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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“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.”

"I've barely shown you anything of what I can do," Nida laughs. "But yes, I should try and bribe you to get some more magic for my reserves, and in return I can give you the best I can."

There is only so much he can do.

“Oh yeah?” He responded with a curious tone, leaning back in his seat a bit. “Then we’ll have to both enjoy a little demonstration next time your near the shoreline.”

Taking another bite of curry, he shook his head a little. “You can get more magic whenever you like, it’s not as though I am lacking in the stuff. Most of what I use in the day to day is rather low level parlour tricks as far as most fae are concerned anyway.” Honestly, aside from fishing, his abilities couldn’t even really help anyone out here. At least not until there were ships that meant anyone would need him for it.

Well... He probably would need to let more people know about him in that case too. A bridge to cross when he came to it. “I was a little afraid that it might mess with my glamour enchantments when you did it the first time, but it all worked out.”

"We might have to go out further if we can find a row boat. Just because Siren kicks up a lot of water," Nida admits, smiling to himself.

"I don't think when I pull my magic from you, it affects yours. But we should be careful about it I suppose. For your safety."

“Yeah, there might be a small dinghy or something that’s sea worthy. I’d say we could just swim out, but most humans have a hard time keeping up in the water.” Not that he’d let a human drown, especially one he liked. “I’ll take a gander next time I’m down at the docks. Maybe see if any of them would do with a quick patch job. I definitely would have an easier time showing you myself, not enough fish next to shore to do anything particularly impressive.”

And really, Caelan was a show off at heart. If he was going to do something, he was going to at least make it interesting.

A small part of him is touched by the thoughtfulness of his own safety, and it shows a little on his face. “You know most humans take a look at a selkie or any other fae, and just want to take what isn’t theirs? No thought or cares beyond that.” He grinned a little, “Seems like you’re a rare exception. Like I said though, it didn’t mess with me. I was paying attention, so you should be safe to do it whenever you need.”

"Yes, I can see how a sea-creature would swim better than a human," Nida laughs.

Of course it sounds like the man is a bit of a showman, which Nida is amused by. But the suggestion that people would just take earns a sneer from Nida.

"I only take what isn't mine when I'm hired to do work like that. And frankly, I prefer not to do that."

Caelan was always a showman, it was one of the things that made his group so successful. Keeping the mark’s attention where they needed to be instead of where it should have been to prevent the crime.

Which was why he smiled at the man’s frankness over not taking what didn’t belong to him. “Yeah? Well, it’s refreshing. Half my time back home is spent taking back things that humans helped themselves to. It’s a mess... More of a mess than I thought when I started, but now I’m here so.” He shrugged in an exaggerated motion, dramatic and more than a little put out. “If more people would be like you, then I’d be out of a job but...”

But his life would probably have turned out very different very early on.

Edited 2020-10-08 00:08 (UTC)

"If more people were like me, I would be out of a job," Nida agrees, grinning.

Don't mind him, he really enjoyed his own joke. And, with his own food finished, he picks up the dishes to go and clean them.

"People are a weird thing to process, aren't they? You can rarely expect what they will be."

The joke gets an easy laugh out of him, “Then you’d need to find a new one, whatever would you do?”

He does fall silent for a moment as Nida moved away from the table, turning in his seat to watch. People were weird things to process. Human and fae alike. After so much time, the only thing he’d figured that neither were particularly better than the other. Both were capable of good and bad at the same time, oftentimes from the very same person.

“You got that right, they never cease to surprise. Which is probably not entirely a bad thing, I’d get bored otherwise?” That said... “But there are things about them that are safer to wary of... I think it goes without saying, you’re a smart lad, but you know you can’t tell anyone about this, yeah? You’re currently one of two people who knows about me properly.”

Just you and the twelve-year-old vampire, Nida. A couple people knew he wasn’t human, but not this much. So he was trusting the guy. Maybe he didn’t have much of a say in it now, but the point that he was going to trust him remained. “There are... certain rules that go along with being what I am, and it’d a problem if people who were more familiar with selkie-lore found out about me. Worse than the iron ‘allergy’ anyway.”

"Spy, remember? Hording my knowledge is important, especially since my boss isn't around."

Whatever the important things were about being him, Nida didn't care. This man was his friend, and he was going to protect him.

He smiled a little wryly at that, “Yeah, you’d be a poor excuse for a spy if you just went around spilling secrets. Which, given what I’ve seen of you thus far? I would find it shocking.” No, if they were in his world, he was reasonably sure he’d have wanted Nida as a contact in his network...

