Archie's brow furrowed--he had forgotten there was another human living in that cottage.

"Oh. That's right...oh!" He swam in an excited circle. "I know! Why don't you try to get her used to us? Then the shock factor wouldn't be too much...once she's used to us...you could explain the idea to her."

"Maybe..." Glory said. "I'll see what I can do. Maybe she'll even ask on her own." She sighed slightly. Life seemed so complicated while she was being passed through the family... But it had nothing on how complicated everything was starting to get now.

Léan was way too nosy to stay out of the conversation for too long, and he eventually managed to get past Damon and float up alongside them.

"What are you talking about?"

Archie fidgeted for a moment, and then smiled. "I wanted to see if we could get this 'Nana' person Glory keeps talking about used to us. Maybe even friendly towards us," he offered, floating on his back. "Maybe she could come out and talk with us!"

"Why so curious?" Glory asked. He seemed much more relaxed now, but she couldn't figure out why. Maybe he'd just decided to ignore the fact that she was human?

"You seem much more relaxed," she noted, voicing her thoughts.

"I've always been nosy," Léan drawled, closing his eyes as he floated. "And as for me being relaxed...I just am. I don't have to worry about anything right now."

Still next to Glory, Archie had a triumphant grin on his face. He mouthed 'I told you,' at her.

Rolling her eyes, Glory splashed some water at Archie. She already knew he was trying to get her and Léan together... Well, she wasn't about to make it easy on him. If it was meant to be, then it would be. No need for him to be interfering.

"It's nice to see you finally loosening up," she said instead to Léan.

Archie chittered playfully, splashing some water back, and swam off to play with Damon.

"Mm."

Léan didn't seem to have too much to say on the matter. He didn't know why he was so relaxed. Just that he was. He stretched himself out, and then glanced underwater. His tail swished back and forth brightly when he spotted a small fish swimming around below them, and he dove under to catch it.

Taking a quick breath, Glory ducked under to watch him for a few moments. He looked like he was having fun chasing the fish, and she couldn't help but think of a kitten chasing around a squeaky toy.

Once she started to run out of air, she broke the surface again and waited for him.

Léan popped up a second later, the fish caught in his mouth and flopping around, trying to get free. He looked content with leaving it there for a moment, swishing his tail back and forth, until he reached up and took it in his hands, dunking it back underwater and noiselessly killing it.

"Fish are fun to chase," he hummed.

"Oooh, you said the word 'fun'," Glory teased. "You aren't such a stick in the mud after all." She grinned. "I could tell you were having fun, too. You looked kind of like a cat chasing a mouse, it was amusing."

Léan rolled his eyes. "My mental dictionary has nothing to do with my being a 'stick in the mud,'" he replied, teasingly.

"Fish are always a source of amusement for me. Especially the larger ones." He paused. "I would never harm a marine mammal, however. Whales...seals...walrus...manatees...and dolphins, especially. I don't think I would ever harm a sea bird, either..."

When he finished speaking, he bit directly into the side of the freshly-killed fish, ripping a big chunk off--organs and all. He chewed thoughtfully, going back to floating on his back.

"So why did you have such an issue playing with Damon?" Glory asked. "It's almost the same thing, you're still just chasing him around, essentially."

"I don't get anything out of it," Léan reminded her, idly. "If I chase a fish, I get food in the end. There is no such thing when chasing around someone else, for instance..."

Glory rolled her eyes.

"Now you're just splitting hairs," she protested. "You were having fun both times, so what does it matter?"

Léan grumbled.

"I..." he sighed, stretching out more and taking another bite of his fish as to avoid talking about it.

Glory noticed how he refused to reply, and wasn't sure if she wanted to keep jabbing or if she should back off. Finally, she sighed.

"Tell me what's bothering you," she said. "And don't tell me nothing. You were very nearly cheerful thirty seconds ago."

Léan grumbled more, taking another big bite out of his fish and chewing a bit before replying.

"I already told you. I am not used to being around a human. And, this is more socialization--what has happened in the past three or so days--than I am used to in a year. So I am a little overwhelmed and just want to relax..."

"You WERE relaxed," Glory pointed out. "You were even cheerful. Then you just kind of... imploded, and now you're a grouch again."

Léan finished off the last of the fish--scales, fins, eyes, organs...everything--and contemplated that. He shrugged after a while, stretching himself out and relaxing again.

"I'm prone to mood swings...ask Arcturus," he offered lamely, closing his eyes.

"Uh huh, mood swings," Glory said dryly. "Should I head back inside and change into something dry and leave you to your mood swings, then? I need to put some aloe on my sunburn, anyways. I've been out here for longer than I really planned on."

"If you need to put something on your sunburn, then do so..." Léan encouraged, a bit quieter than usual. "I wouldn't want you getting hurt because of me."

He seemed...suddenly downtrodden, for some reason.

Glory noticed that he seemed sad, and she couldn't figure out why. Impulsively, she reached out and hugged him.

"Tell me what's wrong," she said. "Please? A little while longer won't make a difference..."

Léan was tempted to break away from the hug--break away and go hide somewhere deep underwater for a while, where he wouldn't have to deal with social contact for a decent amount of time. He settled, however, for just floating there.

"I am fine...I just..."

He didn't finish. Instead, he closed his eyes. "I need to rest for a while...this headache is killing me. May I tell you tomorrow, or when you come out next?"

Letting go of him, Glory nodded.

"I'll hold you to it," she said. With one last, quick hug, she turned and made her way back to the cottage.

She could feel her sunburn as soon as she got into the cottage, and she winced. Gently, carefully, she smoothed aloe lotion onto her sunburn. Once she was finished covering herself in the lotion she went into her bedroom and changed into dry clothes, gingerly slipping into her lightest shirt and hoping it wouldn't rub her sunburn too badly.

"Note to self... sunscreen next time," she murmured.

Léan was surprised that she had given in so easily. He was planning on telling her the next time she came out, but first...

They could all still be seen from the cottage, of course, through the windows. Léan swam over to Archie, had a calm discussion with him, and then the two of them, followed by a tired-looking Damon, disappeared beneath the rocks for the night.