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109 » i don't think life is quite that simple
art by cw9sq.
part two.
[Admittedly, it wasn't as though Lumine hadn't tried to warn him about this.
That's the part that she'll probably chastise him for, later, when all of this is over — and even though it's barely started, he has no doubt that it will eventually be over. His sister is the queen regnant of the sixteen seas, so no sailor is going to travel too far without being spotted by her eyes and ears — the Abyss Mages — sooner or later. If he isn't released, she will exact her revenge; he's confident of that. But for now, at least, he has a problem, and that problem is that he's gotten swept up in some seafarer's net.
The second problem is that it's not just any seafarer's net. When he's caught by ordinary fishermen — individuals on their individual boats with individual needs — Aether sometimes complies with being "caught" in order to reward the man with some pearls or a golden chain or some other meaningless treasure, then swims back home again after he's released. If he drifts into a commercial fishing net, he usually just summons his blade and cuts through the ropes so that he can be on his merry way. But this —
This was a trap. One specifically meant to catch him, at that. Maybe the humans caught on to the fact that their nets were too neatly cut to be torn by struggling fish or the teeth of stray sharks; maybe some others had seen him sunning on the rocks, gleaming with gold and jewels and other valuables in his hair and over his shoulders. But the net was reinforced with steel and he hadn't been able to get enough velocity in his swing to break through it before they'd hauled him up over the edge of the boat and found him sprawled out on their deck, cursing in a foreign tongue, unearthly in its beauty, echoing like the last remnants of a song —]
odqiɔɒлxɘ ƚuᴎꙅ ɒiнɔʊƚb? ɒqнi ɘɒʊил upɘ!
[The two men that have just hauled him up from the ocean depths are named Guy and Huffman, and both gape at him for a long moment before they realize that they can't answer him in his ocean tongue. Moreover, they have their orders, and their orders are absolute. Such is the first law of the sea, and all.
Huffman tears his eyes away from Aether first. "Captain Kaeya!" he calls over his shoulder. "We did it! We caught the merman! He's more of a lad, really — smaller than we thought, but... Come take a look! He's dripping with jewels, too!"
Well. Well. It's not as though Lumine never warned him about this, either. But who would have thought that wearing a favorite necklace or two would get him into so much trouble?
Tied up in the net and unable to wriggle his way off the boat and back into the ocean, Aether stops his struggling, leaning on his arms to glare at the man whose crew is now effectively holding him hostage. He clears his throat, speaks in a breathier tone, one that echoes less. It isn't as though he doesn't know the common tongue.]
...This is a poor way to entertain a guest, Captain Kaeya.
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[ And, honestly, this is not really the way that he's wanted things to go, but desperate times, they say. What's the more desperate measure than this? Oh, he's done far worse than engineer a trap to ensnare something beautiful from the ocean, something capable of paying debts that the rest of his crew have very little knowledge of. Hurting for money because of the rising price of gear, they say, or the overfishing in the area; they assume that this large ship is a gift from his late father, of course, and better for the poor grieving son to take to the waters and make something of himself, rather than just wallow back in the lonely halls of the manor like his brother. He'll do something amazing, everyone says. Even if he's just an adopted heir, surely he has the spirit of his gifted family name in him?
Sure he does. He cheats, steals, builds up a reputation in fishing and a reputation otherwise, the kind of person no one hopes to find when they're lost out to sea and in need of an SOS. His crew knows vaguely what they're really doing, but either they choose not to believe it or the money has just been too good to actually care. If there's treasure out there, Captain Kaeya's already found it. Smart, witty, easy on the eyes and a capable fisherman--a capable pirate--who could possibly hate a man like him?
It turns out a lot of people could. Those that he's swindled or beaten to the chase, those that he's pissed off with flippant comments that make a whole tavern burst into laughter. He's had enough threats on his life to build up a whole resume of them; and, as it turns out? Avoiding death is quite the pricey thing.
