty of fish.

It's... not a bad view. There's that much. But he laughs at the bit of Caelan fishing for compliments. What a pest. He loves it. Yes, he thinks he can handle this new movement in their friendship.

"Curry is a very wonderful thing, and can be made with lots of spice blends. But this one? It makes me think of home. But tell me, as a selkie is there things about your diet I should know?"

“I might just have to try the other varieties then, but I get the feeling I might be partial to this one in particular for obvious reasons.” He responded, taking another bite and listening to the next question. “Such a sensible question, most folks who find out about me don’t ask that one.”

Caelan took a moment to think on it, before he shrugged lightly. “Nothing specific comes to mind though, obviously I eat a lot of seafood. I suppose some get a little put off to realize I eat it as is when I’m a seal?” As if he could be bothered to shift and learn how to cook, what nonsense. “I can eat just about anything, there are times when something might upset my stomach but there aren’t any lasting effects. Most people are like that, at least in my experience.”

Why would they not be smart enough to ask about things that could hurt or help people they hang out with? It's stupid.

"Maybe I think about it because I'm allergic to strawberries."

But he doesn't see a problem with raw fish. Nida likes sushi. Whatever. It's all the same. Prep time being cut out further is smart.

"Most people are. But I'm glad to know I should bribe you with good fish.'

‘Allergic,’ he knew that word! Holly had explained it to him, well... in a very Holly way... Caelan was still confident that he knew what Nida meant by the question. It was... actually kind of nice of the guy. Most people didn’t ask in his world because they got too hung up on the other random bits of lore and wanting to know what was true. “Allergic! Right, I get what you mean now.”

If it was allergies the guy was curious about, Caelan could definitely fill him in on that one. “The nearest thing I can say that I’m allergic to is irons. That’d be why I give the metal workers a wide berth unless I need to go down to the smithies. Makes my skin burn and blister, nasty sight. Probably would be worse if I ate the damned stuff.” He leaned back in his chair thoughtfully, “I’ll be sure to remember that about strawberries. Don’t eat them often myself, but I know they’re used in a lot of desserts.”

He chuckled a little at the idea of being bribed. “True, but I’m swayed by many things, Nida. Besides, I’m pretty sure I’m supposed to be figuring out how to bribe you, you did join the guard didn’t yah?”

Oh, iron. Interesting. Nida's heard of people allergic to gold, but never iron. But he'll do his best.

"I would never suggest eating raw metal. But I'll keep it in mind anyway. I guess my question is whether you can eat iron rich foods?"

It seemed weird, that Caelan could eat at all.

Soon he finds himself laughing over the bribery comment.

"I'm your liason officer. You don't get to bribe me."

“See that’s the interesting thing, you’d think I couldn’t eat anything with an allergy like that.” He rolled his shoulders into a large shrug, “It’s not something I think anyone’s ever been able to explain. I sometimes wonder if it has to do with the process when humans forge it into things, or if it’s just the concentration. Maybe there’s even something about other stuff in food that nullifies the effects naturally somehow.” He frowned a little, “I’m not a scientist though, and the ones who study that are generally not the sort a fae would want to be socializing with.”

Caelan picked a little more at the curry, “All I know is it fucking hurts, I was put in irons once when I got caught on a job. Wrists weren’t the same for ages after that. It’s not a lesson you want to learn twice, or at least not one you want to experience without being prepared for.” He was lucky he was on very good terms with his local sea witch, she gave him an excellent discount on an ointment for such injuries. Unfortunately, what came with him was a very limited supply now. He’d have to be careful...

“I don’t?” He responded, a dramatic little mock pout crossing his face. “Now where’s the fun in that?”

Forging is probably a good point. It’s about heat and effort and intent. Though maybe raw iron ore would also be an issue. Though Nida frankly can’t understand why one wouldn’t want to know. Except... how would you test it? That’s was the problem, wasn’t it? Can’t do that ethically.

“I think I’ll make sure any cuffs the guards have aren’t iron. Or if there are, we have another set or two made for those who might have problems with it.”

The bribery teasing just earns a little roll of the eyes.

Exactly, and the selkie isn't about to fill Nida's head with the various atrocities humans could commit when given the opportunity. They were having a nice dinner, and the conversation had shifted to something rather fun.

So instead, he smirked a little at the eye roll. That might’ve been that if it weren’t for the comment about the cuffs. “How kind of you Nida, making sure I’ll be comfortable in the event that I cause enough trouble to be put in them.”

No, he won't deny being a trouble maker. Just because Caelan hadn’t been given reason to cause mischief doesn’t mean he won't find a need for it in the future. There was a playful glint in his eye as he added a moment later, “You’d have to catch me first though, and I’ve gotten very good at getting away over the last hundred or so years since my last blunder.”

Oh, no, he could believe it. He was from Timber, and the people from there were used to suffering under Galbadian rule. They were just... tired of it. Really tired. But Nice dinners were nice.

"Must I remind you that the first time we met, we broken into a building?" Nida teases. Yes, he knows Caelan will cause trouble. He just doesn't think the Selkie would get CAUGHT.

