Fantasy Into the Depths

[Mountain Siren]

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[div class=back2][div class=back3][/div][div class=title]CASSIOPEIA ENYEART[/div][div class=subtitle]'Til morning comes, let's tessellate[/div][/div]


[div class=cont][div class=ScrollP][div class=ScrollC]The sunlight filtered lazily through the waves, warming Cassiopeia's skin and fins as she laid on the sand, watching the clouds through the ripples. It was the middle of summer, the peak time for sirens to find fools who fall into the ocean, though they were always easy targets in her opinion. She was close enough to the shore that she could hear the humans splashing and playing in the water, much too close for most siren's comfort, but she didn't care. She knew how to get away from them, how to hide in plain sight; she'd been doing it for centuries. Humming, she flipped over and looked out toward the shore, watching the legs of all the people running in and out of the water, splashing friends, trying to body surf but failing. She knew she should be further away from the shore; siren hunters were also most active in the summer months, since they'd finally connected the summer ocean disappearances with them, but again, she didn't care. She liked taking risks.

Finally, she decided to head closer to the docks. From there, she hid underneath one of the platforms and barely stuck her head out of the water, just far enough that she could hear what the people were saying. It was nothing of importance, really; she just liked hearing about their lives up on the surface. They were always talking about how some family member did something dramatic, or something that they saw on the television, or even just about how nice the weather was. For her, it was a snippet of the life above her, something she knew she'd never have. Then again, she'd never really wanted to live on land, despite the human lovers she'd had over the centuries. No, it was much more comforting to be beneath the waves, protected from the weather, drama, and overall hardships of human life.

Ducking back down under the water, she found herself swimming lazily back toward the beach. Something was drawing her near, but she couldn't quite pin what. She looked around underwater, checking to see if any ships or people were nearby, and poked her head back up from under the water. She couldn't see anything unusual, but something was drawing her toward the beach. Her thoughts drifted toward the last time she had eaten, and she realized she was nearing the limit. Has it really been that long? she thought to herself, turning her attention back toward the humans playing on the beach. The sun was starting to go down, so there weren't that many left: humans were notorious for leaving long before the sun went down simply because they were too cold to go in the water anymore. It's really such a waste of good daylight, she thought, still humming quietly. Looking around again, she spotted the empty section of beach that she normally used to change forms. She'd gotten into the habit of leaving clothes buried in the sand beneath some rocks for her to change into, considering how blatant it was to see a naked person coming up from the beach. Siren hunters couldn't tell what sirens looked like on land yet, but they knew it was a dead giveaway to see someone in the nude. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to put that together.

She began to swim toward the shore of the abandoned beach, but stopped. Something's wrong. She ducked her head back underwater, being careful not to be seen, and swam slowly closer again to the beach. She hid behind one of the rocky outcroppings that sheltered the area and peered over them, searching. Then, she saw him.[/div][/div][/div]

 

[VapidBeauty]

Summer break. The time when students were cheering for joy that prison was releasing them for a couple of months and parents were counting down the days until school started again. Among the eager students, was Jackson Delware. Truthfully, despite the sunny and cheerful mood that filled the summer air, things weren't going so well for him at that moment in time. His usually average grades were really lacking this year. On top of that, recently he just lost his minimum wage job at a local cafe he liked. It didn't pay much, but it was still more than he made when he sat around and did nothing. But the icing on the cake was getting into that huge blow up fight with his parents about whatever stupid shit they argued about now. Their relationship was a little rocky to say the least. Maybe that's why he was here right then. To get away from everything going on back at home.

It was five o clock, the sun had started to go down thirty minutes ago and most people who were having their afternoon fun were long gone as well as the lifeguards getting off duty, leaving Jackson and his friends in the water all by themselves. The waves were only getting higher, as the sun got lower. But the enthusiastic young adults didn't even seem to notice. Big waves, no big deal. More fun for them, right? Popping out from the water as he pushed his hair back from his face, Jackson took a deep breath from the salty and humid ocean air and closed his eyes, blocking out everything. He was a little farther out in the water from the rest of his friends, his feet barely touching the sandy floor below him. As much as he loved his little group, it did get annoying to be dunked underwater or jumped on or splashed by them every five minutes. He didn't think it'd be a big deal, he'd stay there for a few minutes to think then go back with the rest of his fellow companions once he'd relaxed. Simple plan, wasn't it?

