PM to join One Hot Summer Evening

[Kaizer Dragos]

Summer, 6, 515

The sun had just set over the horizon leaving Lhavit cloaked by dusk. Nocturnal by nature Kaizer always enjoyed night more than day, however, the summer heat was still enough to make him sweat. In nothing but a pair of cloth trousers the man laid on the couch in his home trying not to melt into it. He even briefly considered hiring a reimancer to come freeze his entire house just to cool it off, then discarded the idea thinking they likely didn't take pocket change for payment.

“Eek,” Truffles said, lay on the arm of a couch.

“You sure said it little buddy, it's way too hot,” Kaizer said. The two remained silent for a moment longer before the ferret stood. It quickly scrambled across the couch, not caring who was laying on it, and made for the opposite end table where the wash basin was. From there the sound of a small splash could be heard, followed by a light sprinkling of water wetting the man's face. The basin was normally kept half filled with water for general hand and face rinsing, when not used for full bathing. Sitting up and turning over slightly Kaizer could see the ferret, now soaked, peering over the edge of the bowl.

“Truffles, you're one weird ferret,” Kaizer said.

“Eek,” Truffles said, before continuing to splash around in the water. Hearing the animal splash around in the water made Kaizer slightly envious, then it occurred to the man he could just go down to the beach. Despite not being able to swim he did visit from time to time, staying in the shallower part of the ocean where his feet always touched ground. Tired of sweating and being hot, Kaizer decided it was time to cool off. That in mind he put on a simple shirt, not bothering to lace it up, and made for the door. Half way out Kaizer slid one leg to the side and made a low whistle. Soon there was a streak of water up one leg, the shirt, and a drenched ferret on the man's shoulder.

After a rather uneventful walk through the city, Kaizer walked onto the beach. Three steps later he started doing the 'hot sand dance' because of bare feet, and quickly made for the wetter portion of the beach where the tide washed in. Truffles climbed down and quickly started to play one of his favorite games which Kaizer called 'Chase the Ocean'. The ferret would run after the water as it retreated back into the ocean, then quickly run away as it came back.

For his part Kaizer sat down in the sand letting the cool ocean water wash over his legs and hips. During the summer the beach was quite popular, never the less Kaizer leaned back on his hands enjoying the smell of the salty ocean water. The feel of the water washing over him as the tide lapped back and forth was a welcome relief to his home which was quite hot at the moment.
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[Tanell]

Tanell

Bubbles fled her lips, burbling to the surface of the waves in a whimsical dance. She watched them ascend, lazy in the cool embrace of the water as the tide rocked her back and forward.

The heat of the day had pressed her to swim, if that was what you called her current activity. She was nestled into the sand, a small reef her company on the sandy sea floor. She chewed happily on a large flat leaf of seaweed, the other strands of the plant swayed with her in the current, continuing unaware of the predator in the form of the Konti.

She luxuriated in the water rich environment, her gills filling endlessly as she daydreamed in the ocean. The small rocky coral was pretty, and the plants and sponges that grew from it were many in shape, color, and size. The motion of the water made the plants come to life, seeming to expand and contract with the waves. Small fish, many of which were unfamiliar, and many that she recognized peeked in and out of the holes in the rock, or out from behind the broad flat ridge of the pink plant that was closest to her.

She was content to sit and watch all day, the gentle ministrations of the sand and sea wrapping her in memories of different sand in a different sea off the coast of the white isle.

What changed her mind was the soft break of moonlight through the water, dazzling her with beauty as it alighted upon a shell, large and soft peach in color, it sat, the opening wide and flat, and by all appearances unoccupied. This was inspiration enough to move, to drag herself away from the rising of bubbles and the pass times of fishes. Curling away from the opening was a tiered sort of spike, with each tier growing rough protuberances of their own. It was beautiful, and it only grew more so as her swimming brought her closer. There she found the opening tapered, falling down into the base point, and curving back around to form the spiraling, tiered spike. The color she had thought was solid was not, instead it was formed by lines that followed the curves and contours of the shell, some orange, others more pink, all with white between them.

It was beautiful. A conch, abandoned on the ocean floor, and she would have it now, perhaps to display in her window, or maybe there was another use it would serve. She could hardly know now, nor could she ponder the choices, not until she had her hands on it.

When she did grasp it, her excitement was too much to bear, she had been hoping since she arrived in this city that she would find some beautiful reminder of her sea home to bring to her cottage on mountain, and now she had.

Light filtered down on the fish as well, a break in the clouds offering a new dynamic to her private underwater world, so it was with great reluctance that she put effort into the press of her legs against the water, following the line of bubbled towards the surface.

