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"Right." Alice got to her feet and ran back up to the condo. What did mermen eat? then she remembered him eating a shark in the video so meat. She proceeded to put together a roast beef sandwich with the works and she grabbed an apply and a bag of grapes from the fridge before she ran back down to her friend. She sat down and laid the food out on her towel in front of him. "I hope this is okay, if not i'll go find something else."
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Léan studied the food in front of him curiously. The smell of meat was obvious, but it was meat from a land creature and not a fish--not something he was familiar with. Grapes, he was not familiar with...apples, he was--there was a nice little island a few miles out where apple trees grew all over, and apples often dropped into the water or near it.
"It's fine. I have never had meat like this before, or any of these strange little purple spheres, but I'm willing to try them..." Léan plucked up a grape, first, since it looked possibly less threatening than the unfamiliar meat, and nibbled on it absently. |
Alice couldn't help but laugh as she watched him test the food. It was just strange seeing someone try such simple things like grapes. "They aren't going to hurt you i promise." she smiled and leaned back. her smile faded when she looked down and saw his flaking tail. "Shouldn't you get back in the water soon?" she asked, her voice quiet.
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Léan shrugged, absently. "I can spend up to a week out of water," he replied, pointedly. "I have tested it out, out of curiosity...I start to fall ill after a week out of water, and need to head back in. So, I can wait until my wounds start to fully heal..."
He wanted no risk of blood in the water. Blood in the water meant sharks... |
Alice smiled at his curiosity and propped her head up on her hands as she watched him eat. "So Will that other merman be around here still?" she shuddered at the thought, she didn't want Lean to go back into the water and get attacked again. Alice stared out at the water wondering if the other merman was out their waiting or if he had moved on already.
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"I did a number on him. I have a feeling he's still nearby. I often have spats with other merpeople over territory...that's often why I don't stay in one place for too long. It's too much effort for a small bit of territory. Better to just move on when the time is right."
Léan started on the sandwich once he finished up the grapes. He seemed to enjoy the sandwich, and devoured it rather quickly. |
Alice smiled as she watched him eat the food she brought. She was glad it was satisfactory. But then her smile faded. Lean said he moved around a lot. Did that mean he was going to leave soon? she shook her head and ignored the thought. "You still hungry? I can get you some more if you are."
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"I don't want to trouble you. This is enough for now." Léan quickly downed the offered apples, as well. "Perhaps later, I will need something else..." He licked his lips, slightly. A drink of salt water would probably help him out...
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Alice smiled as she watched him eat. "Well just let me know if you get hungry again, and i'll go fetch you some more food." She Looked at him as he licked his lips. "Would you like a drink maybe?" She thought for a moment, what did mermen drink? sea water? It was strange to think that from her human perspective.
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Léan nodded, slowly. "All right...I will let you know. And...some ocean water would be nice, for me. It will help me with being out of water. I'm not used to it, you see...so I'm feeling a bit lightheaded and tired..."
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Alice found an empty cup and walked down to the water. She scooped up a cup full and looked out at the open water, wondering if the other merman was somewhere out there licking his wounds. She stuck her tongue out at him and then turned back to her friend. She walked up the beach and sat down on the sand and offered him the cup.
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Léan took the cup at once, and began to gulp down the seawater hungrily. It seemed he'd been craving it for quite a while. He could stay out of water for quite a while, but...he wasn't used to staying out of water for extended periods of time...
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Alice took the empty cup from him and proceeded to get him another drink. After she handed him the cup she sat down cross legged in the sand and stared at him.
"I don't think i ever said thank you for the video you made me." she said quietly as she looked at all his wounds. "I just wish there was something i could do to repay you or help you out. Honestly i feel rather useless right now." she sighed. Everything about Lean's life, she envied. his freedom and just the fact that he lived in the water, and the human absence from his life. Part of her wished she could trade her legs for a fin and swim. |
"You are welcome," Léan replied, after gulping down that cup of seawater as well. "You don't have to do anything to repay me, really...I don't mind..." He seemed puzzled by what looked to be a bit of guilt in her expression...
