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Terri is a free fish! Almost. The hideous mottled Angler has been sprung from her club aquarium and moved to larger enclosure within the city, solid rock construction providing shadows in which to lurk, and a creative assortment of obstacles from slowly rotating hoops to semi-opaque twisty tunnel mazes. This is certainly a step up from that tropical glass pillar. She was never meant for the life of a go-go cage dancer! A number of floating squeaky toys drift around the room as well, and she is randomly stalking one with her glowy lure when Merrisol comes by, looking for Liyandra and that other little scamp. Flamboyant Cuttlefish who possibly still needs a people-name.
Liya is back in Rebma, out in the country side of Amber, in Arden, at the Palace, at Rose House, home again, and then once again back in Rebma. A whirlwind life, it seems. She has Mayhem with her some of the time, though this time, she's without the big cat, since as good as he is, he doesn't really like being underwater. As she swims over to the new Angler Enclosure, said Flamboyand Cuttlefish slopes along behind her, trailing her while making nice spotted colour displays in big orange and black markings.
Merri is peering into the cave replica, observing Terri's new freedom of lateral movement, when his gaze is drawn over to something colourfully eye-catching. "Good afternoon Liyandra, thank you for coming," he hails with a lifted arm. It doesn't take another second to spot the little mimic gamboling along behind. He watches it make the sharp pointy fang-face with its remarkable front tentacles, and smiles bemusedly. "If I didn't know better.. and I really don't.." he remarks, "I'd say he was trying to bond with you, not the other way round. Do we have a name for him yet?" Meanwhile, the ripples of sound pattern on the water have attracted Terri's attention, and she comes up close to the window, tapping it up beside the man's blond head. See, they could totally pass for siblings!
Liya grins as she hears Merrisol, and heads over his way. "H'lo, Kerf," she greets warmly. And then she looks over at the cuttlefish, chuckling softly. "He's cute," she says, shaking her head. "Though - you might be right. He seems really impressed with Mayhem - when he saw the kitty last time, he splurted out ink - I had to take some time to calm him down." She holds a hand out to him, tilting her head a bit, in greeting. "I suppose we could call him Mimic?" And then she looks to the window, a bit bemusedly at the angler next to Merri. "It's definitely the hair," she says.
A brief sound of laughter is offered at the mental image of the wee jaguar impersonator coming snoot to snoot with the big 'kitty' himself. Merrisol doesn't laugh often but that is just too damn funny. Mimic pauses, drifting between them inquiringly, then curls a velvet smooth arm over Liyandra's thumb and turns a brilliant shade of blue for a second. "It's definitely the swim wear," Merri smirks, still amused. He then glances to the side, looking into the Angler's staring face up close. Like looking into a mirror, it is. "Shall we go inside? I want to see where we stand with regards to these two possibly playing a scouting role in a mission that must be carried out soon.. and if that is an option, if you would agree to go." Strapped over his shoulder and across his back is a single-strapped rucksack made of several zippered compartments. He pulls the strap until he can access a pouch that contains a water sack of live minnows.
Liya just laughs and laughs. Silly Mimic. "Oh, you are too cute," she tells the cuttlefish, not the least bit worried about such a poisonous thing that close to her. Hah, wait'll she gets a wyvern down here - that ought to be a sight. Ahem. Okay, maybe not. "Of course I will go, if it'll work. Let's go see what we can figure out," she suggests, reaching out mentally to Mimic to encourage him to come along with them. Curious little thing that he is, it won't take much encouragement. Liya gestures towards the fun tank, giving Merri the okay to lead the way.
Merrisol pulls on the grate that keeps most things from swimming in or out, and ducks through first. There's no glass separating them from Terri's toothy face or creepy skin now, but instead of rushing at them, she cruises sedately closer to investigate her visitors. A surface scan of her strange fishy brain processing would confirm that she knows who they are, and does not feel threatened by them. Mimic is a weird sight but still smaller than her and therefore not on her worry radar. Most prominently, she feels better being here than inside the club's glass columns, but is aware this is still not her abyssal hunting grounds. Her 'feeling' all these rights and wrongs about them and the surroundings translates into as direct a question as one is likely to get: What now? What comes next?
