Beside Me In The Hallowed Water

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Marina Coventina

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The half-siren girl stumbled through the dense forest, barely lit by the weak moonlight filtering in through the dense canopy of leaves.  She had none of her usual grace, poise, or elegance, instead tripping on roots and pebbles, catching herself on the rough trunks of the surrounding trees.  There was a tiny, barely noticeable path worn into the dirt and decomposing leaves.  Her feet were bare, dirt sticking between her toes.  She knew there was a lake here somewhere--she could sense the water in her bones, and if she'd wanted to summon water, she would have been able to.  Her eyes were fluttering shut every few seconds, and she coughed, pushing herself on.  She had been away from the water for far too long, and now she was paying the price for it.  The girl didn't even know how it'd happened; it was probably from coming here, and having to deal with all the registration hassles.

As soon as she chanced upon the narrow, slow-moving river, Marina breathed out in relief and lowered herself into the water.  It wasn't especially deep, but it was deep enough for her to swim in.  As soon as her legs hit the water, they started melting together into a shimmering tail that caught the moonlight and reflected it.  She began to swim upriver toward where she assumed the lake would be.  Because of the slow current, it wasn't too hard now that she was regaining her strength from the water.

The slits in her neck opened up, allowing her to breathe underwater.  If there had been anyone watching, they would have thought she had disappeared--she didn't resurface until she reached the lake.  From the moving water of the river, Marina slipped into the still waters of the deep lake, immediately heading to the deep middle.

Underwater, it was like a whole different world.  Small bio-luminescent shrimp floated at the bottom at the lake, and fish darted around them, not bothering the shrimp.  Kelp leaves drifted in the rippling water, hiding smaller fish and other various things.  Some of the creatures came up to her curiously, attracted by the blue, green, and white ribbon-like strands that formed her clothing, wrapping around her like a ghostly embrace.

With a flick of her long, slender tail, Marina pushed herself deeper into the lake, until she was touching the sandy bottom.  Resting there for a few minutes, she extended a finger to a curious trout-like fish.  It poked at her finger, then swam away.  With a smile, she returned to the lake surface, and found a rock.  Perching on a rock in the middle, she began to untangle her hair with her fingers, lower half still mostly in the water so that her tail would not disappear.  As she began to sing, she was the perfect image of an alluring siren.  Without fully channeling her siren song, she put just a little charm into the melody.  That way, it only slightly lowered her awareness level, instead of taking her into the haze.  The song had no discernible words, but it was full of beautiful, enchanting melodies and harmonies.  A soft breeze carried the sound across the lake and deeper into the forest.

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Notes:
Words: 538
Muse

Did he really need a reason to be wandering around the woods? Apparently he needed one to be on school grounds, but that was not the goal of Cathal’s on this night. The moon’s light was chilling on this evening and he wanted nothing to do with the village on this night. Too much drama and too many thugs twice his size with a potential to toss him around like a ragdoll depending on what their power was. Cathal didn’t want any of that. His stomach grumbled for nourishment as it usually did, so he supposed his nice stroll transformed into a hunt. Any animal would do, he wasn’t a picky eater and he couldn’t afford to be.

After trailing a squirrel for nearly twenty feet with no avail, the homeless man groaned at his inability to provide for himself. The plan was simple, find a child to take pity on him and allow them to supply him with anything he desired. Teenage students were at such a confused time period for themselves that they made easy targets, but so far none have lived up to his expectations. He supposed that Lon did, but he had no money. He could steal him the occasional slab of meat from the butcher, but they couldn’t use that tactic forever. Besides, the boy only seemed to be on board for tasks that amplified his publicity. Cathal had no problem stroke another person’s ego for profit, but Lon was twelve years old. Still a valuable source, but not enough to survive off of.

The mysterious wanderer continued on, lost in his own thought of how to turn his life into one of luxury once again. His ears perked at the sound of something soothingly echoing in the air. The man froze in his tracks as he tried to pinpoint the direction it arose from. He tended to not hold interest in anything of this manner, but the appeal was too much for him to turn away. He broke off the beaten trail and began to pursue through the foliage, his head peeping through the branches before he went through. It was dark so it was tough for him to make out anything for a long while.