He's never really believed in those that live beneath the waters, drenched in their pearls and their silvers and their pretty gems, but here, right on his deck, there's one struggling against the net as he approaches it--one who speaks in a perfect mimicry of the common tongue, but that's not really how they speak, is it? He approaches with a smile that warms the one eye he's got visible; one hand settles comfortably on the hilt of the sword at his hip, a silent threat, though he doesn't think this creature will be much of a problem. Beautiful, aren't they? Pale skin, unmarred by scars or burns or injury--pretty, full lips, striking eyes--
Kaeya can't help but smile, as he approaches the net; he's not the type to swagger, his step is firm but sauntering, and he stops just short of where the creature might struggle out an arm and tarnish the polish on his boots. ]
But guests are civil, aren't they? Normally they sit in chairs and we drink a glass of ale together, but something tells me you may not be used to such a thing. [ A smile stretches out across his lips. ] And I'm afraid you haven't had a chance to introduce yourself, have you? By all means.
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You want to know my name...?
[Despite his outward hostility, Aether appears momentarily troubled; in all his long years of wandering the ocean depths, this is the first time any human has ever dared to ask for his name. It — it troubles him. Why? It isn't as though they'll be seeing each other again, surely...?]
...Such a thing would have no value to you.
[Interesting, that he says it has no value to Kaeya, rather than that Kaeya is unworthy of hearing his name.
Aether doesn't move to slam his fist against Kaeya's polished boots, of course. He flexes his fingers, but it's no use; his blade can't be conjured outside of the water. He's effectively defenseless, outside of the ocean depths, and he's still tangled up in the net, besides. Seething, he glares up at his one-eyed captor, pushing himself to what appears to be a sitting position, though it's not as though he can walk.]
You've captured me because you want something, and it can't be my name or an evening of ale. What game are you playing at?
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[ There's a soft click of his tongue in disapproval--oh, he'd like to cut to the chase just as much as he'd like to be rid of this creature, in a sense, would like very much to just strip him of his riches and toss him back in the water. Then again, is that such a smart idea? Surely he would return to his--den of--whatever they are, mercreatures, and then that will be just another name on the long list of things he's trying to avoid in the first place. The realization that he may have to keep this one here--or kill it, which is an option he's considered--means that his smile eases into something thoughtful, eases there and then disappears again. ]
I was hoping we could make you more comfortable, first.
[ He's not a fool, but he also notices the way that the creature's fingers curl, the way he flexes his fingers like he's seeking something: a weapon, perhaps, though it doesn't appear to be anything that he can conjure up. Is it because of the net? It's something special that he's had commissioned for such a task; it's a relief to know that he can't seem to struggle his way out of it. Still beyond reach, Kaeya crouches down, laces his hands together in the space between his knees--it's more polite when they're on the same level, isn't that right?
Here, closer, he can see the way the water starts to drip and dry along that pale skin, the fire in those eyes as they look at him--he likes it, admires it, even, that something caught so squarely in a trap would still resist the urge to just lay down and give up. ]
I apologize, I'm not quite as well versed in your anatomy as I may like to be-- [ That has his lips twitching into more of a mischievous grin, though it fits back comfortably again. ] --so you'll let me know if you're in any amount of danger, being out of the water for so long, won't you? I would hate to lose you before I even know you.
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Fine. Let's dispense with this nonsense. If you must call me something, then call me Aether.
[He doesn't really have any kind of plan. This isn't a game to him, or anything to approach with strategy. It's pure spite that motivates the mermaid to say his next statement:]
I will die if not returned to the ocean within an hour.
[That's a lie, of course, though he delivers it so smoothly that most onlookers would be tempted to take it as fact. It's a bluff, really. Maybe Kaeya will take the time limit seriously, and give Aether an opportunity to escape in one hour's time, or perhaps he will keep the mermaid out of the water in a sadistic effort to test his mortality. Either way, Aether will have learned something new about his captor — something more useful than his apparent predilection for games.
He looks so much, so much like any other beautiful boy, but his hips give way to his scaled tail and fins, and though his skin may be wet, his hair is impossibly fluffy and dry despite that he was just hauled out of the ocean depths. Despite his claims, he doesn't seem to be in any particular danger at the moment.]
Your next move, Captain? Are you going to haul me to your chambers and get to know me more intimately?
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As far as he knows, there is a considerable amount of time that the creature can stay out of water: there have been tales of them sunning themselves, of course, more akin to a seal or an otter than a fish, as it were. But he isn't sure if he wants to risk it. The haughty nature of Aether's words tell him he's likely lying, though. That means there's considerations to be had.