Well, it seemed he miscalculated how strong the waves actually were that night. As his dark brown eyes opened, waiting for him on the other side happened to be a wave taller than he was ready to crash down on him at any moment. Before he could even react to the danger coming his way, the wave already hit him like a brick. He was shoved under, water filling his lungs nearly immediately from the unexpected and sudden shove. He was being tossed and thrown in all different directions by the unforgiving ocean. Trying to get a grip on the situation, Jackson swam as fast as he could up to the surface, gasping for air as his face reached the top. But he didn't get the opportunity to breathe. While one wave passed, another was right behind it taking it's place, this one hitting him twice as hard. Where were his friends? He didn't know. Was he gonna die that day? He didn't know. Hell, he couldn't even tell which way was up or down anymore, it was all happening so quickly... it was a blur.

The longer he was kept underwater, the faster he felt his conscience slowly slipping from him. Regardless, he struggled against the current, desperately trying to get back to land. Trying to get air. But he couldn't, it was useless... only a few moments ago was a struggling boy, now was a fainted body.

 

[Mountain Siren]

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[div class=back2][div class=back3][/div][div class=title]CASSIOPEIA ENYEART[/div][div class=subtitle]'Til morning comes, let's tessellate[/div][/div]


[div class=cont][div class=ScrollP][div class=ScrollC]Cassiopeia watched as the boy sunk below the water, careful to avoid being seen by his friends. He looks sad, like something's been going on, she thought, sinking beneath the water to watch him from beneath the surface. Why would a boy so young be in so much pain? She looked at him quizzically, studying his sharp features; he was an attractive boy, and clearly he had friends, so what could possibly be wrong in his life? Breaking her trance, she realized that she had been drifting toward him slowly, and she knew that he was the reason she had felt the pull. He was seemingly the perfect target: sad, lonely, even dragging himself below the waves, no effort required on her end. And yet...

Vibrations ran through her body from head to tail, and she knew there was a large wave coming. She poked her head back above water and saw that he had drifted much farther from where he'd started, the shore a good fifty feet from them. His friends didn't seem to notice, either; they were protected on the beach, the rocky outcroppings breaking the waves before they could get too close (it was part of why she'd chosen that specific beach). Shrugging, she began to actually swim toward the boy, maintaining awareness of the oncoming wave. It didn't matter for her, but should he still fight, she wanted to be able to use the wave to her advantage. Then, he opened his eyes, stopping her right in her tracks: she preferred to take down her targets quietly and quickly, and having him able to see her did her no good. She ducked back under the water just as the wave was about to crash down on them, and watched him tumble to and from underneath the wave's powerful crest, holding him under. Does he not know how to swim? She felt the vibrations of another wave coming, this one just as strong as the last one, and watched the boy struggle to find his way to the surface. He's going to get pummeled again if he's not careful. Again, she watched him get tossed below the surface, but this time his fighting was much weaker. Did he swallow too much water? She could tell he was starting to fade, his limbs moving with less conviction, the air bubbles coming from his mouth and nose growing smaller. Does this boy really have no experience with waves?

Quickly, she swam over to him, no longer worrying about him seeing her. So far as she could tell, he wouldn't be seeing anyone, and even if he did see her, he would surely remember it as a dream, mistaking it for something his mind conjured up in an effort to understand how he didn't drown. She grabbed him by the waist, pulling him toward the surface. She could feel yet another wave coming, but he needed air if he was going to survive. Using all her might (he was heavier than he looked), she broke the surface of the water and quickly glanced at the beach to see if it was empty. Conveniently enough, it was. "Some friends you've got, kid. Hopefully they didn't just abandon you," she scoffed quietly. Racing against the wave, she pushed as hard as she could to drag him alongside her, making sure to keep his face above water. She had to get inside the little cove before the wave hit, or she'd have no choice but to consume his soul. At least that way he wouldn't have been a waste.

She felt the wave gaining on her and just as she crossed the into the cove, the wave crashed on her back. Twisting, she forced him above her and onto the surface of the water, pushing with her fins to keep him above water even as the wave tried to pummel him back under again. If I was a religious siren, I'd say you've done something to seriously piss off the gods, kid. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of holding him above her, the waves ceased and she felt herself starting to run into the sand. Risking being discovered, she hid her head behind his body and peered at the beach once again. Still empty. She rushed to get him onto the shore, her tail turning to legs, her scales disappearing, her body exposed; no one was around to see it, though, so she didn't care. There wasn't any shame in nakedness, only danger if seen. She started to perform CPR, hoping the boy wouldn't be a lost cause. She did prefer a challenge to her meals, after all, so there would be no comfort or enjoyment in this would she need to take his soul. He coughed, and she turned him on his side, facing away from her. Her bag wasn't too far, she could change into her clothes and claim bystander-turned-hero. In fact, it was right next to them, just underneath some rocks. While still holding him to the side, keeping him faced away from her as he coughed, she quickly uncovered the bag, reached in, and pulled out a sundress. She glanced around one more time, just to be sure there was no one to see them, and awkwardly put it on one arm at a time. She didn't even worry about underwear; plenty of people went around without these days. What mattered was that the boy was seemingly fine, and she wouldn't be pegged for a siren. They were both safe, for now.