Given a brief amount of time, he finally spotted the half fish being shining in the moonlight like some sort of divine goddess receiving a blessing from above. His instant and go to thought was bitter. A mere woman, what a waste of his time. His feet seemed to disagree as they continued to move forward into the clearing that circulated around the lake. His mind quickly crumpled his pessimistic thought and tossed it aside. He’d fallen for the Siren’s charm despite having no interest in it in the slightest. Had he not been blindsided by his own thoughts before being attracted to the charm, perhaps he wouldn’t have been pulled in.

The only thing that separated himself from the woman was a large body of water. Would he go so far as to suffer through damp clothing for the next few days for a single maiden? He rushed to tear off everything he had hiding his bare torso and soon after the shoes and socks went flying off to the side. He kept his pants though, for whatever reason. Perhaps they would have taken too long for his attention span, he wasn’t sure what he was thinking at the time anyway.

With that he silently dove into the water, which removed a lot of grime and stench from his body in a mere couple of seconds. His stomach continued to crave some sort of nourishment as he swam through the water, but it wouldn’t be satisfied this night. Finally though, the man found himself at the foot of the rock that the mermaid had been perched upon. He wasn’t one to ogle beauty without some sort of twisted goal behind it, but there he was trying to get as much of an eyeful of the woman as he could. “What is your price fair maiden? What would it take for me to win you?” Cathal questioned desperately as though he pleaded for water after a two week venture across a desert. “I own little to offer, but I have plenty to give.”

( WORDS ) 780 ( TAGGED ) @marina & Cathal  ( MUSE ) here Like any other night, Chase had been haunted by his past mistakes and found sleep to be impossible. In his unrest, the beast seemed to make itself all the more evident and, as a result, the young man decided to let it have its way this time. He was sick of battling it day after day, especially since he hadn't transformed since the incident with Esha. At least out in the forest, he could shift without the immediate fear of bumping into anyone else. Who else would be crazy enough to wander through the dense foliage at this hour? Apparently, there were others who were that crazy, but it went unnoticed by the werebeast. As his bare feet pressed against the mossy floor of the forest, Chase was beginning to strip down in order to preserve his clothing, but something stopped him. An alluring, beautiful melody weaved throughout the trees and thrummed pleasantly against his eardrums, similar to the soothing sounds of Esha's mandolin. He paused midstep, now successfully shirtless and left with only his jeans on, and battled with his humanistic morals. Every fiber of his rational being willed himself to flee from the sound, especially if it was a trap or, perhaps worse, a young woman, seeing how badly he could injure her. He didn't want anything like his incident with Esha to happen again.. Never did Chase ever intend to harm or physically assault a woman, but with an animal lurking within him, he was under the influence of a savage. After a few moments, he relinquished the control to his werebeast. What was the point of trying to resist it when he was already so close to shifting anyways? The victor had already been predetermined. The male began to stumble through the fauna surrounding him then, plowing through every plant he encountered and squashing it to lie parallel with the earth. He parted his jaws ever so slightly to permit the musky scents of the forest to wash over him, driving his hunger for the enchanting voice all the more wild. Soon enough, Chase happened upon the lake that held the temptress in its center, her bodice splayed out across a rock while another, skinnier man swam towards her. Both wanting to claim the female for his own and prove his dominance against the male, the young man released a growl of disapproval. He despised having competition, for when it reared its ugly head, he was the first to pounce. Without another moment's hesitation, he leapt into the water and began swimming at an alarming rate towards the duo, his breaths ragged and each movement filled with power. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as he shot out of the water and onto the rock, beside the woman, and hung menacingly over the homeless man. His muscles were taut and bound with energy, as if he could release a flurry of wild punches and kicks at any moment. Instead, with his canines protruding downwards ever so slightly to give him a vampiric look, he unhinged his jaw and emitted a deafening roar right in the other man's face. It was a terrifying hybrid between a human's yell and a beast's bellow, though it conveyed the same effect. His arms hung slightly outwards, as though he was preparing to strangle the man if he drew any closer. His desire for the woman was more primal than anything, not even the least bit emotional, but that didn't mean he couldn't be intimidating. Inhaling and exhaling deeply, Chase curled his lip slightly to reveal his more-than-averagely pointed fangs, now a bit pronounced with the beast being in control. AM I DIFFERENT FROM THE REST