More intimate knowledge? It's interesting, too, that Aether offers this up: perhaps his kind engages in that sort of thing just as humans do, which also tells him something; he's learning a lot from relatively little at all, which is partially what makes his lips curl up into a smile that's truly pleasantly pleased. ]
Are you intending to cut my throat once I do? I'm afraid I'm going to need a bit of reassurance before I take you anywhere else.
[ He offers a hum, as though he hasn't already thought of all of this in advance. ]
What do you think about making a deal? We can discuss it in the privacy of my chambers, if you wish, but I can assure you I won't lay a hand on you, unless you ask. I will expect you to offer me the same kindness. Granted, we can also pass the time out here, though an hour sitting around doing nothing does seem like...So much of a waste, don't you think?
[ With a bit of a stretch, he pushes back up onto his feet, giving Aether a cursory glance--and a smile. ]
Your move, Aether.
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Cut your throat? I'm not that kind of monster. Surely you're more likely to cut my throat than I am yours?
[Well, that's true up to a point — though it's true that Aether himself isn't planning to do anything to harm Kaeya unless truly hard-pressed, he can't say the same for the Abyss Mages who will undoubtedly come searching for him once they realize he's missing. The problem with that, of course, is that it's impossible to tell how long it will take the others to even notice he's gone missing...]
...Take me wherever you must and discuss whatever you will. There's little I can do about it. Though if you expect me to drag myself like a snake across the splintered deck of your ship, I assure you I'll do no such thing.
[His bitterly haughty tone implies that he is too prideful to do so — but it might be more accurate to say that he can't, as long as the ropes of the net are beneath and around him to interfere with the friction. Forlornly, Aether rests his fingers on a square in the net, grimacing at how he can feel the hard cables beneath the twisted fibers pinning him where he sits. He supposes he'll have to be hauled up like so much flounder to be eaten...]
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A curious reaction, but the point of the matter is that Aether relents, that he gives in, and that much is to be celebrated, but perhaps not openly. It doesn't take some kind of aquatic genius to know that this creature is proud; perhaps all of his kind are, though it's not as though he has any comparisons firsthand to make any kind of basis for it. All he can do is offer a nod to his crew: two of them scuttle off to get the doors that will lead them down, along the rickety stairs, to the cabins, and the largest one which he intends to take Aether to, once he decides how to go about doing it. Oh, he doesn't trust that once the net comes off that he'll be civil: in fact, still on the deck, he's likely to escape right off the edge.
Drag myself like a snake across the splintered deck--that makes him laugh, on reflection.
Well, all that's left is to do it himself, then. He strides over, wonders if he's going to get a knife right into the recently repaired leather of his boot; he bends, both of his arms reaching, and it's a clumsy hold at first, uncertain, as he tries to balance the weighted ends of the net with the weighted end of Aether's tail, and gods, has no one ever wrote about how heavy these things are? Unbidden, a bead of sweat goes down his temple, but he's all smiles, and once he's gotten Aether and his net into his arms--carried bridal, which is another amusement--he makes his way around, goes sidelong through the door that's held open and quickly, quickly, they're shut into the dark of the inside of the ship.
Lanterns light the path, as he hauls him along--he gets them through the large awning of the main cabin, turns them around and then, carefully, he deposits Aether right onto the plush bed, net and all. Standing there with his hands on his hips, he lets his breath regulate, now that he's free of the slippery, wet burden, and then-- ]
Shall I take care of this net for you? Now that we have an agreement, of course.
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Well — he'd expected Captain Kaeya to be a haughtier man. Thought he'd keep his distance — snap his fingers, maybe, to prompt one or two of his shipmates to grab both ends of the net and have Aether carted like a school of flopping fish toward a bucket or a washtub or something equally undignified. Instead, the man comes closer, picks Aether up as if he's as delicate as some pretty little village girl scouring the shore for seashells... though he's clearly not, and Kaeya was clearly not prepared for how heavy his tail really is.
It shouldn't amuse Aether, but it does; his tail is a plump, meaty thing, with smooth and shiny golden scales he's always been a little bit proud of, and the mermaid wiggles it a little as he (surprise of surprises) wraps his arms around Kaeya's shoulders to make carrying him easier, despite the net. He shouldn't feel any sort of pity or camaraderie for the sort of man who would strip from him his freedom, but he can't help but find it endearing, the way Kaeya is gritting his teeth past his smile and doing his damnedest to manage Aether's unwieldy tail.