Pulling the grate shut again, Merrisol turns his back to it and says, "The details of the mission are too sensitive to talk over right now, however you're invited to a council this evening at Gwyn Gaer.. your oath to keep secret the facility's whereabouts will be required in writing. I have the documents for you after we return to the surface. Now.." He holds the bag of hapless live bait; minnows are cute and all, but apparently they'd have to be wearing little hats for him to champion their freedom of life and fin. "How complex an instruction can they handle? Two-part.. three-part.. such as, go over there, look around, then come back?"
Liya pauses, a brow arching. "That's pretty serious secrecy, though I've no problem with that." She shrugs, as she then says, "It shouldn't cause any issues, that I can see, at any rate." She looks at the little cuttlefish, and then over at angler the ugly before she looks back at Merri. "Shall we see?" she asks. She picks a random spot, and turns her attention to Mimic, seeing if she can get her message across. Go over to that orange tube, swim through and come back. Now then, let's see if it works or not. She sticks mentally with the little thing, seeing if she can help convince him, should he get lost or forgetful.
Mimic's slotted eyes make him look like the sea's sleepiest little student, but he perks up his front arms when deliberate contact is made. He turns slowly in place, observing the training grounds. Tube.. orange tube.. the visual idea of orange is conveyed as the tips of his arms turn the same shadowy tint as the indicated structure, and the he briefly makes a circular shape by stretching and curving. Only a little more confirmation and encouragement is needed before he wanders off in that direction, and pokes inside one end of the tube. It's big enough for Terri so he has no problem crawling through, feeling his way tentatively along the blown-glass cylinder. Merrisol watches quietly from his position off to the side but his fascination with the exercise is telegraphed clearly in his features. When the cuttlefish bounds out the other end of the tube, spends one curious moment turning like it might go back inside, but then flashes blue as though struck by an 'oh wait!' thought and swims back over to Liyandra instead, Merri heaves a pleased sigh. "Very fancy," he smiles at her.
From afar, Maggie snugs.
Long distance to Maggie: Merrisol heyyyys
Liya watches, her brow knitting as the little cuttlefish disappears into the tube, and she can't see it. "ONly thing," she says, to Merrisol, as she mentally praises Mimic for his good work. "Can't see what he sees when he's out of my sight," she adds. There's amusement and success written on her face, as she reaches a hand towards the little thing, letting him close in. "And treats are definitely in order, cause that was really well done. Not sure how we'd work out treats, in the depths, or even if these guys can go that deep. But I somehow doubt I can." She looks over at Terri, to see what the bigger fish is doing, curiously. And to call her over as well, if she can.
Maggie pages: Sorry about earlier. I'm a hair on edge today.
You paged Maggie with 'Nothing to apologize for. :) You mentioned mold again, though.. I'm not sure what that phrases means in terms of bad times. :P'.
Maggie pages: Heh. Oh, I am sorry. Well, there is the Midas touch where things turn to gold and the Gidas touch when they turn to mold. It's a moldy time here in my life. :)
Maggie pages: I guess that I tend to get flippant when I am near tears. It helps to try and maintain a sense of humor. :)
Merrisol unties the water pouch, comes closer, and carefully squirts one minnow out through the opening. The cuttlefish, radiating thrilled intrigue over the recent task and the shapes of pleasure and praise it encountered thereafter, slips away from Liya's hand as it spies the small prey fish in its vicinity. Strobing with a hypnotic array of patterns, it stretches its secondary arms in a flash grab of the minnow, reeling it in towards a hidden beak and a swift spine-chomping death. "Terri will be fine at that depth, it's closer to her native depth than Rebma has been. Mimic I daresay can adapt, but if you notice he is in any distress, we will return him to... a more comfortable level of pressure," says Merri. The scent of snack food in the water is easily picked up by Terri, who had been lurking nearby, and she stares stonily at Mimic for a long moment, seeming to ignore Liyandra's beckoning. The expression on her face doesn't change an iota, but she may as well be hrmphing when she does go over after half a minute. "Normally you wouldn't be able to take the amount of atmospheric pressure exerted at great depth, nor the cold exposure," Merrisol agrees, meanwhile. "But there's a magic protection that can be granted to alleviate the effects, as well as give you the temporary ability to breath the water like air. Martin taught it to me after the discovery of my Rebman blood."