She surveyed the beach, usually quite populated, but today the gathering of people was sparse, a lone man on the shore, further in the distance the blurred lines of a couple. She blinked water from her eyes and the haze cleared, it was indeed a couple on the beach down the way, unabashed in their affection for one another.

Her bundle of belongings was tucked up off the beach proper, where a rocky outcropping crashed into the water. The sandy path ran just beside it, and she could still see footprints from someone's recent passage in the sand. Probably from the man just down the way. The water was deep here, allowing her to grasp the rocks and press herself up with a combination of the strength of her arms and the kicking of her feet. She leaned across the stone, placing the shell neatly beside the bundle of shoes and clothing. She preferred to find spots like this, where she could store her clothing without them filling with dry sand.

The contrasting heat across her chest as she stretched across the rock married delightfully with the salt spray as the water crashed upon her back and legs. The reach of her arm putting the shell near her clothes, but the overhanging protected them from the spray. Had she made any attempt at all to stay covered by the water, she wouldn't have reached the bundle of clothing, or anywhere near it either. It made the spot just right.

She put her now free hand against the rock, pushing herself up as she turned to survey the ocean. Her hair fell about her in a wavy sheet, spilling across her shoulders and back, falling smoothly over her breasts until finally it came to rest in dripping strands around her waist, just short of her hips. Just short of being in the way as she held herself over the rock and admired the beauty of the ocean behind her.

The break in the clouds closed, and the departure from the direct touch of Leth's light, sent Tanell back into the surf, seeking instead the touch of the water rather than the chill of the breeze that came off the ocean.

[Kaizer Dragos]

Still seated in the surf, Kaizer closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the cool rush of the water as it crashed against his skin and clothing. It was a welcome relief from the sweltering heat of the day that was drawing to a close. Truffles was in the middle of one of his weasel war dances, frantically hopping around at the ocean, which told Kaizer the little animal was having quite a bit of fun. As the heat was slowly washed away he took a long deep breath of salty ocean air. Sometimes it was the simple things in life one had to take time to appreciate.

To the sound of a small splash Kaizer opened his eyes and looked over seeing a young woman near an outcropping of rocks some distance away. At first it was nothing out of the ordinary to him as there were other people on the beach, then after a moment the man almost did a double take realizing she wasn't wearing any clothing. The first thoughts to come to mind weren't lewd or improper as some might think. Instead he took a moment to simply enjoy the view of a young woman with a slender body, framed by long blond hair. He watched her for a time not only thinking she was quite beautiful, there was something different, but at this distance he couldn't put a finger on it. The pieces finally fell into place after he squinted slightly, noticing a pair of gills.

“Well I'll be a monkey's uncle, a Konti,” he said. Kaizer knew the Konti were an aquatic people by nature and also quite peaceful. Though he'd only ever seen a few in person none of them were ever up close. This was the closest that Kaizer had ever gotten to one. Now the man watched Tanell with considerable curiosity, even going so far as to stare, albeit unintentionally. When she dove back into the water Kaizer stood from where he was, shivering lightly as the ocean breeze brushed up against his skin.

He walked into the ocean until the water was nearly chest height, then taking a deep breath he knelt down and opened both eyes. The water was clear, but still salty which stung his eyes, though this was something Kaizer was used to by now, it was mildly irritating but not enough to make him shut them. It only took a moment to locate the Konti woman and he watched as she swam through the ocean in a seemingly effortless manner. Beauty and grace were both something that Kaizer admired, and he was even a little envious of her ability to swim, something he'd never learned to do.

While watching Tanell he noticed a tiny black figure floating by as it frantically tried to swim against the current. With a slight rolling of the eyes Kaizer reached up and grabbed it, leaving his left arm above the water from the wrist up. Almost immediately Truffles was in the palm of his hand. That was something else Kaizer had to keep an eye on, while the ferret liked to play around the ocean, his small size made swimming against the ocean current rather difficult. The ferret didn't mind getting wet, or playing in water when it as hot, but he wasn't an avid swimmer.

Still watching Tanell for a moment he stopped to think about what an odd sight this must have been, both above and below the water. Above water there was merely a hand sticking up with a drenched ferret on it, while underwater he was squatting down with an arm sticking straight up. To make the situation even goofier Kaizer's cheeks were puffed out like a hamster from holding his breath. It was almost enough to make the man laugh, but doing so under water wouldn't have been a good idea, and thus he refrained from doing so.
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[Tanell]

Tanell

She ducked beneath the surf, the waves slipping past with only the gentle rocking as their call to the Konti, the webbing between her fingers and toes scooping water as well as any fin, pressing her forward in a jubilant dance through the surf. She never grew tired of this, the twisting, turning freedom of the water, grace that could only be had within a watery embrace.