And maybe — even though he knows that he's been captured, that this is a potentially dangerous situation, that he should be more concerned about himself — by the time he's gently set down on that mattress, some small droplets of seawater seeping into the sheets, Aether is smiling and trying to hide his laughter, inexplicably and surprisingly radiant.]
Hmph... Do as you like. As we've established, I can't exactly run away.
[He's not quite so haughty when he's so visibly amused, is he? Curious, the creature pokes at the mattress past the net, touching the pillows with great interest. At least his top half is mostly dry, so he isn't getting water anywhere above his hips. The sheets feel so smooth...
...Is he... interested? He isn't saying anything, but he seems interested. Perhaps he's never been on a bed before.]
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After a moment's consideration, he lets his arms drop, reaches out to gently, and slowly, lift up the end of the net. It's heavily weighted, and it takes some effort to try to untangle it from around the merman without getting any bits of his fin stuck, or even his limbs. With the net finally free, a wet mess in his arms, Kaeya moves to the door again, his boots heavy against the polished wood, and once he emerges, it's without the restraint at all. The door closes, and he decides, rather than joining him on the bed, to take a seat in the rather poor-looking wooden chair at his desk nearby. He turns it, of course, so that he can face Aether while he speaks. ]
It's nicer when you put your head on it, of course. [ He means the pillows. ] By all means.
[ Legs crossed, his back against the chair, comfortable, he gestures with one hand to allow Aether to continue his curious consideration of the bed beneath him. It's not the first time the sheets have been stained with sea water, after all, and he doesn't much mind it. Likely he won't be getting much sleep tonight anyway. ]
Do you sleep? It's meant for sleeping, although I tend to use it for other purposes. [ And that, he says with a faint glint of a smile, watching for Aether's reaction. ] I don't know if your kind does that, either.
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The pillow and the bed must meet with the mermaid's approval. He makes a sound that sounds suspiciously like a dolphin's chirp and trill, albeit within the normal human vocal range, then flops his tail, seemingly at ease. He's not certain if the intimation about other purposes is what he suspects, but Kaeya's smirk speaks for itself.]
...Is pleasure all you think about? You can't have kidnapped me to speak of how we breed.
[He sighs, then shrugs, one-shouldered; the other is pinned beneath him as he lies on his side. His fine golden necklaces and pearl accessories fall at odd angles across his chest.]
Well, no one would find fault with your face, and you seem strong and virile enough. My brood-sisters would like you. If you walked along the shoreline alone on a summer's eve, I'm sure you'd run into one of us sooner or later. An exquisitely beautiful woman, eager to give you an night you'll never forget.
[Despite the teasing tone in his voice, the attractive picture he paints with his words, there's something faintly contemptuous in his eyes — something bitter, as Aether lowers his gaze and presses a hand below his navel, thoughtfully drawing it up to his flat chest.]
...If you mean to put me on display, I'm a poor example of my species.
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He's heard the stories. While some of them are egregiously false, even obviously so, there are certain details, here and there, that seem to paint a picture of something a little more correct.
Aether's eyes flash with something, hard to read, and he finds his own gaze drawn there, admiring the storm in them. Does he not like the idea himself? Is he already jealous of others coveting his own attention, or is it that he doesn't like the idea of anyone touching what he calls his 'brood' sisters? It's all quite fascinating, just as it's fascinating to see the way a sea creature stretches out and buries into his bed like he belongs in it. ]
You will be no display. I'm considering ransoming you, though I'm not certain if that would create more strife than benefit, for me...
[ One of his arms bends, drapes around the back of his chair; the other he gestures with, an open palm into the space between them. ]
So let me lay it out for you, plainly. I'm in need of money, you possess quite a few things that I could sell to obtain that money. Of course, what you have on you may not be enough, so... [ A brief flicker of his fingers through the air. Tragic. ] Tell me, what's the most cordial way of going about this? Could I exchange your life for a few more trinkets, or would that be useless? Do you know of treasure that I could take, rather than the jewels off your back? I'm trying to be amicable, here.
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Once it's been removed from his hair, Aether clasps the necklace again, then dangles it from his middle finger, holding it outstretched. His intention appears to be to part with his trinkets — or perhaps just this trinket — willingly.
And yet the look in his eyes is inquisitive, perhaps simply curious, as he continues lolling on Kaeya's pillow, clearly somewhat unconcerned about his "predicament."]