You paged Maggie with 'Oh now that makes so much sense. I've never heard of Gidas Touch..'.
Maggie pages: I made it up. ;)
From afar, Maggie likes silliness and rhymes and stuff.
Long distance to Maggie: Merrisol hugs, well it's cool and you should copyright it or something. :D
From afar, Raphaela smooooch
From afar, Maggie hugs, "Thanks." :)
You paged Maggie with 'Insert it somewhere in your novel and that will be its entry into pop culture! :)'.
Long distance to Raphaela: Merrisol heyyyysssssssss
Raphaela pages: snuggleeeeee. how is?
Liya nods her head as she hears Merrisol, watching the little Mimic as he gets a treat. Terri, on the other hand, seems to be somewhat not quite so interested in Liya. She turns her attention to the bigger Angler, with some curiosity. "Hello, Terri," she says, sending the empathic emotion/image of greeting her way. "We still love you too, honest." She watches Terri, as she sees if she can get the Angler to even acknowledge her presence, just to start with. Merrisol gets a, "Really? That's a pretty neat thing - how does that work? Magic is such an intriguing thing, more often than not. I guess, I should really ask, what are the - spell components or requirements? I don't have to eat a live minnow, do I?"
You paged Raphaela with 'A lot better.. so much work past week or so.'.
From afar, Maggie laughs, "I could do that, yes. Good idea." :)
Raphaela pages: nodnod. slow rp.
Raphaela pages: ?
Huh? (Type "help" for help.)
Long distance to Raphaela: Merrisol would, but is in slowish scene with Liyandra in Rebma atm.
Raphaela pages: aww
Merri pulls the drawstring to the sack and protects it from Liya with the other hand covering. "Hey now, these are for the companion critters," he protests with a mock-grimace. Terri isn't getting one just now, although she has at least completed a one-step task in going over to the Sukhoti lass, even though the minnows are clearly over that way. Mimic takes his prize over to a shadowy nook to eat in peace. "It's a trick of the Selkies originally," Merrisol says, "and the only requirement is that you trust that I can give you everything you need with just a kiss." He looks down for a few beats, then back up. "That.. didn't sound quite right, did it."
Liya blinks, her eyes going wide and then her cheeks go a touch pink, before she starts to laugh. It's a full throated lovely musical sound of amusement, even under water. There's a gleam in her eye though she does keep her gaze to Merri's face. "I suppose it sounded quite right, depending on just what sort of proposition you are offering," she replies. "But are you serious? A kiss is all it takes? That's quite a burden of trust for those of us who need to depend on it. And no offense, Kerf, I'm sure you kiss just fine, and I'm willing to try it, but everything I need? I think I want more than just a kiss, so perhaps I am overly demanding." She looks back to check on Mimic, fleetingly, and then turns to Terri, now seeing if she can convince the Angler to head for a blue hoop, on the other side from where Mimic is, go through the hoop and return.
