Completed [Solo] Born Out of Water

[Tsukiko]

3rd of Winter, 509 AV Darkness... Suddenly, she woke to a coldness that penetrated her mind. Her lungs burned, and as she began to take a breath, she began to inhale salt water. Panic washed through her mind as she began to struggle, instinct making her kick towards what seemed to be up. She barely made it to the surface to take a gasping, mostly choking, breath before she went under again. Her lungs screamed for air which she could not give them, and slowly, she lost the strength to struggle. Slowly giving up, she began to sink into the watery depths. The next thing she knew, she was gasping for breath, choking on water until someone thoughtful enough tilted her onto her side, allowing her lungs to rid themselves of liquid. She coughed until they cleared, sucking in cold air. Unable to fully open her eyes, for the light pierced her eyes, she looked around with slighted eyes. Someone lifted her to her feet and held her, while another tilted her head. As she blinked, accustoming her eyes to the light, she saw that an elderly woman stood before her, gazing at her with an expression devoid of emotion. The woman had long and silvery-white hair, her face showing signs of great age. However, the most striking thing was how her presence seemed to invoke respect from all of those who surrounded her, as well as her blue eyes. All of them had blue eyes, she realized. She could tell, for every pair of eyes was were trained on her. She read curiosity and mistrust in many, some whispering to one another. "It is alright, release her." However, no sooner had the person holding let go, did her legs choose that moment to give way. Luckily, the one who had been supporting her caught her before she could hit the deck. The elderly woman, seemingly the leader, spoke again. "Who are you? You appear to be one of us Svefra, but I've never seen you before. Where do you come from?" These all came in quick succession, her voice sounding of waves, contained a tone only those who have lived long may produce. "... Who... Who am I?" she thought to herself. She realized that she didn't even know her own name, let alone where she came from. "I... I do not know..." she said, bewildered. The elderly woman stared at her for a few moments more, then seemed to come to a decision. "Very well. We will welcome you... for now. Take her to a bed, she looks as if she would be blown away with the next breeze." With that, the elder turned and left, leaving her with her newly appointed guide. "I'll take her!" someone called jokingly, causing a few chuckles to rise here and there. For the first time, she looked up to, only to see the one holding her was a rather handsome man. He looked down at her, his eyes expressionless, though she could have sworn she saw doubt flash through those twin pools of blue. Let's go," he said gruffly, and began leading her away from the others. He lead, half carrying her bellow deck. She looked around as they went, noting that the ship was quite large despite first appearances. They finally arrived in front of a door, and she leaned partially against the wall as he opened it. In the end, he picked her up and sat her on the bed. She looked up as he paused in front of her, looking as if he wanted to say something... but then he turned abruptly and left, closing the door behind him.

[Tsukiko]

She sat on the bed for a few moments, her mind as blank as an unmarked page. Her mind could not comprehend anything, for the events had happened so quickly, so many things she could not remember, so many... She could not bring herself to think, and lay back with a soft thump, her hair fanning out around her in thick waves and curls. Absently, she took a lock in her hand, holding it up to what little sunlight came through the window, the sun displaying the array of brown and red strands, playing across her golden skin. "What... am I?" she murmured softly, letting her hand fall back down, turning her head to stare in the direction of the light, her blue eyes clouded in thought. She shifted until she lay fully on the bed, on her side staring out a circular window. Soon enough, her eyes were closed, and she began to sleep, her breaths came with soft intakes and exhales. As the moon rose in the sky, the door to the room opened. She lay on the bed, still in the same position as before, however something had changed. The Svefra at the door froze, gaze locked on the figure laying on his bed. It was the man who had helped her in earlier, one of the elderly woman's grandsons. What he saw was a creature with long, thick, silvery hair, and dark horns which somehow reflected the moonlight shining through the small opening. She resembled the Svefra girl that he had dragged out of Laviku's water depths, vaguely in the shape of her jaw, as well as other features. However, this girl was a pale in a way that reminded him of the moon, except for her black horns, similar to a night sky, curling at her temples, which were nearly hidden from sight. He remained silent, and backed away quietly, closing the door without a sound... Morning, 4th of Winter, 509 AV As the darkness of night faded to the grey of dawn, she awoke, her brown hair falling against her back as she sat up and stretched. As she lowered her arms, she felt as if something was different, almost as if she was on the verge of grasping something... Then the feeling vanished, and she was left to wonder what she was to do with herself. There was a light knock on the door. "Are you awake?" came a voice. She sat up quickly, ran her fingers through her hair, before running to open the door. He stood looking down at her with an expression of surprise, before he covered it with an emotionless mask. "Would you lik-" he began before someone came up behind him and slung their arm over his shoulder. "Good morning missy! It's time to break your fast, and this slow one here was supposed to get you up awhile ago. Knowin' him, he got distracted by the sky." She stared up at the newcomer, eyes wide, startled by the man's sudden appearance. He was slightly shorter than her guide, with a nest of sand colored hair, and a playful grin."..G-good... Good morning..." she said, looking down, her cheeks coloring. She did not know how to react in the presence of others.