Tapping on the table and humming a couple notes for a minute, he finally settled on his last bit of sharing. Holly knew, and it wouldn’t hurt to have someone else in the know... Just in case someone less trust worthy happened upon it. “So, one last bit of knowledge. A bonus, if you will.” He said this with a light, almost joking tone. Honestly, it just felt better to make light of it.

Sounded less serious that way, “Selkies are tied to their skins. I know it looks separate, but it’s really not. What happens to it, damages and such, does happen to me as well. Also, if someone takes it from me, I can’t go back to the sea. I’m then tied to land and the person who has it. Don’t ask me why that is, I don’t know. Guess someone figured we’d be too much to handle otherwise.” He ended with a little dramatic sweeping gesture at himself.

Nida is very good at what he does. The fact that he even told Caelan he was a spy was, you know, very carefully calculated. Still, he looks very concerned to hear Caelan telling him this. He moves forward to put his hands over Caelan's mouth.

"No. Don't tell me anything more. Please. Fuck. You could get HURT!"

He arched a brow when Nida covered his mouth, dark eyes staring rather curiously. That was a stronger reaction than he had expected... It made a stark contrast from the light tone Caelan had been using to paint the picture. Lifting a hand, he nudged Nida’s away from his face with a small sigh. “Yeah, I could get hurt. That’s why I’m telling you?”

Folding his arms lightly, his expression drew into a small line. So much for trying to act like it wasn’t that serious. “I don’t know who might show up here that knows all of that already, It’s common enough knowledge where I’m from. If I slip up around the wrong person... I’d rather have someone I can trust know the signs that something is off.” And frankly? The fact that Nida had responded that way, with some genuine concern, was a pretty clear sign.

“But yeah, I won’t say more on the matter if you prefer.” The selkie shrugged, getting the message. He pushed himself up from the table, moving away finally to find his violin to fuss with.

“What you’re telling me means giving me a way to hurt you,” Nida counters, his voice doing nothing to hide his very clear concern. “Giving someone a means to hurt you is never a good choice, Caelan. Oh Hyne, how can you trust me with this? I’m a mercenary. An assassin and spy. I could choose to destroy you.”

“You could do that, yes.” He responded, drawing the bow across strings with a frown, then adjusting the tuning of the violin. “But to be fair? If that was your intent, you could have done that when I decided to start leaving my window unlocked. It would have been quick and easy for you.” He said, drawing the violin bow across his own neck lightly. It was dramatic, yes, but Caelan usually was.

“I can trust you because you’ve had ample occasions to prove yourself untrustworthy since I met you.” He put the bow down, plucking at strings lightly instead. “You could have ignored me on the docks when the guard was wandering by, you could have questioned far more when I fed you half truths about my magic, you could have killed me in my sleep many times over the last month.”

Tone thoughtful, he continued. “Instead, you warned me. You let my words go and gave me a small demonstration of your abilities, which if we were enemies would be silly. You offered to help me out with sewer explorations to keep me out of trouble. You gave me company and brought me food instead of a hurting me. You also expressed concern over my diet once you learned what I was so I wouldn’t get hurt.” Don’t mind the small, soft laugh that escaped at that, Nida. “If you wanted to destroy me, you sure are taking your damned time. The last who intended to? They certainly didn’t wait this long to try.”

Well, that’s all very good points that Nida can’t really argue against. Especially against a full grown man who can decide what he wants for himself. Still, Nida looks worried.

“Please promise me you won’t be nearly so free with this information among others. I... you’re my friend, Caelan, and it has been so hard to try opening up when these worlds keep hurting me. I’d hate to lose you.”

He sees the worry. Hate to lose you... Fuck, doesn’t that just strike a chord with him that he hates to have struck... He can practically see two specific faces frowning at him in a similar fashion over some stupid decision he’d made.

Finally, he put the violin down entirely. Caelan truly disliked having to take things like this seriously, but being flippant or joking about his own weaknesses would only make light of Nida’s concern and upset the guy now. Dammit...

“Yeah... Yeah, I promise you that. I only ever tell people I believe I can trust. Like I said, the only people who know what I am now are you and one other person. A couple people... did something, know a little but not a lot.” He shrugged, those two had been very strange occurrences. “Besides that, as much as I’m needed at home? I’m reasonably certain I’m not going anywhere, not anytime soon.” Caelan added the last with a little smile, hoping it helped.

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