"Hey, you ok?" she asked, unsure if he was conscious yet.[/div][/div][/div]

 

[VapidBeauty]

He had to be dead. There was no way he could survive right? His friends were gone, the lifeguards were gone, and he was out so far in the sea in the dark that even a bystander on the beach wouldn't be able to see him, let alone save him. For a few good seconds of lying on the shore, the boy didn't move. His body as lifeless as it was when he was underwater. But after a bit of CPR from his red-haired savior, he sprung awake, coughing up all the water that had built up in his lungs as he turned on his side. Am I still alive? He wondered to himself. The last thing he remembered was being thrown under by that wave, everything after... there was just nothing. Although there was a faint memory of someone in the water with him, a girl maybe. But he didn't think anything of it. One of his friend's brought their girlfriend with them, something about the two of them needing some 'quality time' or something and Jackson's younger sister, Jamie, tagged along to keep her company so she wasn't stuck alone with the three boys. He just blindly assumed it was one of them who somehow accompanied him in the water, even if they were on shore last he remembered.

Now on land and somewhat conscious, his vision was still a little blurry making it slightly hard to see around him due to all the salt that got in his eyes. And his breathing wasn't perfect, his breath a little slower than usual but he was alive. That's all that mattered. 'Hey, you okay?' He could hear a woman's voice coming from behind him say, interrupting his confused thoughts. It didn't sound like his little sister. Didn't sound like Alicia, Jason's girlfriend, either. Weird... he thought they were completely alone on the beach, mostly everyone had left once the sun started to go down. Maybe he missed something? Turning around to face the stranger, Jackson looked at the girl in the yellow sundress with the most mesmerizing golden eyes he'd probably ever seen. Now he certainly knew this was someone he hadn't met before, he would have definitely remembered meeting her if he had. "Um... yeah-yeah... I'm fine I think." He said, his brain still not fully there yet, and the rest of him was still in a bit of shock.

Looking at the waves from where they were sitting, Jackson could see how stupid he was for going that far out. It was high tide, the waves were bigger than he initially thought. And the current must have been awful. But he didn't wanna think about his reckless and stupid mistakes right now. This girl just saved his life, he should be talking to her. How she did it? He had no clue. He was just thankful that she did. "...How'd you find me?" He asked, his voice a little raspy from just waking up but better than it was a few moments ago. Maybe he washed up on shore somehow and she found him unconscious? Maybe she was in the water as well and spotted him? Maybe she was a local, and she knew how to handle the forceful waves better than he did? There were so many 'maybes' running through his mind of how she managed to do it, none seemed to fit though.

The air was cold now with the sun now hidden from the world, leaving Jackson to be freezing since he hadn't dried yet. He was just about ready to go back to the house, get under the covers and warm up. But he didn't wanna leave without at least knowing this girl's name. He owed her big time for saving him while his friends didn't even bother to find out where he was.

 

[Mountain Siren]

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[div class=back2][div class=back3][/div][div class=title]CASSIOPEIA ENYEART[/div][div class=subtitle]'Til morning comes, let's tessellate[/div][/div]


[div class=cont][div class=ScrollP][div class=ScrollC]"Hey, take it slow, you just got demolished by those waves," she said, still holding him at an arm's length. The poor kid, though looking better than he was moments ago, was still coughing and his voice raspy, and she'd seen enough people freak out and overwork themselves too soon after getting dragged out of the water. Now that they were on land, she was able to get a better look at him: he was young, clearly in his early twenties, maybe so young that he'd just come of drinking age. He clearly was the kind of boy who always had a sort of scowl on his face, one the human girls would peg as the "bad boy"; at least, that's what he looked like to her. It also made a lot more sense now why he'd been so heavy, the kid was built, and nothing weighs more in water than dead muscle weight.

"...How'd you find me?"