Suppose I said that I would rather die than help you? What would you do then?
[The question can't be a statement of intention, given that he's offering "the jewels off his back" to Kaeya right now. So then...]
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The distance is measured, between himself and Aether, but still, he risks it to take a seat on the edge of the bed himself. He can't deny that he's curious about the way that Aether moves, about how he feels, about what he smells like, and that long haul from top deck to underneath, here, hadn't quite been enough to learn much of anything--except that Aether's tail weighs more than he thinks the whole rest of his body does. So he reaches, with one hand, to take the trinket, holding it carefully, dutifully, so as not to rip it right out of Aether's grasp. ]
Well, I would convince you to see why that's not really in your best interests, of course.
[ The words sound absent: he's focused more on examining the strand of beads, turning it slightly in the dim light; his gaze flickers up, looks at Aether over the top of their hands and then he smiles, something slow and almost amused. ]
I'm afraid this one won't be enough, either. You have more to part with, or will it take more convincing, first?
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...Deep beneath the ocean waves, in the royal palace, I have hundreds and hundreds of useless baubles like this. A fraction of my wardrobe would satisfy whatever it is you need this money for. I could leave you with enough to live comfortably for the rest of your days, if such a thing was your desire.
[Slowly, moving as he speaks, the mermaid sheds another string of pearls from his hair, a golden chain. Another chain fashioned like a rope that has been draped across his chest; a different one in a thick herringbone style where every joint is articulated, like the skeleton of a snake. He has a handful of bracelets, too; these he slides off his thin wrists easily, brushing the bangles past his youthful hands so that he can set them alongside their matching necklaces atop the bedsheets.]
You have roughly two weeks before my sister's servants find me here. A month, perhaps, if you are lucky. And they will not pay ransom. They will show no quarter, either, if you dare to do something foolish enough to earn my ire.
[His movements are slow and unhurried — even oddly sensual. The creature wears no clothing to speak of, nothing of that nature, and yet he makes the careful removal of his finery look almost like a striptease. It's the way the slight movements of his body draw the eye to each piece of gold slipping off his pale skin; it's the way his eyes rest on Kaeya's as he talks, as if daring the man to speak, and break the spell.
With his neck bowed as if in penitence, Aether unclasps the last of his necklaces, and sets it on the bed along with everything else he's removed — and something in his expression speaks of infinite sadness as he looks down at his own discarded adornments, and thinks of everything that has weighed him down from the moment of his birth.]
...At the same time, my life isn't worth so much that threatening to kill me will change anything.
[The mermaid's jewels and pearls gleam atop Kaeya's modest mattress in neat rows, promising wealth, riches, a way out of the mess he's found himself in.]
This much, I can part with freely. If you want me to give you more than this, you'll have to earn it, Captain Kaeya.
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He watches the movements with the shrewd eye of a collector: almost as though he's admiring the pieces more than he's admiring Aether himself, though the languid, slow way he parts with all his beauties speaks to some kind of sensual air between them, sparking interest where there had already been plenty. Yet he doesn't give him the benefit of seeing how the movement affects him: there's just a smile, small and expectant, and rather than reach out for the creature, he moves along the mattress so that he can examine the pieces laid out there. He fingers over them carefully, touching them only enough to confirm their weight, their solidity; he sucks in a breath, and offers a faint, surprised sort of laugh. ]
This should be enough, for now.
[ His hand cuts down, about two-thirds through all the baubles and jewels--he pushes some of it back across the mattress, towards Aether. ]
The rest is yours. I don't need riches to support my future, only enough to ensure that I still manage to have one.
[ He pushes up, crosses the room to find himself a box to put his cut of the jewelry in: a simple box, really, with an ornate lid, the lock on it already busted open. Holding it at his hip, he moves back to the mattress, palms up his share and starts to gently lay it inside the chest. ]
...If you really have that much time, then, would you rather stay? You could consider it a vacation, perhaps, although if you need the water so desperately, I'm not sure how well we could accommodate that. Or are you going to admit to me that it was a bit of a lie?
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Confused, now with slow movements that are not languid and elegant but instead uncertain and shy, Aether takes up the precious few chains that have been left to him, winding them around his wrists once more. (Why dress at all, then, if he has no reason to? If his pearls and his gemstones have no value to him, what purpose is there in draping himself in jewels? Is it comfort that makes him cling to his shackles of gold like a swaddled babe might cling to its blanket? Perhaps the touch of metal is all the affection he's known...?)