Did she feel somehow responsible for the attack? |
Alice looked away from him. "If you say so." She said, her vioce quiet. She still felt bad about everything. Maybe if he hadn't been busy filming for her he would have been better prepared and able to defend himself. If she could have she would have gone with him at least then she could have tried to help. Too bad she couldn't swim like he could.
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Léan grumbled. He hated it when people were upset, especially if they were upset because of him. He tentatively reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder. His fingers were long and spidery, like those of a pianist.
"The fight was not your fault." |
Alice looked at his hand before she looked up at his face. It was the first time that he had made the attempt at physical contact. Part of her was happy that he was becoming more comfortable with her. She gave him a small smile as she put her hand on top of his. "I feel bad either way. I mean you are my friend and you were hurt pretty badly. My fault or not I'll feel bad." Alice still blamed herself, but she wasn't going to let him know that.
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Léan jumped at the added contact and slowly retracted his hand. That was enough for him, for now. "All right, all right..." He sighed, lowering his head onto his hands. "...Is there any way you could have someone run a boat through the waters around here?" he asked, suddenly. "Boats terrify my kind...a boat hanging around will be enough to scare away the other merman..."
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Alice saw him jump and her small smile faded once more. Too much to hope for right now i guess. She thought. "Yeah My dad has little boat tied up at the dock. I can have my bother run it around. Or i can go get it if you wanted to ride in it." She didn't think Léan would actually want a ride, but she figured she would offer it anyway. She got to her feet and wiped sand from her legs and rear end as she waited to see if Léan would say anything.
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The color drained from Léan's face at the mention of a boat, and riding in it. "Er...n-no, I'm fine, thank you. Boats scare me as well, you see..." he admitted, sheepishly. "Just the sight of a boat puts me on edge..."
He watched her stand up, curious to see what she would do. |
Alice nodded. She figured he would say something to that effect. "Okay, well i will be back in a few minutes." She walked up the beach to the house and found her brother inside on his cell phone, talking to some new girl he had met in town. Her parents and youngest sibling had already left to go gallivant through town again."Hey James."
He looked at her crossly as he continued his conversation. "Listen, if you want to impress this little miss, why not take her out water-skiing or something." She grinned devilishly. "I have dad's keys to the boat." She held them out on her finger. James was quick to snatch them off her hand. "Yeah so Emma, i think i just found out what we can do this afternoon." He gave his sister a wink as he disappeared back to his room. Alice walked back down to Léan and sat down with a confident smile. "All taken care of. James should be out there soon and trust me if he doesn't scare off that other merman, his girlfriends screams will." |
Léan nodded, not sure of what exactly she had done. The word 'girlfriend' was foreign to him. Different kinds of terms were used underwater. But, he figured he shouldn't bother asking. "All right...if he scares the intruder off, I can head back into the water for a while...my tail certainly needs it."
His tail was starting to peel rather badly, though it only looked itchy and not painful. The peeling scales were not flaky at all...in fact, they were still beautiful and reflected the sunlight. |
Alice looked down at his tail and frowned. It looked strange and dried out yet still beautifully reflective. "Yeah if you go in while he's out there i would stick to the shallows, He's taking her water skiing or something so they need the deeper more open ocean."
The rocky cove sheltered their beach so a boat actually coming back to them was highly unlikely. He would be fine as long as he didn't go out really far. "Or you could wait till they are done, then you can swim where ever you want." She gave him a smile. |
"I'll stay here," Léan assured her, quickly. "I...I don't want to be in the water when a boat is nearby. I'm terrified of them, don't forget..." Boats were one of his biggest fears.
He glanced up at her, curiously. "What are you going to do...?" he asked. |
Alice shrugged. "I will probably just sit here with you, until you decide to get in. But then i'll probably swim too." She smiled. "I love swimming." Her smile faced and she looked over at him. "But i don't want to bother you or anything, so if you dont want me here just say so and i'll leave." She said quietly. It was true, she just hoped that Léan didn't find her company annoying.
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