MADE BY VEL OF GS

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Marina Coventina

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After about a minute of no one appearing, she added a little more of the charm into her voice, her eyelids lowering shut and hiding her hazel eyes.  Of course, she knew it was possible that there were no males around to be drawn to her, but at least she would be practicing her powers.  The song poured from her throat, silky smooth like a wind brushing against skin.  Any sound from the nearby forest began to be drowned out by her decreased level of awareness--she was only a little away from the full haze.  Marina wouldn't have noticed a sound until it was right in front of her face.

With her half-conscious state, she wasn't sure how much time passed before a desperate, pleading voice sounded in front of her.  She opened her eyes and lifted her gaze to the man, who was hanging onto the rock that was her perch.  It was obvious his eyes were drinking her in; she would have been able to tell that even without seeing him.  Not many could resist the lure of a siren's voice, and this man obviously wasn't one of the few.

He begged her to tell him what it would take to win her.  She continued to sing, the melody flowing out on its own accord, and it seemed like it wouldn't stop unless she said something else.  To herself, she laughed harshly.  No one can win a siren, nor a siren's heart, the girl thought.  Ever.  She knew she should relate more to humans, but siren blood was what made her who she was--after all, she technically wasn't a Gifted human, she was a half-siren.  So inside, when she used her powers, she felt the pull of the ocean inside her veins rather than the force of her human side.

Aloud, Marina leaned forward so that her eyes met the man's.  Her voice dropped, the musicality of her song faint but noticeably present in her tone.  "I want nothing you can give me," she purred, hands clamped on his shoulders, slipping back into the water and pulling him down with her.  In fact, there really was nothing she wanted, but it was entertaining to play with the minds of human men.

Now that she was fully conscious, she could hear the splashing of another man swimming toward her.  Swimming back to the surface easily, dragging her first 'victim' with her, she turned to survey the second.  He was younger than the first, closer to her own age, with rippling, tense muscles and a fierce, animalistic look to him.  She half-smirked, unnoticeable in the darkness of the night.  The boy roared at the man, which surprised her, but she quickly recomposed her features into that of an alluring, seductive goddess.  He seemed to have some sort of fangs for canines, she observed.

Marina released the older male, and reached a hand out to touch the side of the boy's face gently.  His temper would have scared anyone, but quite literally in her element, she felt safe enough.  The water would heal any  minor injuries, and help with major injuries.  Time would do the rest.  Like any human, she could get medical attention and any wound would heal.  "Don't be jealous," she said, voice soft as silk, tail flicking to keep herself floating, drawing closer to the boy, bringing her other hand up to tilt his chin up with a single finger.  She gave a tiny, teasing smile that made most men do anything she told them to in an attempt to please her or diffuse her anger.  She kept the charm in her voice, wondering if the two males would leave without it.

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Notes:
Words: 618

Cathal’s heart sank at the woman’s answer to him. The closeness to her face was like nothing he ever experienced before and rivaled the most addictive drugs. Under normal circumstance he wouldn’t have taken rejection so close to heart, but whatever spell this woman placed on him amplified his emotional side nearly tenfold. Her rejection was like hearing a gun shot after his chest had been pierced. It was a gut-wrenching feeling. “There mus-“ before he could finish his plea, he was pulled underwater.