Outright laughter is not what he'd expected, although the sound of it is so captivating there's no opportunity for offense to take hold. Merri exhales into a warm smile, shaking his head a little at first... then stopping, and darting a quizzical look at Liyandra with his head starting to tilt like a canine who thought he heard someone mention schnausages. "Well.. I could take you to dinner first if you wish?" he offers, and might not even be joking about that. Terri the Angler's intellect is not as versatile as Mimic's, and is in fact a trickier challenge to find what combination of impulse and reward will make an impact on the primitive predator brain. It turns out she responds better to firm and simple directives, going to the hoop easily enough, but finding nothing of interest there, she foregoes the hoop jump and winnows back to Liyandra looking grumpy. Merri is a bit too distracted by other things to consider feeding her an under-sized 'You Tried' consolation minnow, though. "It's not that kind of a kiss," he is saying to Liyandra. "But, well.. maybe it is, in a sense. Because it is meaningful, and that level of trust, of faith, is powerful. I try not to think about it too deeply, though.. or it'll fry my logic pathways."
Liya watches Terri the Angler, and she has to chuckle softly, as she considers the results. "Merri, can we have a small minnow for Terri, please?" she asks. Since Mr. Rebman over there has them all. "She is going to be a bit trickier than Mimic, it looks like." That's a simple enough observation, though Liya does let the fish wait for her treat, before she continues on that note. She looks over at Merrisol, though. "Dinner would be a good start, except I don't think you and I are ever meant to be," Liya says. "But - do I trust you that much, I definitely do." She makes a face and then adds, "Don't fry your logic pathways, they might come in handy. And it's okay, you are safe with me. Besides, I've been dating someone else."
After a second spent to comprehend the one-step request given him, Merrisol juggles the water sac gently until the right sort of fish is near the aperture, and releases the drawstring to expel it into more open water. Terri turns her attention from Liya to the disoriented prey, and wastes no time trancing it further with her bioluminescent blip. When she strikes it is a bit horrifying to see just how long and needle-like her teeth really are when she unhinges her jaw and pounces the minnow. Horrors of the Deep for reals, yo. "...Oh." Merrisol blinks at the Angler, then looks at Liyandra more mildly. "I'm honoured by your trust, Liyandra. That is all I ask from you. Plus the occasional glass or fresh-squeezed fruit juice. But I will bring dinner next time. Have I met your someone else?" he asks briefly, looking to see if Terri is more amenable to trying again now that she knows there's snacks for reals.
Liya chuckles slightly, shrugging. "I'm not sure if you have or not," she says honestly. "I have been seeing Walter Karm." Along with who knows however many more, but Liya at least found a good old fashioned rebound. Although it might well be a relationship destined to disaster. She watchesw the Angler as the fish is freed, letting her know just who is responsible for that treat. Though yeah, watching that strike of the angler, it does bring a kind of relief that Terri is not bigger than she is. Liya however remains calm and sanguine about that, rather used to dealing with predators, it seems. She waits for Terri to finish her snack, and then tries again, calling the Angler back to her, and then trying the same instructions again. This time, Liya concentrates, trying to stay empathically with Terri as she goes, so she can give some encouragement along the way.
"I have, in fact. Though just in hawk form," Merrisol amends, then quiets down as a new trial begins. Terri casts around for more than just that one morsel, then settles down herself upon slowly picking up that there is some kind of cause and effect to the offering of the treat. She returns to the blue hoop with some goading, and pauses there again, blankly. The imperative to swim through the hoop, even knowing there is nothing of interest on the other side, is eventually accepted. She muddles her way through, and makes her way back morosely. Merrisol squips a larger minnow at her. Terri looks a it. In one scintillating moment, By George She's Got It. Being a fish however, who knows if it'll stick, and for how long. At least she's not that proverbial goldfish with the 15-second memory, given that she recognizes Merri, and now Liya, time after time. Fangs splaying, she grabs the fish, devours it, and goes poking around near Liyandra again for further instruction.