[Cascade]

“She’s a shy one, ain’t she, Ardein?” said the newcomerdid you have a name for him, or did you want me to make one up? . He had a huge grin on his face. Ardein. That was the name of the man who had helped her the night before, and the man who had seen her other form without her knowledge. Ardein swat away the arm that was slung around his shoulders, and that was when his brother chose to put his arm over Tsukiko’s instead. As he dragged Tsukiko out to the deck, she would notice the puzzled look that Ardein was giving her. Meanwhile, the man with his arm around Tsukiko was a talkative one. He continued to speak without pause, “So, did you hit your head? Do you at least know your name?” He led her towards the deck, where there were a few people around. The elderly woman, Lia Diondra Oceangem, was amongst them. Cooked fish and fresh fruits were being passed around. Soon, a newly cooked fish, impaled on a stick, was shoved at Tsukiko. “The Oceangem pod,” announced Ardein’s brother. The ship they were on was a Svefra palivar, and there were a total of five people currently on deck. There was Ardein, his brother, Lia Diondra, and two other young women. As his brother waited for any revelations from Tsukiko, Ardein walked over to his Lia and started talking to her in hushed voices. Now and then, both of them would look at Tsukiko with both suspicion and interest.

[Tsukiko]

His comment only made her shyer. Despite her height of 5'8, she seemed to become a bit smaller, and was startled when the newcomer slung his are around her shoulders, her eyes widening slightly. As she was pulled on along, she noticed that the man, Ardein the other man had called him, was watching her with a strange expression. However, before she could think about it, the man whose arm sat on her shoulders asked her if she could remember her name. "I...I don't... I can't remember..." she said quietly. The only thing she could remember was the water surrounding her, breathing in the saltiness of it... she shuddered as she recalled it. She looked around the deck, and spotted the elderly woman from the day before and three younger women. When the impaled fish was shoved into her hands, she looked up at the one who had given it to her, wondering if she was allowed to eat it. Looking around, she thought, 'Oceangem Pod... why does it sound... familiar...?', but it quickly left her mind when she caught the gazes of the elder and Ardein, both staring at her with suspicious expressions. She froze, wondering what could have caused it... besides being a stranger in their midst, who couldn't even remember who she was... or what she was.

[Cascade]

The blonde man, the one who had his arm around her shoulders, looked at her with confusion. He noted the look of distress he had. After a few moments of not saying anything, he suddenly laughed and clapped her gently on the back. “Name’s Pinn, by the way,” he said as he grinned at her. “It won’t work if you don’t name, ‘ya know? What should we call you… ‘that girl’? No way, you had better figure a name out soon.” “Stop pressuring her and let her eat!” called out one of the young women. She peered at Tsukiko with distrust but didn’t voice her thoughts. However, the truth of her opinion was apparent in her eyes. “I just want to know her name!” Pinn retorted. He glanced back at Tsukiko. It was apparent that he wasn’t going to stop. “If you can’t think of any, want us to help you come up with a brand new name?” Ardein and the Lia were still talking. Ardein looked disappointed as he stared at the ground, and the Lia was slowly shaking her head. The old woman was giving a gentle smile at Tsukiko’s direction, though Tsukiko wouldn’t know why. A feeling of curiosity would envelop Tsukiko, and she would wonder why the pair appeared to be discussing something critical. It was evident that they were talking about her, but what was it about?

[Tsukiko]

"...Pinn," she said, as if testing the syllables on her tongue. She looked at the woman who had come to her rescue from Pinn's continuous conversation, and saw that the young woman held some distrust in her gaze. "I... I'll think about it," she said in reply to Pinn's offer, wondering what kind of names they would come up if she asked. "May... may I sit with you?" she asked the women as she slipped out from under Pinn's arm. As she began moving hesitantly towards the women, she glanced in Ardein and the Elder's direction. She was confused to see the woman's smile, wondering why Ardein stared at the planks of the deck. Slowly, even more hesitantly, she changed her path to approach the two, her curiosity getting the better of her. Stopping a little ways in front of them, and dipped her head nervously. "..Good.. Good morning... and... Thank you for saving me and letting me sleep here, " she said quietly, glancing at Ardein. The expressions these two displayed confused her, but even more so, they piqued her curiosity. She wondered what could possibly cause them to change them so quickly. She met the older woman's eyes shyly, holding them gaining a slight confidence. They didn't seem to dislike her, nor did they seem to curse her. Remembering the skewered fish in her hand, she asked, "Umm... have you... eaten yet?" Immediately after the words left her lips, she regretted them. They seemed so random to her ears, and resulted in her looking at the planks below her feet, embarrassed, berating herself for speaking before thinking.

