The Nature of the Serpent

"Well, it's the least I could do," she said in response to his thanks. Her words had been soft and she felt just a bit odd, glad for his thanks but also like she hadn't deserved it. She watched him go back to his meal and decide it was because he had been philosophical again.

Walking over with her fruit she considered her options to opening it. If she had he sword she'd just cut it down the middle, but alas she lost that in the ocean and she would just have to deal with it. Using her knife could work, then she looked down at the sand and saw the bone saw. She sat down across from Aias and cut though the fleshy part of the frut to the nut under it. Shaking it she smiled, she could hear the liquid inside. It was still an odd fruit, not round like a coconut and the color was not like a palm nut. It was like a purple bottle now that she thought about it, or a squash even.

Unpeeled and braced against a rock she used the saw to cut at the smaller end. Once she had cut over half way through she tried to wiggle the rest off, but it was stubborn so she went back to sawing it until it was completely off, the liquid trying to escape until she tipped it up. "Well here's to hoping," she said as she poured some of the liquid into the palm of her hand and then took a careful taste.
 
He watched her and felt somewhat proud that his haul was proving to be useful. But when it was open he stood and walked up to her an odd and sudden determination and took the gourd from her the pot in the other hand. He placed the pot down and and upended the fruit the liquid spilling into the pod and with a clatter a small glowing stone fell out that Aias picked up and walked a short distance into the trees with before kneeling and laking a small hold with his hand buried. He offered no explanation or said a word but when he stood he resumed his usual posture.

He shook his head as if slightly confused himself before he sighed. "When you leave you cannot take anything from the island with you.." he said "Or it won't let you go."
 
Musetta had been worried that it might be bitter or salty, but the liquid was sweet and refreshing. It was going to work out well. When Aias walked over she was going to offer him some, but when he took it out of her hands she was surprised. Moreso when she heard the clunking sound of something besides liquid falling out of the nut.

For the briefest moment she saw the green glow, there was no denying what she saw. She watched Aias go away and bury the gem and return. He was baffled, that was obvious, and his words sent a shiver down her spine. She wanted to ask, demand even, what that was he just took, what he was talking about, but she was a sailor and as rational as she could be most of the time, she was still superstitious, the sea held too many mysteries to not be prudently so. Instead she nodded. "I wouldn't dream of it," she said instead. She wouldn't question it, because she might just not like the answer she got, or worse the answer might not like her question.

Absently she rubbed her arms despite the warmth of the sun, then she stood. "I'm going to survey the wreck," she declared, needing something normal and practical after that exchange.
 
The looked at the sea and turned to her looking eager, then his shoulders slumped and he went back to eating. "If you need me yell I think I should take a nap." he didn't want her to seem him underwater, not yet. She would ask questions and see things and it would be better if she didn't. "I'm worn out." he put on an act of being tired by lying on his side facing the flames. He hadn't even been into the shelter yet, with or without her but he didn't mind. Te sun on his skin felt kind of nice and was making him sleepy.

With an all too real yawn he looked up at her. "You know whats useful better than I do." He was admitting to not knowing human things very well, but she had seemed happy with the things he had brought up the first time so maybe it would slide. "If you need help though I'll be right here."

He sat up and looked towards the sea again, "Seeing your home like that ... I'll give you your privacy."
 
It was something of a relief when he said he was staying on shore. She hadn't expected him to, so she hadn't considered the idea of having a bit of privacy. Not that she planned on getting overly sentimental. This was just another salvage job.

Excpet it wasn't.

"Thank you," she said as she started to take off her belt. She didn't want extra clothing that would get caught on anything while she was down there, she even tied up her hair. She was making a mental checklist as she got down to her underclothing. Safety first, priority on anything that could make island life easier, no getting off the island...

As she walked into the water she paused as she felt the water on her legs. It felt nice and cool after being in the sun. Shaking her head, knowing she was just dawdling, she dove into the water. It was time to confront her latest ghost.
 
He didn't sleep, he wouldn't be able to, instead he got back up and watched her go. He knew who she was and why she was filled with so much hate. There was a sadness creeping up inside him. She couldn't live like this, consumed by anger and hating the wrong being. He needed to think, to push these feeling away. It was hard enough sharing the island with a human without feeling sorry for them and wanting to help them.

He walked into the trees and kept going, he knew every inch of the island even though he had never seen most of it. Why was he feeling? He was meant to be learning about her kind but instead he wanted to help and change her, change her perspective and show her the truth. She would eventually leave, but before then, he wanted her to be able to live.
 
There was no denying the eeriness of seeing a ship below water. That it was her ship made it doubly so. Her first swim was to look at the outside, to get her bearings, and perhaps to just say goodbye. Finally she was ready to go in. Taking a deep breath of water she dived. There were many things that could have distracted her, but she was on a mission and she tried to stay focused.