Aww so cute. Liya watches approvingly, giving Terri the same approval and warmth she gave to Mimic, or close enough to. So that the fish has a bit of help identifying that cause and effect. "There, see, they can both do it," she says, sounding proud of both little fishes. "Now let's see if we can make it stick. You ready to pick up the pace, Kerf?" she asks. Before she sends Terri off again, this time to a green hoop set that has two hoops to swim through. As Terri goes off, Liya keeps with her, working towards seeing through her eyes. Teaching her to accept Liya's presence there as a requisite for getting those free snacks.
Terri could use another fish or two before her belly registers as full, and the aimless swimming doesn't register as aimless anymore. Whether she registered Liya's praise in some underdeveloped portion of her brain as positive and even enjoyable, however, is more debatable. Perhaps in time it will. Mimic requires little convincing on that score. The little cuttlefish, taking note of the obstacle course activities going on without him, has left his meal half-finished in the nook. He now pops up to climb through first the blue hoop, then the green ones, without being asked.
Merrisol, in the act of shooting the Angler with another live treat, kind of stares, then looks over at Liyandra questioningly. Did you, er..? In the confusion, a few enterprising minnow make their escape through the open mouth of the water sack. Free! Freeee!
Liya can't help but chuckle at the little show off cuttlefish, sending him a bit of praise, and trying to convince him to get back to his meal. Which he never finished. For Terri though, Liya simply keeps at it. "She'll work for food," she observes. "But not much else at the moment." Mimic's antics though are a sheer pleasure, and Liya cannot help but be charmed by the little smarty-fins. She does pause to glance at Merri, to say, "You know, my friend, you don't have to bring dinner. Even if you do stop by to visit sometime. And - " A pause as she concentrates on Terri for a bit. "And - " Now she can't help but laugh as she waits for the inevitable free for all. Cause really - what else is likely going to happen. "Oh, here we go."
Merrisol is under the sea, under the sea, stuck in a cave, with Liyandra and fish, and a feeding frenzyyyy. "Hello - yes?"
The image of Maggie is standing in her cabin on the Wave Dancer, the porthole closed and latched behind her, "Hey, Kerf. It's Maggie." Outside, night is lightening toward dawn, so she is not likely to be in Amber or Rebma, "I just finished talking to Quin. He made an interesting observation. I..." She pauses to look at his surroundings, "Oh. Sorry. Want me to call back?"
Liya is chuckling, as she watches the feeding frenzy, half floating off to one side, as she just shakes her head. "The perils of treats that can escape," she murmurs softly.
Merrisol and Liya are not the main course in this particular crazed banquet. Minnows flash by, catching bits of outside light coming into the small cavern-like environs. An angler fish waddles past, shaking its glowy bob, then a cuttlefish strobing jaguar print patterns pounces through. Liyandra looks too amused. Merri winces, and almost lets go of the call, shakes his head a bit, then says, "No.. no. We were testing the companion critters and then the treats escaped containment. Is it time to go to council? Looks dark out on your side. We can pack up here and come through."
Treats escaped containment. Liya laughs again, at the wording Merri selected. She does give the man a shake of her head, though she stays politely out of range of that call, behaving politely, as he deals with his trump conversation. It's not something new to the Sukhoti woman, whose gaze only flashes his way momentarily.
The image of Maggie twitches a hint of a smile, though there is that overlying concern clear in her gaze, "Yeah, it is time." She does not glance toward the porthole, but does nod, "Just twilight out there. Well. Twilight on the island. Sure, come on through. I'll fill you in on Quin's observation later." Lifting her hand, she offers to pull the others through.
Merrisol has on his single-strapped rucksack, and he busies his hands with unzipping compartments and pulling collapsible units in which to house fish for travel. "I'll just call you right back, Maggie. I think we'd better bring our little team with.. there's tanks on the Solar Flare they can stay in when we get there. Need just a moment or so." He backs off from the call and helps Liyandra round up the posse, including a saltwater catfish that had showed up for the free food. Then he uses his trump to re-contact Maggie, and the whole shebang gang pops on through to the ship, leaving the lucky minnow survivors to find their own way out.