The minute his head submerged whilst being dragged underwater by the sea beast, he began to panic. For what other believable reason could she want to drag him down to where he couldn’t breathe? She was attempting to kill him. A few bubbles leaked from his mouth from the unexpected journey to the lake’s bottom. In the quick moments toward death, he began to piece together what was going on. The alluring sounds, the charm in her voice, his sudden whiplash in character. She had enchanted him in some way, manipulating him for her own twisted pleasures. There was little he could do to rebel against the woman, but his saving grace came in the form of some animalistic meathead that had fallen for the same call that he had.

They resurfaced, only to be greeted by the roar of his inadvertent saviour. Cathal cringed at the challenge from the bestial boy, he was inherently larger than himself in both muscle mass and height. The unexpected fool could have the seductress, he wanted no part of her anymore. Cathal was filled with the bitterest hatred that one man could muster, the muses and sweet nothings from a siren could only corrupt him so far. Besides, the allure of the woman quickly became an afterthought once his paranoia and preservation of his life started to kick in. As the woman let go of him, he shifted through the water quickly to try and get more distance from her.

Was he going to flee? Under most occurrences that would seem like the most favourable option, but the siren dared to manipulate him. He wasn’t going to let that slide regardless of what kind of muscle she had backing her. Besides, if things got too out of hand he had an easy escape planned out. Perhaps he’d return the favour to the mindless boy, but frankly he cared little if his actions accidently saved another’s life.

Cathal reduced the gravity fields around him to zero and the other two were still within range of that as well. It was a funny thing that Cathal had discovered when experimenting with his powers, water becomes a much stranger substance. While the water would still feel relatively the same, it was also weaker and as the siren should begin to notice she required much less force in order to keep herself a float. The water itself though would continue to stick to both her and the man who enacted it in the first place, it was like some sort of gelatin now with its new properties. Cathal seized his struggles at swimming since it was no longer required for him, unless he wanted to push himself further into the air that is. The two were probably so unsuspecting of the change that it may shock them when they suddenly realize the difference of pressure and that any force they put onto anything would be amplified.

Cathal latched onto the rock once more in order to stabilize himself on something solid. He reached for the woman and with a simple flick of his wrist pushed her further into the air so that she could spend some time barrelling through the air uncontrollably. If she went out of range of his fields then she’d fall from roughly four meters in the air and he’d have no issue with that.

( WORDS ) 536 ( TAGGED ) @marina & Cathal  ( MUSE ) here In response to his outcry of dominance, the other male offered no rebuke of his own, and a rush of victory cascaded over the young man. Or, it at least satisfied his bestial side. He honestly had no interests in trying to outdo another man over the trivial prize of a woman, though both her spell and the creature's raw lust were enough to manipulate him into believing the female before him was invaluable. It was at this point that he felt her touch upon his jaw, speaking a few, soft words that ordinarily would've had a man swooning over her. But, rather than wanting to appease the temptress, Chase had a different desire. His animalistic side prevented him from falling to submission before the girl, but rather amplified his desire to completely overrule this power. Already, the werecat had a disliking for being oppressed, and if this sweet-smelling creature thought that she could try to overpower him with nothing but her silken voice and a light touch, she was mistaken. Sure, her spell had captured his attention and drove him to want the siren as his own, but nothing could force the beast to back down but sheer might. He emitted a guttural grunt in response to her words, even though he couldn't comprehend them in this state, and promptly reached out a hand to wrap his strengthened fingers around the crook of her jaw and behind her ear, snaking some nubile digits upon the nape of her neck as well. With this move, he would be able to keep her rooted to the spot, seeing that he had a fairly strong grip on her skull. All at once, the scene became far too familiar as the logical Chase recalled those frightening moments with Esha. That couldn't happen again, especially not in front of someone else. Calling every ounce of willpower that he could muster mentally, he was able to at least turn his head away from the enchanting woman, speaking in short, harsh intervals, "Please.. Stop talking! Get.. Out.. Of here!" But, his hold on her head hadn't loosened in the least, so when the animal was able to take control once again, the young man felt his hands shift forwards a bit so that their breaths were mingling less than an inch apart. This only had a brief duration, though, for he released her head the instant he felt the water on his skin turn to something more jelly-like. Anything out of the ordinary that the werebeast couldn't understand only angered him further, and a growl of displeasure rumbled through him as he reached down his hands to feel over the liquid. In the same instant, the other male from before reached forwards and, with Chase's body becoming increasingly lightweight, pushed Marina with his wrist. The werebeast was too distracted by his own, nearly-floating bodice to pay too much attention to what was occurring, and found himself leaning down to latch onto the stone underneath his feet. He bared his teeth in a ferocious snarl to the male, simply for no other reason than having touched the woman he was trying to 'claim', though he made no sudden movements in this unfamiliar environment. (OOC: Eb, let me know if you weren't comfortable with Chase grabbing Marina's head. It would've been for a pretty short time, really, and since he's all beefed up because of the werecat coming alive in him, it would've given him some more strength. But, I'm open to change if you see it necessary.) AM I DIFFERENT FROM THE REST