"If someone does catch you, I don't want it to be me. Unless it's a far more fun version of that word."

“How could I forget our first meeting? You saving me from being spotted by the night watchmen, snooped around the office with such expert attention to detail.” He raised a brow, “Described this delicious dish and then disappeared into the night, leaving me wanting.” Another little teasing grin, he knows how he sounds. “It was very memorable.”

He took a bite of curry, lingering on it for a moment before he laughed a little. “A game of chase is always fun, and I do so love a challenge.” Nida was right in thinking that the selkie probably wouldn’t be caught easily. It wasn’t a 0% chance though, not at all, there were quite a few variables to consider.

How much of an idiot he was being, if he was too caught up in having fun to realize he was getting careless, how far he was from the canals or the harbour, the list went on a bit.

Awww, how cute. Nida chuckles at the summary given to him. What a good boy. They can be good boys together.

"My job was attention to detail."

And now it was protecting people. That worked too.

Good boys on their best behaviour, no mischief in sight.

Ha!

Caelan nodded though, “It showed, pity we didn’t manage to find anything that night though.” He had found other things since, though most of it was irrelevant until there were seaworthy vessels for people to go out on.

With a little tilt of his head, he continued a moment later. “So... Got any more sensible questions? Or even the less sensible ones, I’m your open book for the evening.” At least until he got bored, or he decided that a question was a little too close to things he’d rather not talk about.

“Are your eyes always that big?” Nida asks. “They were pretty.”

Like, people can drown in them. Or perhaps had.

“Oh, and your music. Is it magic?”

That got an amused grin, and don’t mind him if he bats his big eyes at you a little for good measure, Nida. “Why thank you, though you might find them off-putting in the evenings. Eye-shine is apparently a wee bit creepy.”

And no, he certainly had nothing to do with any drownings. Of course, that was only because the one bastard he’d consider drowning had died two years prior to him figuring out where the man was. It had been quite vexing...

Setting his utensils down for a moment, Caelan raised a webbed hand and gestured at his face. “They are always that big though, I am always as you see me now. I just use fae enchantments called glamour to mask them when I’m moving among normal people so I can blend in. Couldn’t make it very far from shore without people knowing what I am otherwise, right?”

Returning to the dish, he hummed a couple notes before answering. “Yes, and no. If anyone feels drawn to my violin music, it’s because they’re curious and not from any enchantment.” Even if it seemed that way sometimes... “That’s not to say it’s all normal, it’s just not magical in the way you expect. There are a few pieces I play that I learned from my friend, for instance. He’s a nix, another kind of water fae. Music composed by a nix is slightly cursed. Humans who try to play it sort of develop an obsession. Can’t stop playing it and eventually go mad.” Which was why he was quite strict about people asking to learn them, only people who deserved it got that sort of lesson.

“If we’re talking vocal song, that is magical.” Not that it was anything particularly impressive by most other fae standards, “Now, I’m no siren. My songs can’t lure people to their doom or anything like that. Instead, it can be used to enchant fish? Makes them easier to catch, or gather however I wish. Big schools can make excellent cover now and again if there’s something in the water I’d rather avoid. I still haven’t tried it on the giant sharks off the coast of this place though, tempting as it is.” Oh, yeah... Nida, there are fucking huge sharks and other aquatic life the further you get from shore here. Fun!

Eye shine was something he was used to from monsters so yes, that would be disturbing. He's attentive while Caelan talks, eating slowly and letting Siren laugh in his mind. Yes, of course she'd be happy to be considered better than that. But when she hears 'doom' she bristles and Nida has to giggle at how she felt like a fluffed up bird in his head.

"Siren would like you to know she does not pull people to their dooms, she merely makes them sleep."

“Siren, I beg your pardon for the unintentional slight. You’re a fair bit different from those that live in my world though.” He grinned, though was quite honest in his apology.

“The ones in my world use their songs to tempt sailors to them with their alluring music, then it’s dinner time.” He gestured at their meal for dramatic effect, “Not particularly pleasant, but even they have to eat like the rest of us. Though I will say they’re usually principled about the sort of sailor they hunt, usually go after the ones that deserve it. Those that don’t respect the sea or their fellow person.”

Again Siren balked in horror in Nida's mind. Which made him cringe in extension of her displeasure.

"She wants you to know she doesn't think humans would taste good. Clearly your Sirens are uncultured. Her words, not mine."

Caelan laughed at that, “I believe by comparison to you, dear Siren, they are.” Not that he could really judge those in his own world for doing what came naturally. Not any more than he could judge a certain small vampire for using the locals here as ‘juice boxes’ as she put it.

“The point is, I’m not capable of such things. Which tends to be something of a blanket concern where sea fae go. There’re even stories that my sort have a particular magical effect on people who lack particular... satisfaction in their lives. That, among other things, is utter rubbish.” Not a selkie’s fault that people are so damned thirsty after their sweethearts leave them behind for some needless voyage or journey for months on end.

“So if you ever want a returned demonstration on the subject of music, I’d be happy to oblige. You did show me how your magic worked, after all.”

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