It was flying, a twist of the hand sending her veering in a new direction, a more powerful kick spinning her into a whirlwind of hair and bubbles. Her own joy was so great that it overshadowed the sound of the man who had caught sight of her, the sound of curiosity, and happiness melding with the sound of her own contentment until a startled fish veered to a halt just short of her face, causing her to draw back and pause.

She realized then, the sounds she had been hearing, another mind, one not her own. A laugh burbled past her lips, escaping purely in bubbles, for she had been caught, acting a fool as a child might. She couldn't contain her excitement though, to have been so lucky today, after spending such a lovely time in the reef. She couldn't summon the proper emotions, to look abashed, ashamed of being enjoying the water that was closer to her home than the cottage on the mountain tops.

The man in question was no better, crouched in the water, a single hand raised above his head like an ape dangling from a tree, puffed cheeks only added to the appearance, and another bubble of laughter obscured her vision as the ensnared air rushed across her face.

She came to a semblance of standing, righting herself in the water, and gave a wave towards her awed spectator. A blush tinted her cheeks, caught in the childish mood, but worse things had happened.

She gave a quick glance to his puffed cheeks once more, and pointed up, towards the surface. A signal, if he was paying attention, that they should reconvene their meeting in the air. Unless the man spoke Char, they could go no further in speaking beneath the water.

[Kaizer Dragos]

As his head broke the surface of the water Kaizer exhaled and took several deep breaths. Truffles also took the opportunity to scramble onto his favorite perch which happened to be the man's right shoulder. This was going to be quite interesting for Kaizer as he'd never had the chance to meet a Konti before and he was quite interested to see what Tanell was like. As the young woman surfaced he was quite eager to ask a number of questions, but there was another matter to tend to first. Above all else Kaizer considered himself a gentleman and wasn't about to forget his manners.

As Tanell approached he bowed slightly, “Good evening m'lady, allow me to introduce myself, I am Kaizer Agamemnon Dragos,” he said, then decided to it was to add a little charm to the introduction, and gently took her hand in his, lifting it high enough to plant a small kiss on the back. “And might I say it is both an honor and a privilege to meet a woman as lovely as you.”

“Eek,” Truffles said.

“Ah yes, and this is my ever faithful friend and companion, Truffles,” Kaizer said. Still fascinated by the young woman, he took a moment to look a closely at her neck, obviously interested in the gills. Following that he looked at Tanell's face, specifically the scales.

“I must say you are quite fascinating to look at, both as a Konti and a woman,” Kaizer said, adding a little wink at the end.

“Eek,” Truffles said.

“I do believe my friend agrees with me,” Kaizer said. With a smile he waited to see how Tanell would respond. The young woman was quite pleasing to the eyes and Kaizer made it a point to keep his eyes above neck level lest he be rude in behavior. She appeared quite friendly and he was interested in hearing what Tanell might have to say after a less than graceful underwater introduction on his part.
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[Tanell]

Tanell

She swam in towards the man, coming into speaking distance as he stood, and then she too stood up. Or would have, if the water hadn't been so deep, the man was quite tall to stand comfortably in such high waters. She settled for keeping afloat, an easy motion of her legs making circles from the knee bringing her head and shoulders above the water with minimal effort.

"Good evening m'lady," He began, introducing himself, a bow marking the beginning of his words. "I am Kaizer Agamemnon Dragos," he informed her, lifting her hand from the water to kiss. It was a charming move, made all the more dazzling in appearance by the beads of water that pearled over the scales on her skin. Or perhaps it was vanity that made her feel so? She decided she would not comment on it.

She couldn't help but to smile, the creature on the man's shoulder adding humor to the affair. She wondered if he always carried the creature with him, it seemed a lovely idea.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Sir, and you also, Truffles. I am called Tanell." She informed them in return, would that she were able to touch the ground she might have curtsied, as it was, she inclined her head instead.

The sounds of the man's mind were relatively clear, happiness, curiosity, the symphony of sounds otherwise elusive, though light in tone. Curiosity was the loudest, perhaps the most clear, whether in sound or action was difficult for Tanell to differentiate. Even as she thought it, she noticed his examination of the gills at her neck, and the scales over her skin. She wondered if he thought her strange.

A wave crashed over her, swirling her hair about her face for a moment before the tide pulled it back to float in the water around her. She blinked the water from her eyes, and shook it from her face with a gentle motion of her head.