Being called out on his lie makes Aether flush slightly, lips pursing in obvious embarrassment before — suddenly bereft of any intelligent thing to say, though of course he's a well-spoken and intelligent creature — he finally just rolls over with a flop of his heavy tail. Facing the wall, away from Kaeya, he burrows into the pillow once more and doesn't move.]
...I'm going to sleep!
[Struck a nerve, hasn't he? And yet it's almost refreshing, to see the way the mermaid finally, really and truly, sets down that haughty mask of superiority and harrumphs in the corner like an affronted animal.]
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There's a soft sigh that breaks his lips, but it's almost good-natured, fond, as he comes close to the bed again to put his hands on his own hips. ]
It's true, we have plenty of time until we dock again. You can sleep as much as you like. But...
[ He shifts, bends at the waist, moves one of his arms so that he can reach for Aether's tail--he runs his fingertips down the length of it, feeling the curious bend and pinch of scales as he touches it, the sandy grit where they must still have bits of the sea clinging to them. He's never really stroked a fish in this way; usually he's too busy gutting them for their meat.
Fingertips give way to one sturdy palm, as he gives the tail a very firm shove. ]
You'll need to make a bit of room for me, you know. This is my bed, and I'm not planning to rest anywhere else.
[ Satisfied that he's at least given Aether a clear warning, he twists, drops down onto the mattress beside him and settles onto his back; he's clearly unconcerned with the mermaid taking up as much space as he does, given the way he adjusts himself to rest his back against the headboard, feet crossed neatly at the ankle, and he reaches for one of the scrolls propped up near the bed, clearly intent on doing a bit of research or reading or both while he settles there, with Aether's permission or not. ]
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Regardless, the mermaid only shivers when his tail is stroked. It would be a lie to say that his scales are pleasant to the touch, but perhaps he finds it pleasant to be touched? The expression on his face is too conflicted to identify, but... he doesn't seem unhappy.
Upon being touched, Aether twitches — apparently, he still has sensation through his tail — and then he's shoved, and he huffs, slapping his tail against the mattress with a slightly disgruntled growl.]
Y-You don't know where you're touching...
[Is that so? And yet, despite everything, Aether rolls back over again once Kaeya gets settled, this time allowing the captain a bit more room on his own bed. Only a moment's petulance, perhaps.
Does the mermaid know where he's touching, though? He sort of — creeps into Kaeya's lap, not with his full body, but just his top half, palms touching the captain's thigh as he pokes his head inquisitively under Kaeya's elbow. More like a cat than a fish, apparently. He's surprisingly at ease; maybe that stunt with the necklaces has won him over some. Curiosity gleaming in his gold eyes, Aether cranes his neck to take a peek at what's in the man's hands.]
What are you reading?
[One wonders if he knows how to read. Well, if the mermaids can work fine jewelry, surely they must have written language? Though it's impossible to say with any certainty whether he can read the words on Kaeya's scroll when he peers at them...]
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Aether likely has little contact with humans--and how would he know where he's touching, where he's leaning? The press into one his thighs makes a disgruntled, surprised sound escape, but he twists it easily, turns into more of a scolding sort of chuckle as he bends one leg at the knee as though to bar some access, or perhaps more to protect the goods between his legs from the kind of plundering that will hurt if Aether doesn't keep his damn pointy elbows to himself. Still, accommodating as he is, he lifts the arm that's still between them, offering the safe haven of his side for the mermaid to lean in against. ]
Well. [ He says the word as though he's about to launch into some long story--as though it proceeds some great tale. ] I'll let you in on my secret, but only because I'm sure you won't tell a soul...
We got these off another ship, one that we sunk just a few months past. Turns out they were using some of these old stories to find their treasures, so...
[ With one arm lifted, settled somewhere around Aether's back and shoulders, his other hand has to do double the work, spreading out the scroll across his lap for the both of them to see. There's writing, of course, half of it scribbled nonsense, but the rest looks like a sizable map of the southern coast of Liyue, with notations for supposed 'ancient treasures' that no one has been able to find. ]
I thought I might have a hand at it, but I'm not sure how much of it is true. I don't suppose you've swam this far south, have you?