She pointed at her backpack, as if that alone was an explanation. "I always come to this little cove when I swim, the waves are usually gentle within the rocks and it's a little more private, so I don't have to deal with people while I'm here." She turned to face him fully, releasing him from her grasp, and began to wring out her hair. "I was out in the water when you and your friends came, so I figured I would wait and see if you guys would leave before I came back. Then I saw you wade out into the water, and we both know what happened from there." She smiled coyly at him, shaking her head back and forth at the questions she knew he was thinking. They always wonder how. "Let's just say that I've been swimming in the ocean all my life, so I know how to deal with a wicked undertow combined with huge waves." Her expression turned stern, and she crossed her arms over her chest, almost as if she was a mother scolding a child. "Just so you know, the waves and the tide always get higher and stronger as the sun sets, so if anything, that's the time when you should stick closer to shore rather than far, ok?" She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a large, fluffy yellow towel and wrapped it around his shoulders. Glancing over her shoulder, she scowled again. "I don't see your friends, but I'm hoping they just went to look for you. Do you have a phone or anything on you? Do you know where you're staying at?" He's clearly not a local. "I know this place like the back of my hand, so I can help you find them. You feel ok to stand up?" she said, standing herself and offering him a hand. She wiggled her fingers at him, somewhat to entice him to take her hand, but also because she loved the color that her nails always were when she was in human form. They were an iridescent gold with a faint blue shift, not quite the same as her scales, but just close enough to help her feel at home in her human form. After all, she did lose nearly a foot in height. Everything always felt so tall when she was standing on two feet. "I'll even get you some hot chocolate or something, you look like you could use it," she said, teasing him lightly.[/div][/div][/div]

 

[VapidBeauty]

'Let's just say that I've been swimming in the ocean all my life, so I know how to deal with a wicked undertow combined with huge waves.'

That made sense, she did have that beachy and relaxed surfer kinda look to her. One that he wasn't used to but definitely could get used to in the short few weeks he was staying here. As she almost talked to him as if he were a child, Jackson almost felt embarrassed about the whole ordeal. He was the annoying tourist that everyone wished would go away wasn't he? "Yes, mam... I'll keep that in mind." He responded, his voice starting to sound like it was back to his regular self. He glanced at the towel now covering his skin, feeling the warmth of it around his shoulders which was a nice contrast from the icy air around them. "...I'm... from Cleveland so I guess you could say that I'm not exactly an expert on this kinda thing..." He explained to her. Back where he was from, the closest thing they had to an ocean was lakes. But it wasn't exactly the same. And even then, he didn't go swimming very often.

"Don't worry about me, if I can handle a ten-hour drive with the knuckleheads I call friends, then yeah... this might as well be the highlight of my week." The boy stated to answer her question about whether or not he was alright, his voice a bit lighter and more joking than the few times he spoke before. Though he was a bit under the weather when he was in the water, he seemed to be out of that funk now. He was just glad to be alive right then which kind of lightened up the mood. As strange as it was, nearly dying really could brighten up the rest of the day. "Phone..phone... my phone... of course, isn't with me." He said looking lost in thought for a moment as he tried to recall what happened earlier, sighing as he remembered he handed his stuff to his sister before he got into the water to keep safe for him. Which meant all of his shit was gone, including his phone, money, and his wallet with his ID and all that essential garbage he needed.

Grabbing her hand that she offered to him, Jackson stood up and looked at the light brown eyes in front of him. It was a bit surprising to think she was the one who dragged him out of the water, the girl definitely had more strength to her than her appearance let on. But he decided against commenting on that just out of respect. "So.... is this some kind of trick you've got going on around here? Wait until some idiot from out of town drowns, save him, and then ask him out... or am I just special?" He asked, a small smirk curling up on the corners of his lips. He was a bit of a flirt, even he couldn't deny that. But he was single and on vacation, he figured why not? She looked around his age too, not too old not too young. "I mean, hot chocolate sounds amazing right now but you were the one who saved my life... I feel like I should be the one buying you something to drink." He said, not even sure if he was flirting with her or just repaying her at that point, he really did owe her for saving his ass back there. Right now, he didn't have any money on him but maybe that was a good excuse to make a rain check to see her another day.

"We're staying at a beach house like really close to here actually..." He told her, giving her the address of the place... Renting a beach house was expensive, even though they got one on the smaller side of the options they had. "... Do I get to know your name at any point in time in this conversation? Or am I gonna have to wait to find that out?"