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Glory rolled her eyes.
"Getting drunk on a school night was never the best idea in the first place," she pointed out as she found a seat and made herself comfortable. "Anyways, I told you earlier... We're looking for my father." |
"Guessin' you've got his sense of smell to go on and that's it. Might be a long time until we find him," Viktor commented, starting up the boat. It purred like new, despite not having been used for quite a while.
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"How is it that I seem to be the only one who finds this whole situation to be resoundingly not normal?" Glory marvelled. "Hell, I'm starting to think the only person I might get a proper reaction out of would be Selena."
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"If you want the satisfaction, go ahead. I don't get surprised by much anymore. Remember my reaction when I saw Léan?" Viktor had simply stood there and stared for a long moment before making an idle comment. It didn't seem like much surprised him in the first place. Quietly, he pulled out to sea, listening to Léan as he went. The land behind them grew farther and farther way, but Léan would know the way back.
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"You know what?" Glory said. "I shouldn't be surprised. I've lived in this town for months now, none of this should surprise me."
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Viktor chuckled--it was a deep, throaty sound. "Haha. We're not that weird, I assure you. It's probably just me." He was monitoring Léan's instructions carefully. "Seems like we might be out here for a while if he keeps this up."
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"It's not just you," Glory said. "Trust me, it's not." Curling up in her seat, she looked out over the water. It was different than being on the beach, but it was somehow just as pretty.
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Viktor's hangover didn't seem to bother him as he piloted the boat. "Boy, I hope we don't run into any coast guard. I don't want them to catch me somewhat drunk at the helm. Don't worry, though--drinking only affects my thoughts, not my driving skills..."
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"Somehow, that's not reassuring," Glory said dryly.
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"Pfff. I'm not gonna crash as long as I pay attention. I'm a master with boats." True, Viktor's maneuvering and driving seemed...spot-on, despite his condition.
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"Somehow, still not reassuring," Glory said, though this time it was more teasing than anything else.
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"You want to drive, hmm?" Viktor teased back, amused. He kept his eyes trained on the water in front of him.
((Time-skip forward one week.)) Léan hadn't lost the trail yet. He was proud of himself--it was growing stronger, and getting closer. He leapt out of the water suddenly, while they were cruising along. "Stop! I smell him below here." |
Glory jerked out of her light doze and leaned over the side a bit so she could see him.
"Really?" she asked. She wasn't sure whether she was excited or anxious. |
Léan nodded, looking quite happy...tired from all the searching, but happy.
Viktor gingerly stopped the boat, glad there weren't any large swells in this area. "You duck down below then, and see if you can't get him to come up here. We'll wait here." Léan knew he probably wouldn't get out of the confrontation without some kind of injury, large or small. According to his nose, her father was alone. Even more reason to be wary--again, nomadic mermen didn't take kindly to male strangers. Quietly, he smiled at Glory and slipped beneath the waves to scout. He hoped the older, unfamiliar merman wouldn't rough him up too much. |
Glory smiled back, a bit nervously. She didn't lean too far over the side, and she gripped the edge of the boat tightly enough that the tips of her fingers were turning white. She wasn't sure exactly what was about to happen, but she hoped that it was at least vaguely good.
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Léan scanned the surface below him for a long while. It took him a few minutes to reach the shallow bottom of this particular area. There was a small sunken ship that looked promising, like it might hold the merman. Tail half-tucked under him and head lowered, a submissive and defensive stance, he slowly approached the ship.
He came to a dead halt when he smelled him coming. He didn't smell all that happy. |
Azilis tensed when he smelled the other merman. He'd specifically chosen this area as his territory because there were no others around, so why was there someone else here? Angry, he went out to investigate. The sound of the boat earlier seemed to have stopped, so it seemed safe enough for the moment.
"Who are you?" he asked angrily in his native language. "What are you doing here? This is my territory." |
Léan kept his head halfway down, tail flicking back and forth in a rapid manner. He said nothing for a while. Instead, he extended his arm out. He was still holding the small plastic bag with Glory's hair, and scent, in it. "That is why I'm here," he replied, dryly. He seemed relieved that he wasn't being attacked just yet.
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Azilis looked at the strange package suspiciously. The younger merman didn't seem very threatening, and he was fairly sure he could take him on if he had to, but he couldn't be too sure.
"What is that?" |
Léan gave him a funny look. It was so completely mystified that it took away any ounce of fear or submission from his expression. Then, he blinked and shook his head a few times. "Pull the top open. It carries a specific scent. A gift from...Clarissa."
That was all he was willing to say on the matter, for now. He didn't want to speak too much in the presence of a merman older than himself. |
At the mention of the name Clarissa, Azilis was almost completely startled out of his anger at having his territory invaded. He hadn't heard that name for years. Still a bit suspicious, he reached out and took the little bag. It had an odd texture under his fingers, and it took him a moment for his mind to supply the term 'plastic'. Inside it was a knotted bunch of black hair, similar to his own. That set him a little bit more on edge, since he distinctly remembered Clarissa having red hair. Opening the bag a little, water rushed into it before the scent inside drifted to him. It was familiar, but not exactly the same as what he remembered from Clarissa.
"Where did you get this?" he asked finally. "Who are you?" |
"I am no one important." Léan didn't elaborate on his identity, for now, at least. He paused, and then cleared his throat, unsure of how he was going to go about explaining. He wasn't the best with registering the 'shock' factor and didn't want to overload it.
"Clarissa was pregnant when you left," he said, finally. "A long time ago. She had a daughter. That is her hair." He idly pointed above him, towards the surface, where the faint outline of a boat could be seen. "She's human. She's up there." |
"Assuming I even believe you," Azilis said, still suspicious, "what does it have to do with you?" He'd never told anyone about Clarissa, so how did this newcomer know? Unless this so-called daughter was real...
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Léan cleared his throat again, looking a tad sheepish. "I think it would be best to ask her that for yourself," he replied, finally. His issue was clear in his expression...he fumbled over his words, and wasn't good at straight-out admitting his own feelings to anyone else...even if they were feelings about someone else.
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Azilis was quiet for a moment, considering it. He wasn't even sure he fully believed what he was being told, but the scent on the hair was real, and it was very similar to what he remembered from Clarissa. It was worth at least investigating a little further. If nothing else, he would be able to chase the younger merman out of his territory and go on with his life.
"I'll go," he said finally. "But if I find you're lying to me..." |
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