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Still, the mermaid doesn't shy away. He hasn't forgotten, of course, that Kaeya is the reason he's technically imprisoned — he hasn't forgotten that danger, but he also no longer thinks of it as a danger at all. Now that Kaeya's motivations have been established, Aether thinks, this is simply a vacation of sorts, a reprieve from the monotonous day-to-day of his hopelessly solitary life. A real adventure to compensate for his made-up adventures and his journey without end. He isn't afraid of dying, but Kaeya doesn't seem like he'd kill Aether, anyway — there's nothing in it for him. He isn't a danger to Aether, at least not under the story that the captain has given him; he doesn't seem like a threat.
Because his chief motivation seems to be greed — and what creature could possibly be more greedy, more avaricious, than a mermaid?
So Aether settles, and he relaxes, and he rests his head against Kaeya's side, where he's been welcomed. He listens to the rumble of the man's voice in his chest. For a moment, he closes his eyes a little longer than he should.
The comment about sinking ships, oddly enough, makes the creature laugh rather unkindly.]
You sunk another ship? And here my sister said we couldn't do that any more. [He shakes his head in a slightly scornful way. Maybe he hasn't lost quite as much of that earlier haughtiness as it first seemed.] You humans are worse to each other than we could ever be to you.
[Aether has to tip his head slightly to the side while he thinks — evidently, he can't read any of the human notations on the map at all, but it seems he does know that this is, in fact, a map. Recognition lights upon his face after a minute.]
Oh... this is Liyue, isn't it? Yes, I know its coast rather well.
[There's an island on the map that supposedly contains one of those 'ancient treasures' Kaeya is hoping to find — Aether points to it with a dainty finger, startlingly confident, for all that he's been occasionally shy.]
This island, here... Some sailors were there, two or three moons ago. A whole crew — about two dozen, all looking for something. [He shrugs.] None of them were as pretty as you, so I didn't pay them any mind. I don't think they found what they were looking for.
[The comment on Kaeya's appearance, somewhat jarringly, doesn't seem like anything he thought particularly hard about.]
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But Aether doesn't know any of that, and doesn't need to know any of it. As far as he's concerned, Kaeya is just another weak-willed, heartless human, seeking money and jewels for the sake of greed and power, sinking ships out of the rush it must give to his ego and his adrenaline-starved insides. And maybe, in some dire way, part of that is true. ]
Not as pretty as me? Oh, interesting. Very interesting.
[ His voice is warm, like honey drizzled over morning bread; he's never been complimented by a mermaid before, but there's a first time for everything. ]
I suppose if they didn't find it, then that just means it's waiting there for us to take it, now isn't that right? We'll head in that direction. It shouldn't take more than a day, maybe two, depending on the wind.
[ Decisive, he starts to peel the scroll back, to steadily roll it back up with his fingers, until he can brace it against his thigh and bundle it up tighter, though it's still remarkably difficult to do with only one hand. ]
Are you available to stay on vacation with us this long? It could be dangerous.
[ Could be, would be: no matter. Being able to live and breath underwater would likely keep Aether away from all of the danger; to be able to simply swim away from everything, plunge down into the depths and have the sound of gunfire and swords clashing move further and further away? It sounds like something of a dream. ]
Willing to risk your life for selfish, human-killing humans~?
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Rich, coming from the man who hauled me out of the ocean against my will. Do I not risk my life each moment I stay here?
[Well, it's true that Kaeya never threatened to kill him. It's equally true that Aether no longer suspects that his life is in danger. If he were being honest with himself, he'd even say that he's more relaxed here in Kaeya's bed than he's ever been underwater, but that isn't anything he'll admit to out loud.
Heaving a quiet sigh, the mermaid reaches forward, faintly impatient, like a mother fussing over a child struggling with a simple task. Humans, he might be thinking to himself. He doesn't understand why Kaeya doesn't just release him to use both hands to put the scroll away, but he takes over the motion, rolling it up neatly against Kaeya's thigh before handing it back to him.]
...Both my life and yours are insignificant things. If the other humans you encounter are hostile to you, I will kill them. I may as well see to it that neither you nor your crew comes to any harm while I'm here.
[How he plans to do that... he doesn't elaborate. But he looks up at Kaeya, a freshly haughty and defiant glint in his eyes, and then he —
— smiles.]
Perhaps you can earn yourself a few more blessings while I vacation here.
