The Shoreline

"Is it really that easy? I had no~o idea!~"

Palser chuckled, casting a quick glance at Reeius before looking back up at the sky. Unlike his fellow sea dweller he could never get enough of the smooth ruffling of the kite wings. Pulling on the string to drive it lower over the water. Unaware of the stirring under the inky black waves.

"Interesting is o~one way to~o put it. But I co~ouldn't quite do~o that. I actually much prefer the co~ompany o~of lo~ow blo~o~ods. They can be rather fun and can surprise yo~ou."

Shaking off the memory of that green blood out of his head. Lost cause there. Whether the other sea troll would agree or feel appalled it didn't seem to be a factor. After all, Palser figured, it was him and one other troll he may never see again. Who would really care? He was already ostracized, what was another of his caste shunning him?

And with Palser's attention suddenly pulled away for that split moment he couldn't react fast enough when a fin broke the calm clarity of the water. A fishy leviathan breaching the surface and catching his prized aerial device before vanishing back into the ocean.

"...Fffffff-"

"Go~o~od thing I pack spares."

There's a sad tone in Palser's voice as he muttered under his breath. And when he says spares he means a good dozen or so inventory. Perhaps from Reeius's point of view he couldn't see that his kite had in fact been chomped down in its prime by some deep sea beast. The string snapped and with nothing else at the end of it he begins to reel in what was left. He tended to loose more kites like that.

"Perhaps yo~ou and I can take a trip into~o the city. If that catches yo~our interest. Tho~ough I'd like to~o get to~o kno~ow yo~ou a bit better."

The smile he directs at Reeius is anything by innocent. Nope, not suggestive at all.

"Yo~ou have a Mo~oirail. Ho~opefully no~ot as difficult as mine."

"The city is a great place to mingle. But I warn yo~ou it is full o~of lo~ow blo~o~ods, so~o yo~ou must be sure abo~out wanting to~o go~o. The experience can co~ould use so~ome getting used to~o~o."

He didn't want to be liable should Reeius suddenly couldn't handle being surrounded by those he deemed unworthy. His moirail caused enough scenes. And any unnecessary culling would be nice to avoid. Laughing lightly at the mention of shared frustrations with their moirails.

"Ah, I kno~ow the feeling all to~o~o well. So~ometimes yo~ou do~on't kno~ow what to~o do~o with them. But yo~ou can't very well live witho~out them."

Without his kite Palser's attention was focused all on Reeius now. And he found the way his new friend snuggled into his hoodie rather endearing. Taking a few steps closer before planting himself on the sandy shore. Idly brushing off his pants.

Palser seemed content with Reeius's response. If his fellow high blood said he wouldn't cause trouble then he would believe him. Besides, who would really want to stir up trouble with a pair of dashing sea trolls anyway? No one, that's who. Debating whether or not tonight would be a good time to go.

"Well," he chuckled to himself. "If we had Mo~oirails that were much like o~ourselves it wo~ould be to~o easy. I think o~our Mo~oirails need to~o co~ompliment o~our traits. He brightens my mo~o~od and I keep him calm."

Keep him calm and mostly non murderous. Though Palser might be lacking in the latter. Not his fault Zeraki found a new troll to occupy his time with. And he could forgive him for that.

"Tho~ough when I first met my Mo~oirail I tho~ought I was flushed at first sight. It was the mo~ost o~obsurd thing. To~o~o yo~oung to~o tell the difference, I supo~ose."

He wouldn't go into detail about how he first met the blue blood, never got his troll tag, went about stalking every blue troll tag he could randomly find before coming across the right one. Ah good times.

Try as Reeius might Palser didn't overlook the way he caught his fangs on the sweater. Managing not to snicker but his wide grin said it all. He might have said something if Reeius hadn't cut him off. Giving another casual shrug of his shoulders. "Sure." He could see how talking about one's moirail could get boring.

"Well, I had no~o o~other plans to~onight. I was go~oing to stick aro~ound here a bit lo~onger, but having lo~ost o~one o~of my kites already I think I'm do~one. Did yo~ou have anything in mind?"

The night was still young. And a trip to the city would have been a nice change of pace. It had been awhile since he'd been to the bar. Perhaps he'd even run into that green blood again.

"I'm willing to~o make so~ome time available, fo~or you. So~o then, let us do~o so~omething interesting to~ogether. If yo~ou're fine with that. Bask in o~one ano~others glo~orio~ous radiance a bit mo~ore."

Palser beamed a, one would say flirtatious, smile at Reeius as he pushed himself to his feet. Dusting sand from his hands onto his pants and soon found that was futile. Half tempted to walk over to his fellow sea dweller and offer him a hand up but unsure how his new companion would take the gesture. He'd give it a try anyway. Taking a few careful and cautious steps toward Reeius and holding out a hand if he wasn't stopped.

