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 Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:20 pm
 Joshua opened his mouth to answer, only for it to snap closed when Katalina spoke. He looked towards the siren, breathing a sigh of relief. 'It looks like he's okay. Well, as okay as circumstances allow.' He fidgeted, feeling like the outsider he was. It was odd, but this seemed like the first time he'd really felt like an outsider among them. "So....He'll be okay?" He asked, trying not to feel awkward. 
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Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:31 pm
Narcis and Katalina had lapsed back into their own speech, apparently forgetting that there were others around. By the tones and hand gestures, though, it seemed that Katalina was reminding him what had happened. Eventually, Narcis nodded and closed his eyes again.
Nezik had been growing steadily paler as the other two merfolk talked. He turned thankfully to Joshua when at last the boy spoke. "I think so," he muttered. Then, with a small, conspiratorial grin, he added, "Don't worry. I feel pretty awkward too."
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Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:37 pm
Joshua flushed a pale pink. He hadn't thought it had been that obvious. He sighed, flashing Nezik a tiny, grateful smile. He could help but feel even more of an outsider, listening to Katalina speak. The words meant nothing to him. Idly, a part of his mind wondered if he could learn it. 'Wouldn't that be something? To be able to actually talk in their own language.'
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Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:52 pm
When finally the two stopped talking, Narcis shifted his gaze to Joshua and Nezik. His gaze swept nonchalantly over them for a moment, then he came forward.
A few changes were immediately evident. The Siren's movements were much slower and less graceful than they had been before he'd changed into human shape. But he seemed otherwise all right, and since neither Katalina nor Nezik seemed in the least concerned, perhaps it was only a passing condition.
"Nezik," he said quietly, approaching. "Is it too much to hope for that you won't get into any more trouble?"
Nezik laughed. "Probably," he admitted. "But not at that rate, anyway."
Narcis turned his gaze onto Joshua. Though he said nothing, his small smile said what it had to.
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Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 3:01 pm
Joshua chuckled, hearing Nezik's answer. From what he'd seen of the young merman, it seemed the right answer. He began fidgeting again, seeing the siren's gaze on him. He relaxed though, seeing the smile. Nodding, the teen returned the smile and said nothing. 'Okay, maybe Nezik's right. Maybe we're more alike than I first thought.'
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Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 5:52 pm
Rose had retreated to the edge of the water a little bit down the beach. She slowly made her way back over, hearing Katalina say Narcis was awake. She stood partly away from the group, watching silently. She smiled watching the family interact.
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Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 3:39 pm
When Narcis shook his head slightly, their locked gaze was broken. "You are...not what I expected, Joshua," he said. It was implicitly understood that that was as close as Narcis could be expected to come to saying that he had been wrong.
Looking at Katalina for a minute, he said, "It is time I returned to my clan, I think. Nezik, I'll take you back to the caverns along the way."
The boy blinked. "But I don't want to go back," he protested.
Narcis gave a low groan. "Sorry, you have created a monster. Nezik, humour me in my weakness. Just come along and don't argue. I'm sure Sorry will let you come back, if you still wish to."
"But I--" Nezik started.
"Go on, Nezik," said Katalina wearily. "Mother is probably picturing all the worst-case scenarios possible. You should go see her, at least. I'll let you visit later."
The boy sighed, but he knew when he was defeated. Sadly, he trailed along behind Narcis as the Siren left.
Katalina watched them go sadly for a minute before turning her attention back to Joshua. Weakly, she grinned. "I suppose that could have gone worse," she decided.
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Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 3:49 pm
'Thank you Narcis.' Joshua could imagine it took a bit for the siren to admit that. He didn't say anything about Nezik, knowing it wasn't his place to do so. Instead, he just waved and called a good bye as they left.
He glanced at Katalina, grinning. "Hey, we all made it out alive. You going to be alright?" He'd already confirmed Nezik and Narcis were fine. Now he was just worried about Katalina. Mentally though, rather than physically. He couldn't imagine how she'd held up while they were gone. 
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Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 4:24 pm
Katalina, though, took it in a way Joshua presumably hadn't meant and flushed a little, before realizing that he couldn't know that and relaxing again. "Yeah. I'll be fine, I guess. I just..." She shrugged, smiled slightly. "Yeah," she finished, somewhat ambiguously.
Secretly, she wished that Narcis hadn't left. It would have been nice if he'd stayed...a little longer. Nezik, too, she quickly thought. But she could see her brother whenever she showed up at the cavern and asked for his company. Narcis she saw much more rarely.
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Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 4:42 pm
"Alright." Joshua didn't realize they weren't exactly talking about the same thing. "Darn!" He realized something quickly. "I had meant to ask him something!" He sighed and crossed his arms. "Well, I might see him again at some point."
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Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 5:36 pm
Katalina blinked. "Which one?" she asked, wondering who - and what - he'd been meaning to ask. "Maybe I can answer it for you."
She figured it was probably Narcis, but she couldn't see Joshua wanting to ask him any questions - however, nor could she see Joshua expecting that Nezik would know more about something than she did. Except, perhaps, for clan life.
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Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 5:49 pm
"I'd meant to ask Narcis something, but we were kind of busy running." Joshua shook his head lightly. "It wasn't the best time to ask something." He frowned, trying to recall what the question had been. "Give me a minute. I'll figure out what the question was. It kinda got pushed to the side, what with everything happening all at once." 'You know, I really do need a notebook or something. I keep finding questions, then loosing them. It's rather irritating.'
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Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 6:32 pm
Katalina gave a slight smile. "Well, I don't know as much about the Siren way of life as I do merfolk," she replied. "So you might have to ask him about it, if it's something really obscure." But if Joshua had forgotten the question, maybe it hadn't been as important as all that anyway.
She hoped he remembered it. Her concerns about Riiya were not fully alleviated, and she wanted to drop by soon. Just in case.
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Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 6:41 pm
"Ah!" Joshua's face lit up as he remembered. "Well, to start with, I'd been wondering how in the world the change is possible. From merfolk or siren, to human I mean. Why is there an age limit on it? Is it learned or a natural ability?" He paused to take a breath. He gave Katalina a sheepish smile. "Sorry. I don't mean to bombard you with questions. Again."
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Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 7:14 pm
"It's okay this time," teased Katalina with a smile, "because I can answer all your questions in just one sentence. It's a very advanced bit of magic."
After a few seconds, she expounded on this point. "Since it's so advanced - so difficult - there has to be an age limit. If you're too young or too old, your body won't be able to handle the immense strain that comes with making and then holding the change, and you'll die. It's a complete magical and physical drain, basically, which is why only the strongest can do it for more than a few hours."
She paused for a second and then continued. "Well, it's innate in that we can all do it, but it takes some training and help to do it right."
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