Her spy glass, ever a useful device and even if water had gotten on the inside she knew how to clean and repair it, even with what was available. A sword, any sword would do, as long as it had a sharp edge. She was about to leave when she saw something else, something she picked up without thinking. Her hands full for the moment she headed out a porthole, her intention was to get to the surface again.

As she came out she noticed ropes near her feet. If they hadn't been cut they easily could tangle up all sorts of things. Then she looked down further and saw her sword. What was it doing down there, below these ropes. Ropes she had been caught in she was sure. In her shock her hand loosened and she only had enough time to grab up the spyglass again. That which she had tried to salvage, though it was not practice gently fell to the bottom as Musetta rushed to the surface. Once above the water she tried to take a deep breath, but she coughed having misjudged slightly and getting some water in her mouth. She then started to curse, while she shook in the water.

On the sandy bottom, the box finally rested, half crooked and opened, it's song never to be heard.
 
The trees, net really trees. Just like this island wasn't really an island. Its had no tides because it floated... and moved, and was alive. Aias had been here longer than he cared to share, longer than she had had her ship. And yet the water was something he seldom left. He didn't like doing so and staying above the surface made him feel sick and strange. He'd endure that to pretend to be human, something he was surprised he was pulling off, or maybe she had figured it out and was going to attack him, or just didn't want to bring it up.

He sighed, keeping her here was a huge risk, but she had almost drowned. If she remembered him saving her then... He turned to look at the sea and suddenly dashed off on her direction, though the trees and to the beach where he stopped seeing her head on the surface... "Don't remember... please don't remember."
 
Taking a moment to just focus, Musetta finally started swimming back to the island. As she got to the shallow, she stood up, drenched and with her spyglass in hand. She looked a bit wide eyed as she walked through the water and when she finally reached dry land she just fell onto her back and looked up at the sky, shaking her head slightly as though to deny something.

Her heavy breaths slowly returned to normal as she closed her eyes to the sun. Not moving, just feeling the sun and the sand and the the sea water on her skin, she slowly rejected what she saw, what she thought she remembered. No, she had to be wrong about the details. It was madness otherwise. Maybe she was mad?

"I think I wasn't expecting it to upset me as much as it did. I'll go back out there later," she said aloud hearing Aias' footsteps as she stayed where she was, her eyes closed, both hands over her stomach. She just wanted to lie there a bit until the world didn't seem so strange anymore.
 
He sat next to her looking out at the sea. "Maybe you should let me do it." he said slowly. "If you're having difficulty, I wouldn't want you to drown." he looked at her and smiled slightly the expression not feeling quite right on his lips. "You are my guest and if you need anything you should just ask. I've been diving a long time.. this isn't the first wreck to line these shores. The first..."

He stopped, it was no longer around, slipped away into the deep ocean. "Storms coming, it will be here before sunset. We should get ready." he stood and started walking back to the campsite. "I don't know how bad it will be so we should get everything into shelter and see about making sure no rain is blow under with us." Avoiding water.. and then swimming, humans were strange.
 
"I'll admit you're better then I, but I think the initial shock has warn off. I won't be as distracted next time," or would she? Musetta sat up and shook her head a little trying to get rid of the thought. There were still things she hoped to get from the wreckage.

Though when Aias stood and mentioned a storm coming she frowned. A storm could easily shift things in the wreckage. It was inevitable of course, but she had hoped for some more time. Standing she brushed the worse of the sand off then followed Aias inland.

They prepared and then they waited. Musetta ended up making an almost soup with the mussels, though she let Aias handle pouring any more of the young fruit juice into the pot while she found something, anything, better to do. They were now both sitting with a half gourd filled with soup, looking up at the sky as it started to roll. There was something exciting and terrifying about storms at sea. Absently Musetta pryed open her first mussel and was about to eat it when she blinked. Sitting in the meat was a lovely black pearl. She blinked and picked it up, smiling at the simple loveliness of it.
 
The blanket arranged on the leaves, sand piled against the side of the boat to stop water getting in from that side, a scrap of blanket hung form the other side with stoned to weigh it down. and another blanket to be under. It was as read as they could get it. But with fish and muscle soup on the go they weren't going under shelter just yet even if the sky was darker. The lack of spoons didn't affect Aias at all since he had never use one, still he hadn't had soup before either.

"It this how you usually eat these?" he asked out of genuine interest. "I usually eat them raw." he looked at her and her pearl. "You get those sometimes, they're shiny but not very useful." he tilted his head "I usually don't keep them.
 
She took a sip of the broth, enjoying the odd sweetness of the soup. They likely wouldn't seek the shelter until the storm reached them or a little after. It was going to be tight in there, and at least for now they could look at something spectacular.

"It's easier then steaming the mussels I think. Goes further too, so that's how the cook usually does them. I can honestly say I've never had a desire to try them raw." The pirate had heard of a few men trying them, but she couldn't recall any saying they liked them like that.

