The Fastest Fish in the Sea [Alaia]

[Atoll Northwind]

Atoll shook his head. Wisely choosing to ignore his more instinctive reaction to Alaia ‘feeling things’. It had really been too long if this was the way he was acting. “No, no Alaia lass, it’ll be a…memory not to drown again. Ya should heal yourself.” The Svefra laughed after that. He found his throat still stung but it was least sore part of him. A Svefra who needed swimming lessons! He’d never be able to live that down but a quick glance at her earnest smile made him agree. But then Atoll’s jaw slackened when she asked to meet him again. It was implied when she said she would teach him to swim. He found himself laughing again, and smiled at her. Alaia’s company was keeping his mind off other things but he wasn’t about to make a promise he couldn’t keep. “That a date, lass?” He teased, “Can’t say for…exact. I got things to watch for, thinkin’ I can be here in two days. If not ya can look for my ship.” He was diligently ignoring the way her body turned and pressed against his. If he didn’t know any better he’d swear the Konti was purposefully testing his patience. Atoll was about to move or give up and enjoy the companionship when her hand reached for him. Surprised he had flinched but made no move to stop her though when she finished he moved to grab her wrist, his face serious and met her gaze sternly. “Alaia…” He breathed out slowly, “Unless you’re wantin’ to…finish what your startin’ ya need to scoot over lass. I ain’t a got a God’s patience.” Should he have her wrist he would release it gently and allow her to make the next move as he answered thought to answer questions. It didn’t serve to distract him enough so he copied her position facing the waves. From here he could imagine that Litty could see him and was enjoying not drowning in the water. Atoll gave a sigh, shook some sand out his hair and thought about how to answer her. At first it was his own illness, then Litty’s but he had made plans with this very woman rather than plans to leave. Why am I staying in this damned land? There was a striking comparison between a whale beaching itself to die and what he was doing. Don’t miss the pod that much yet. He thought flatly. These thoughts needed a distraction which focused him right back on Alaia. He stared at her from the corner of his eye, enjoying the way the scales reflected the light. He began to speak with an awkward shrug. “Dunno why I’m here. Was sick, then Litty was sick, now I’m stayin’ till the pods back. And ya, lass? Ya livin’ here?” Atoll knew she was but he was making idle conversation while he rested his body. Speaking of, his current position was doing his arms no favors. He brought himself down to rest on his forearms but it actually made it worse. With a sharp curse he lay flat on the sand and tucked his arms behind his head. They still protested the movement but it took the strain off. The Svefra knew he wouldn’t be swimming any time soon. Even a day or two off didn’t seem like enough but it was more than Zulphyia would’ve given him. Actually, she would have drowned him for drowning. The thoughts didn’t give him anything other than a pinch of fond annoyance so he banished them. Atoll might have to swim anyway, considering him and Laviku needed to have some words.

[Alaia]

“That a date, lass?”

Date? Date?! She had never been on a date before so when he asked her if she was asking him on one her instant reaction was to shake her head vigorously from side to side. “It’s not a date, I swear.” She stumbled over her response figuring that was the safest one because she wasn’t asking him on a date. Was she? No, no she wasn’t he was the one who asked for swimming lessons so he was the one who technically asked her.“It’s only a date if you ask the lady.” There. That should settle that. He didn’t seem like the type to ask a lady on a proper date, perhaps that assumption was uncalled for but well it made her more comfortable in her mind and took the pressure off her.

“What does your ship look like?” Her head tilted as she asked him, she had only seen one over Svefra at dock right now but that didn’t mean other ships didn’t belong to other Svefras so she assumed that asking the local fisherman where the Svefra was wouldn’t help. It wasn’t long after her boat question that she leaned into him with the lame excuse of brushing sea salt off him and his hand caught her wrist making her pause with their eyes locked. She felt his hand wrapped around her wrist like a hot brand on her skin and his suddenly serious demeanor made her breath catch in her throat. She didn’t apologize for touching him though, she wasn’t sorry for touching him she was just sorry she didn’t have the courage to do what he was so clearly welcoming her to do in that moment.

When released she chewed on the inside of her cheek and turned away from him to watch the ocean – give her a bloody stump of a leg and she was Ms. Action, give her a man who made her pulse speed up and it was a completely different story. She didn’t move completely away from him, she let their body touch when one of them breathed or shifted even a fraction though otherwise they were separate. Part of her was daring him, part of her was daring herself and she had no idea who would take the dare first. When he spoke next her eyes turned towards him and she frowned “Litty?”

Suddenly Alaia’s bright blue eyes widened as if she realized who Litty was. “Litty, that’s the friend you want to help so bad? WHat's wrong with her?” Again she found herself talking before she thought of her words and she watched him drop down into the sand, laying there. Her hands flexed before they knotted together as she brought her knees up to her chest so she wouldn’t reach out to try to heal him with the pain he was clearly in. Her own stiffness was setting, the longer she spent in the sand with the heat drying out her skin and her muscles she could feel herself wanting a nice long soak in a warm tub to loosen them.

“Litty is your animal?” She didn’t know the correct phrasing that the Svefras used for this bond so she offered him a sheepish smile and a long pause before she continued to explain how she knew. It wasn’t something she often explained but then again she didn’t often need since she avoided touching as much as possible. “It’s my gift, to see what your intentions are over the next few days …. I can’t help it. I’m sorry. It happens through touch … I knew you were going to kiss me before you did. Just a second before because well, you were unconscious but I could feel that you planned to... when you planned to.”

Embarrassed she looked back to the ocean and rushed forward with her next words to change the subject and still answer the questions he had asked her. “Do you know when your pod gets back?” She wanted to know if a few days from now would be the last time she saw him, perhaps if it was then that would help make her decision to kiss him easier. “I live here … in Riverfall, up at the Pearl House by the docks.” She sighed softly and rested her chin on her knees letting her eyes fall close “I plan to leave, not forever but for a time, travel … somewhere… then I will return and continue my work as a healer. I just … want to experience more. You know?” She was sure he knew, he was a Svefra and the question was more rhetorical anyways.

[Ragdoll]

Meowvelous Job!

Atoll, if you return to Miz, shoot me a PM and I'll be more than happy to grade your portion. c:

Alaia :

Skills

Skill	Points
Observation	3
Swimming	3
Socialization	2
Flirting	2

Lores

Mysterious Motives of Men
How to Perform CPR
Overcoming Truth Sense for Rak'keli
The Feeling of Attraction
Difference Between Healing and Feeling
Plans for the Future

Comments

I hope that was as fun to write as it was to read. Alaia is adorable when she's nervous!

Though I try my hardest to award you what you deserve, I may occasionally mess things up! If there's something you'd like to discuss about your grade, then please don't hesitate to send me a PM and I'll be happy to work things out with you.