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[ The scroll is safely tucked up, now, thanks to Aether's help--he doesn't fuss with it any further, reaches to set it where he'd taken it from, and folds his free arm behind his head. He'll have to let the crew on deck know, of course, or risk getting too far away from their intended destination; but he also knows that they intend to stay rooted in place, at least for the next few hours, while everyone gets some rest and tends to supplies on board. By the time Aether falls asleep, he figures--
But do they sleep? One glance, sidelong, down at Aether, a speculative stare at his eyes; surely there's nothing that doesn't need rest, in this world, surely nothing that doesn't sleep or at least mimic it. A part of him wonders if they might fill a tub for him, but he's still curious to call that bluff: surely if Aether is in need of something, he'll demand it much sooner than it will become direly necessary. The mermaid has that sort of personality, he thinks--sharp like the inside of a broken seashell. He just wears his pearls on the outside, free for all to look at, but none to touch.
There is one, small thing that he has to correct: something he says with a laugh, as he sinks down against the pillows, tries to make himself more comfortable. ]
My life is not insignificant. Neither is yours. You'll see that soon enough.
[ His eyes close, but he isn't sleeping--instead, he's running his hand down Aether's side, settling his palm over the curve of one hip, feeling the way the skin gives to scales. ]
In any case, a little bit of shut-eye will do us both good. Don't pull a dagger on me in my sleep, hmm? I'd hate to have to wash the blood out of the sheets.
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You don't even know me, Aether wants to say, but he knows it would come out petulant and childish. You've only known me for the moment.
He's been too petulant and childish all day, made to feel things and flounder in ways that he hasn't for a long, long time, and he — doesn't like it. He decides that he doesn't like it. He doesn't like the feeling welling up in his chest, the one that makes him feel a strange warmth in his throat and his sternum, not quite like happiness, but more like he's about to cry. And that's stupid too, isn't it? He hasn't cried in a long time now. There hasn't been anything to cry about.
After a pause too long to be natural, still sitting somewhat upright as he looks down at Kaeya's closed eye, Aether reaches out, then timidly touches Kaeya's face, his fingers ghosting feather-light over Kaeya's cheekbone and jaw, as though he's afraid to make contact despite the way the man's arm was slung over his shoulder only a moment ago.]
...I wouldn't do that. I'm not like you.
[He stares for another moment, then settles down beside Kaeya on the bed, taking up only a small corner of the pillow where he might have defiantly sprawled across it as if to push the captain out of his own bed.]
I'm not like you.
[It sounds almost sad. But then, maybe that's just the cadence of his voice; soft and boyish and breathy, with a slightly haunting, ethereal quality that marks him as not quite human.
Aether falls silent for a time. It isn't long enough. He doesn't exactly need to sleep right this moment, and this is his first time sleeping on a bed instead of in a bubble beneath the waves, but if Kaeya is going to sleep, then he might as well try to match the man's pace. Unfortunately, the man's fingers keep insistently rubbing back and forth along the line where Aether's skin gives way to his scales and his firm yet strangely plush tail.
It would be charming if it weren't slightly annoying. He could just ask...!]
...Are you having fun? [Aether scowls a little, though he can't expect Kaeya to see it past his closed eyes.] How would you like it if I felt you up like a plump tuna...
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A strange thought, though: to think that a mermaid could possibly be envious of humans, could possibly want the boredom of being able to walk on land and all the horrible atrocities that happen because of it. In the same way that girls dream of being princesses and boys dream of being pirates, then, does a mermaid long to be put out of the water? To be away from all the beautiful jewels and expensive delicacies beneath the waves, to have a life that's bound by society's wishes and the opportunities available by virtue of birth alone?
No, he wouldn't envy a human's way of life, if he were a mermaid. Maybe Aether doesn't know what he's after.
The voice, impatient and almost annoyed, that interrupts the silence makes him chuckle: it's just a small sound, rooted down in his chest, and at once, his hand falls still. It lands on the plump curve of Aether's hip, where the tail dips down, and though he's tempted to ghost his fingers around the back, he keeps it playfully still. ]
By all means. [ He says, teasingly, and lifts his free hand up: he lets it hang, after a moment, off the side of the bed, as though allowing Aether all the space he wants for any kind of exploration he might be after. ]
But... Be sure to feel for the part that's most plump. [ Yes, he's absolutely teasing him. ] You'll find it between my legs, mind you.
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