He did, finally, draw a burble of laughter from her lips, the complement paired with the gracious agreement from his furred companion was plenty to bring mirth to the Konti.

"Thank you. You are very kind." She replied, her gratitude for the compliment sincere despite her laughter at the playful delivery. "I don't believe I have seen you here before, do you come down to swim often? Surely we would have met before, perhaps you prefer to spend time at the port instead?" Her questions were light, shifting the conversation away from herself. Too easily she would fall into the trap of his words, and vanity came all too easily to her lips in such situations.

[Kaizer Dragos]

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Sir, and you also, Truffles. I am called Tanell,” Tanell said. The woman had a very pleasant voice which brought a smile to Kaizer's face. The various species throughout the land were something that he had always been interested in learning about. The way Tanell moved made it easy to see that the water was like a second home to her. For Kaizer it was more of a summer excursion to escape the blistering heat. However, having been gone for from Lhavit for over a year and only recently returned, the cool waters of the ocean were a very welcome sensation.

When a wave started to come in Tanell didn't see it because of her positioning, Kaizer on the other hand just closed his eyes and reached over grabbing Truffles to keep the ferret from being washed away. The three of them got soaked as the wave crashed and it was a feeling he enjoyed. Something else that made Kaizer curious was the way she looked at him. It made the man wonder about what the Konti was thinking, though without knowing Tanell any better he was completely clueless.

"Thank you. You are very kind," Tanell said. "I don't believe I have seen you here before, do you come down to swim often? Surely we would have met before, perhaps you prefer to spend time at the port instead?"

“Until recently I spent a good amount of time traveling abroad. After the passing of my father Heinrik in the summer of 513, I needed away from home and hearth for a time. However I actually don't frequent the ocean as often as some. While I'm sure this may sound quite peculiar to you, I can't swim,” Kaizer said. Being unable to swim was something of an annoyance because he knew it could prove to be a vital skill, especially if one were to fall into the water. Something else Kaizer didn't mention was that he'd nearly drowned as a child, something that kept him away from the ocean for many years.

Those thoughts lingered for a moment, then returned to Tanell, specifically her gills. One of many things that he was curious about was the exact process by which they allowed one to breath underwater. He wasn't sure if a Konti's lungs filled with water when breathing in this fashion, or if the gills merely filtered air. Kaizer was also curious if the Konti shared any traits with fish aside from scale and gills.

While thinking these things over his eyes started to wander for a moment as Kaizer looked down at Tanell, finding her to be quite physically attractive. So lost in thought the staring didn't register in his mind for several moment.. When it finally did Kaizer's eyes snapped back up to hers and he smiled a little sheepishly. Such behavior in the presence of a lady was bad form, but it also wasn't often that he found one as attractive as Tanell swimming in her birthday suit.

“Apologies for my rudeness dear lady,” Kaizer said.
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[Tanell]

Tanell

The explanation caught Tanell by surprise, it seemed quite a thing to admit to a near stranger. She nodded in understanding, though, the passing of a loved one was hard to bear, and that she knew quite well. "I am very sorry for your loss, but I am gladdened to hear that your heart has healed enough to return after so long has passed." She nodded again at his explanation, a surprising number of people here didn't know how to swim despite the proximity to such large bodies of water.

She began to speak, but he seemed distracted by something, drifting through the thoughts that accompanied his words, and she left him in peace. The familiar thrumming beat of lust beat through her mind, and she couldn't help the coy smile that parted her lips as his gaze drifted low. He seemed to comeback to himself as another wave crashed over them, pressing her closer to the man once more.

He snapped his eyes back up to her own, looking not quite apologetic, although his words said otherwise. She was closer now, the water pressing them both back towards the shore, towards each other. She preened under the attention, shaking her hair back behind her shoulders without making a conscious effort to do so.

"I don't feel inclined to call you rude, Sir." She corrected him softly, the words relayed past the coy smile that had yet to fade from her lips.

She found him rather attractive as well, although the healthy dose of silliness helped to douse what might have otherwise kindled a flame, so she felt no need to chide him for admiring her, she admired him in much the same way.

Attention was more commonplace, it was the mirth and the charismatic approach that caught her attention, she could allow him a slip or two.

She glanced at the sky, Leth's moon growling bright in Syna's absence. Zintila's stars dazzling as always even from the lower altitude of the shore. She loved the glistening radiance of the gods that owned the evening, her admiration only growing with the change of the city as night fell dark around them.

"Perhaps we should depart the water soon, or the night hunting fishes might mistake us for snacks." She teased, as yet another wave pressed them back towards the shore.