Aias made her laugh at his next comment however. "Of course they're not useful, but when we get off this floating sandcastle their worth will be useful. People pay a lot of rare pretties." Looking at it for a moment she then tossed it at him. "Always look to the future." And still amused she continued eating.
 
She was talking about leaving again. "Then hold onto it. But be careful of what you try to take with you." he said before drinking some of the broth and lifting a muscle out with his fingers and putting it in his mouth. The taste was strange but he swallowed and looked at her. He wished he could explain, but she'd kill him. She hated the serpent and would hate him too if she knew. It was with these thoughts that he ate without speaking further as the low mutter of thunder reached them from the distance.

When he was done he placed his dish aside and looked at the sky. "There are strange things out here, but I'll help you get away, when the time is right." he chose his words carefully, he'd help her get away, he couldn't leave.
 
With her own soup gone, Musetta stood up and stretched, looking out at the distant lighting storm. It was going to be a good one by the speed it was coming. Already she was noticing the winds picking up. The sky was a distortion of colors with the incoming storm and the setting sun. The pirate captain was sure the storm would reach them fully before true night descended.

"The sea has plenty of mysteries. Don't worry, I don't plan on making our escape until we're well prepared." Even though she was eager to get away, she understood timing was everything. They'd want calm weather as well as a sturdy craft. Knowing where she had been headed before the crash she wasn't uncomfortable with choosing the direction they would sail off too once that happened.

Out in the distance she saw the sea ripple as rain started to pour down in front of them. It was coming!
 
Little droplets were beginning to be blown at them as the storm front closed in on them and he carefully placed the dishes in shelter before holding up the blanket for her and letting her take the more sheltered side of the shelter and entering after her closing the curtain and weighing it down with the rocks gathered for this purpose. Then they were against each other lying down listening to the wind whistling around them unable to move without touching each other.

Turning on his hide facing her with back to the weather he looked at her, the dim light still not affecting him as he looked into her face. "Not much to do now.." for some reason he was losing his ability to worm words. "There should be a blanket next to you.."
 
Once inside the small shelter, with the blanket drawn, there was very little light to see from. As Musetta settled in she felt Aias lying down beside her. Absently she wondered if he had even used the shelter to sleep in the night before. As she looked up at the roof, she supposed it didn't matter.

Turning her head in his direction, not that she could really see him any longer, she nodded and then reached over on her other side for the blanket. "Here we go," she said as she started to spread it out. While there were many, many things odd about the events on the island, this moment under what once was a boat was odd for very different reasons.

"The rain sounds nice," she said softly, trying to focus on something much more mundane. "Even with the storm being none too gentle, there's something nice about rain."
 
Water falling from the sky. The waves would be high, he could hear them against the reef. "Have you ever imagined a storm from beneath the waves?" he asked "With no fear of drowning, or worry about land. Just watching the flashes and the surface rising and falling." he pulled the blanket around himself to keep warm. "I am in love with the sea, have been since I was born. Not for what on it, or across it but for whats under it. And on it. Thats why I'm here on this island. What got me stranded here. But it hasn't changed."

He was hugging himself and looking at her, even though her eyes weren't focused on his and he realized she couldn't see in the dark. "What do you love in life?"
 
Musetta thought about what he said, closing her eyes trying to visualize it. "I guess I haven't," she said in a soft voice, her eyes still closed. "Or if I did it was a very long time ago," she amended as she thought back to her wild imagination as a child. Then she could have possibly thought up such a thing on her own, but now not so much. "Though I think it would be very nice."

As he talked about his love for the sea, she found herself somewhat puzzled. Unsure if she should ask what he meant exactly. He was very much a philosopher she thought and making points that required a lot of layers to understand. Yet his question to her was more direct, yet she didn't know how to answer it. "Love in life? You don't pick the easy ones do you?" she tried to stall as she tried to think of an answer. Any answer. She rejected the first thing that popped in her head though. She rejected it completely because it did not make her happy, it just taunted her, it took everything away from her. Plus hearing Aias' own feelings she had nothing to compare to it. "I don't know, just the little things I suppose." Even to her own ears her voice sounded flat.
 
He looked at her face a she spoke and felt an ache in his chest as under the blanker and shirt he wore part of his skin glowed softly red. "Too bust with revenge to think about it." he said. It wasn't a question.

He moved his hand and as the air pressure and temperature dropped put his hand on her shoulder. "Everyone needs something to live for, or they're not really living." he shifted closer. "Its especially hard out here with no one around, just the sea, and the fish. But I've never let go of what I love. I'm sorry you have." he went back to hugging himself and giving her a nervous smile in the dark. "I don't want you to have nothing that excited your passion."

He paused as the wind buffeted the the waves became steadily louder. "But you'll find something, eventually."
 
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