[Cascade]

“Yeah, you can sit with us if you wish,” replied the woman after a few moments of saying nothing. She was sitting on a crate and she moved to the side to let Tsukiko stay with them. However, Tsukiko had changed her route—and was now walking towards the Lia and Ardein. Puzzled, the women blinked at each other. The Lia’s smile spread even further as Tsukiko walked up to her and Ardein. “No worries, but you would have to help us, dear. We do not really know how to deal with the situation. You cannot remember anything, so where shall we drop you off? What do we even call you?” “How about ‘horns’?” chimed Ardein. “Hush, you!” the Lia said, swatting his arm. She gave him a warning look and then glanced back at Tsukiko. “Do not mind him, his jokes are difficult to understand. No, dear, we have not yet eaten—but that was given to you. You would not step on our generosity by not eating it, would you?” “Heeey, look!” yelled out Pinn. His voice resounded through the decks, enjoyment evident in his voice. “Our friends are here!” he was waving enthusiastically at the water. Ardein, curious, looked over the deck of the ship. Down in the water, a duo of Otani were waving back up to them. They had the visage of young women, their hair long and silver, and their skin pale white and seemingly translucent. The young women who had been speaking to Tsukiko earlier also looked over the deck and waved back to the Otani. “Why not show our guest a good time, Ardein?” the Lia nudged him on the arm. “Uh…” Arden started. “Want to go for a swim?”

[Tsukiko]

"I.. honestly don't even remember where I come from... let alone my name.." she replied, slightly ashamed. Though it was true that she could not remember anything before her drowning situation the day before, she felt as if she was on the verge of recalling it. At Ardein's comment, she looked at them with a puzzled expression, not understanding his reference. Self consciously, she touched her right temple, and for a moment, she almost felt like she did have horns. She blinked and the sensation was gone. She looked up just in time to see the Lia swat her grandson's shoulder, and hid a smile. Looking back down at her fish, she nodded, and was about to raise the fish for a bite, when Pinn's voice caught her attention. She turned her gaze in the direction of his voice, curious to see what had him so excited. When she saw him looking over board, she too looked over and saw the beings below. 'Friends?' she thought, gazing with an amazed expression at the water dwelling creatures. Raising her hand hesitantly, she gave a small wave, as she felt a wash of familiarity at the sight of the Otani. Catching the Lia's words, she quickly returned her gaze to the two before her. "S-swim?" she asked cautiously. Recalling yesterday's events, she trembled slightly. However, she remembered that Ardein had saved her, and felt that she could trust him not to let her drown. With those thoughts, she glanced at him, before nodding slowly. Then she looked down at herself. "Ah.. umm.. although I'd like to... should I go as I am?" She was fully clothed, and was unsure if it was, for decency's sake, alright for her to go for a swim in her undergarments while men were about.

[Cascade]

As Tsukiko would learn, the Svefra had no qualms to nudity. Men and women alike walked around without clothes on as they wished. However, since Winter was a cold season, they at least preferred to wear layers at the moment. Consequently, Ardein shrugged at her question. “Wear what you want, it doesn’t really matter.” By the side, the two young women had already stripped down to their undergarments. They climbed over the edge of the ship and, grasping hands with each other, jumped down with a scream of glee. The sound of water splashing could be heard, followed with uncontrollable laughter. “That is petching cold! This is going to kill us!” screamed out the girl that had been speaking to Tsukiko earlier. It was Winter and the water was as cold as ever. That wouldn’t stop the daredevils, though—even if they’d have to resurface very soon. “Just so you know,” said Lia Oceangem to Tsukiko. “The brown-haired one, the woman who had been speaking to you earlier, she is named Ceta. The other woman is Cea.” “What are you waiting for, new girl? Let’s go!” called out Pinn. What followed next was a resounding splash. Ardein grinned down at them and watched them swim the Otani. He pulled layers of shirts of, and then his shoes. He was just about to pull his pants off when he remembered Tsukiko—the girl who had to ask about her clothes, as if it mattered. Clearly, she was not accustomed to their culture. With that in thought, he decided to keep his pants on. “Let’s go!” he said to her. He held out a hand to her, which if she took, he would hold as the jumped into the sea—just like the two women had earlier. “We can do it together.”

[Tsukiko]

Seeing as they seemed to have no real reaction to her question, she came to the conclusion that it did not matter in their eyes. She glanced at the other women and saw they had stripped down. Looking down at herself once more, she decided that too much would weigh her down, and followed suit, slipping out of her clothes and laying them neatly near the railing. She shivered slightly as the cold air lingered on her skin. Jumping, startled by the outbursts of the two women below, she glanced over the railing to see them. Matching the names to the hair, she was able to see Ceta and Cea in what seemed, by their exclamations, freezing water below. Since the woman had described Ceta as the one with brown hair, she assumed that Cea was the one with black hair. Hearing Pinn's comment, she glanced at Ardein, just in time to see him hesitate at removing his pants. She flushed, and turned her gaze in another direction. At his words, she looked back at him, and hesitantly took his hand. "Alright," she said, her voice carrying a slight undercurrent of determination. Comforted by his last few words, she jumped before she could think it through. In the end, she clenched his hand between both of her's as they fell through the air, a shriek stuck in her throat, before plummeting into the freezing water.