MADE BY VEL OF GS

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Marina Coventina

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A flood of satisfaction filled the siren when, upon studying the second male's expression and actions, it was obvious that he too had fallen for her enchantment.  It was easy, really--most of the time.  With a deep, raw grunting noise, his hand wrapped around her neck tightly.  Marina's body tensed, and her eyes narrowed, but she didn't move aside from that, wondering what he was planning to do.  She wasn't going to make the same mistake she had with the older man, pulling him underwater to test his resistance and the effectiveness of her voice.  The first male seemed to have become aware of what she was trying to do, since he was swimming away.  She wouldn't have done anything to him--the siren song had no lasting effects, and she wasn't a murderer, however much she liked to manipulate others.  But of course, he wouldn't have known that, so his reaction was understandable.

Either way, what with the boy's strong grip, it wasn't like she could really move in the first place.  Her attention was fixed on him when he began to force words out of his mouth, demanding that she stop talking.  Just as she was about to answer, he pulled his hands closer to him, bringing her body with them.  They were so close that if she'd leaned forward, their mouths would have touched.  

Marina's thoughts pulled her back to a year ago, the last time she had been this close to a boy, when it hadn't been her choice to pull this close.  The sensation was so familiar--the darkness, the water surrounding them, breathing the same air.  A kiss that drowned her in not water, but feelings she'd locked away soon after.  Her expression clouded over, and she allowed herself a moment with her eyes closed to recompose her features.

Feeling like she needed to regain some sense of control, she slid both her hands up his arms and across his shoulders, and laced her fingers together behind his neck.  It looked like a strange mimicking of his grip on her.  Her neck was beginning to hurt, so she forced herself to relax the muscles, hoping to loosen the grip a little.  It didn't make too much of a difference, but enough to allow her to stay locked in his hold.

When she began to feel suddenly lighter, the girl realized that she'd been wrong to ignore the other man.  He had one hand locked on the rock, and the other hand reached out to push her away.  With her quick reflexes, Marina grabbed his arm and bared her teeth in a sinister, snarl-like expression.  The moonlight reflected off her iridescent tail as she was lifted out of the water, and she could feel the transformation starting to slowly reverse.  The ribbons around her torso began to unravel from the shoulders down, exposing more skin than she would have preferred.  However, the her original clothing, a dark blue, strapless dress, began to reappear slowly, replacing the water-colored strips of fabric.  Her legs began to reappear, starting with her feet, scales receding into her skin.

Her hand started to slip on the drops of water on the man's arm, and she practically flew backward.  After a few moments, the effect began to weaken, and she arched her back and dove head first back into the deep waters of the lake.  She hit the water hard and with a stinging sensation, but she remained submerged for nearly a minute, and the same liquid began to heal her.  Her siren appearance began to re-form as she sank to the bottom, fish darting around her.