"I can take yo~ou to~o the city if that's been o~on yo~our mind. O~or anything else fo~or that matter."

It seems that Palser's not so subtle pass might have been too much. Brushing that off rather easily. Taking a few steps back before heading out into the lapping waves. Looking over his shoulder at Reeius for a moment. His new friend needed to relax a bit more. It was much nicer when things weren't so tense. It could be assured that he wasn't going to make any further advances.

"It's o~only a sho~ort swim fro~om here. Sho~ouldn't be a pro~oblem fo~or us. Wo~onder if yo~ou can keep up with me."

Great thing about knowing another sea dweller, water travel was much faster then waling and it was easier when you didn't have to stop for air. Sinking into the dark waters until he vanished leaving Reeius to follow after him.

Ah, maybe Palser should have found out if Reeius knew just where the city was located. It would have made this race a bit more fair in that perspective. But since Reeius didn't make any objections then why bring it up? He was itching for a good race anyway. Loser had to buy the first round of drinks. But he'd bring that up afterward.

Admiring his high blooded partner for a moment longer then was probably necessary Palser gave a quick thumbs up and did a count down with his fingers. His grin stretching fin to fin and as he delivered the zero mark he took off in a quick burst of speed. Cutting through the water easily, vanishing deeper into the dark, inky waters.

Though he would keep his eyes open for any dangers including making sure Reeius was still following. That moment would have been a good time to catch up or possibly get ahead.

At this rate the two would reach the next shoreline in record time. Palser sped past obstacles left and right. His limbs were burning with the effort he was putting into them. His gills fluttering with similar excitement. Where it would have been a good idea to be more cautious in waters he wasn't familiar with he wanted to show off a bit. He rarely got the chance to try out his full aquatic potential. He doesn't even need to look to feel Reeius slowly catching up to him. When the other troll suddenly slows Palser takes the opportunity to gain a better lead.

Darting through schools of fish. Spooking various amounts of sea life as he tried to find the current that would give him that extra edge and give him a straight shot to shore.

And he would have found it if he suddenly wasn't blindsided by a massive white behemoth of a figure. It threw Palser through a loop, catching his bearings a split second later and readied his weapon. Before he could swing the large boomerang it became obvious just what decided to hit him like a crazed freight.

He mouthed the words exasperatedly,'Mantadad.'

The large lusus dipping in and out of the murky depths and back into view effortlessly, showing off a series of bioluminescence. Whatever it was doing was obviously putting a quick damper on Palser's mood. When the troll tried to swim away his lusus caught him by his ankle and attempted to drag him back away from the direction of the beach. Yes, the moment was ruined by semi parental tendering.

This was going to be humiliating.

He continued to fight and struggle with his overly affectionate lusus. Not even sure how the giant manta ray even found him to begin with. Palser kicked and flailed and couldn't help but be flustered by the way Reeius openly laughed at him. This was humiliating! Ugh. He didn't care what the beast was trying to tell him he was much more concerned with finishing this race!

Managing to wiggle free from the massive maw of his grabby lusus, Palser made a break for it. Trying hard to make up for lost time. Of course Mantadad was trailing close behind with low, bellowing calls as if that would convince his charge to turn around.

The waters beginning to grow more shallow, the beach just up ahead. Quickly gaining lost ground but with the sandy bank rising up fast beneath them there was no way he was going to make But he had tooo try!

His feet touching the sandy shore and stumbling onto land. Shaking off the water from his shirt and cape. In that last stretch he hadn't seen if he or Reeius had touched land first.

The look Palser shot toward Reeius was a less then amused one. Letting out a bothersome sigh and roll of his eyes. Wringing out the water from his cape in an attempt to dry it out. He, unlike Reeius, didn't have a spare. Even if it was soaked too. Fumbling to remove his shirt and wringing it out as well.

"I assure yo~ou I am true to~o my wo~ord. My hive is no~owhere near here. My lusus just has a hard time accepting my absence. He if can be flaky so~ometimes so~o can I."

Slipping his shirt back on and reattaching his half sized cape.

"I swear, he do~oes like to~o sho~ow up at the mo~ost ino~oppo~ortune time. But he means well..."

Palser looked back out at the ocean, watching his lusus bob in and out of sight before finally vanishing. He could feel bad about brushing Mantadad off like that later. Turning back to Reeius with a less sheepish smile. Motioning up the slight slope.

"I o~owe yo~ou a drink. Being the winner and all. The city sho~ould be a sho~ort walk fro~om here. Ho~opefully o~our clo~othes will dry o~out befo~ore then."