Marina's features tightened in anger.  Once her tail was fully formed again, she pushed upward, arms glued to her sides to streamline herself.  As she neared the surface, she could feel the change in gravity again, so this time, the siren began to resist the upward movement.  Grabbing onto the rock the other two were hanging onto, she held on tightly and climbed after the man.  Bent on revenge, she risked loosening the grip of one hand, and curled her fingers around the man's arm.  There was no way she could know for sure it was his doing without asking, but she had a suspicion that it was.

She dug her fingernails into his skin and pulled him toward herself with great effort.  It didn't make too much of a difference, but her grip, made stronger by her fury, might have even been strong enough to keep him tethered there, given his skinny frame.   "Stop that," she hissed viciously through her teeth, glaring at him with her hazel eyes.  

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Notes: Dap, that's fine (: | Words: 779 | Muse | Dress

Cathal grew a small smirk at the succession of his plan, but it quickly broke as the woman gripped his arm. No doubt that she was taking him with her wherever she would end up going. Unfortunately for her such a plan wouldn’t work and the two of them would continue to float into the sky. That is until she lost her grip. Her assistance pulled him more up the rock and he got a better grip on the platform because of it. Though one thing was strange while she floated in the air, she reverted to a more human form. So she wasn’t actually a spawn of this strange island, she was a student or so it seemed. He should have known based on the range of insane things those kids were able to do that it were so. That still doesn’t explain her want for murder, besides of course just being a psychopath.

Speaking of which, she broke free of his fields and submerged under the water once more. Given her capabilities and the fact that she was probably aiming to drown him yet again, he began to frantically climb up the rock despite the other boy being there. He’d rather take the fury of an animalistic beast over that of a temptress that needed nothing more than a bit of force to drown him instantly. As he began to climb back up the rock he checked his body into the bestial boy’s legs in order to trip him up. Given his size it would have been a tough task in normal gravity, but the student was basically near weightless in this environment. The boy would probably be too confused as to why he was float about the air to actually harm him any. Besides, he seemed to find the water in this gravity very intriguing, he might enjoy it better when he was upside down. “Sorry wolfie, survival of the fittest” he whispered as he claimed the rock for his own safety from the woman.

His attempts seemed to be far too late though, the woman resurfaced and yanked him down to her level. It wasn’t a hard task to achieve since the gravity affected him much the same, but his impact to the stone didn’t hurt him, so that was nice. Cathal just subtly bounced off the surface of it, but still kept close to it due to his siren anchor. There wasn’t much for him to do in this situation, she had him within her grasp and could pull him back under if she so pleased. That was not a favourable outcome for him, so he might have to make his own way out.

Cathal returned her violent hiss with a bug eyed coy look, as though he was being punished for a crime he didn’t commit. She had a hunch that he was the one altering the fields, but it could just as easily be the other boy. That was something he could exploit. His mouth quivered as his panicky eyes focused on hers. “Beloved, what have I done wrong? If there was anything I could do for you I would do it, but I’m afraid I couldn’t even tell you what’s happening. Whatever is angering you, I will try to stop it for you” the man groveled with a subtle weep to his voice.

( WORDS ) 462 ( TAGGED ) @marina & Cathal ( MUSE ) here To Chase's surprise, it seemed as though the young woman was reciprocating his action by lacing her hands around his neck. Wait, what? His humanistic side was quite shocked by this, but his bestial demeanor was somewhat threatened with her closeness to his jugular. In response, he only tightened his grip on her cranium, which, though disconcerting, couldn't be helped. It was the only way the werebeast could assert his dominance in this type of situation. Wouldn't she be struggling against him? Shouldn't she try to get away? If she remained in this proximity with him, there could be fatal consequences, and the thought of this caused Chase to will his grip to loosen ever so slightly. She couldn't toy with him like this, not right now... Unless she was seeking a shortened lifespan. However, when the gravity had begun to alter around them, it seemed as though both of their attentions were focused on different things. Chase had taken refuge on the rock beneath his feet, and she'd lunged for the other boy. He was too focused on the bizarre liquid clinging to his form to try and avoid the sudden collision with the male, only barely registering that he said anything at all as he spun outwardly into the sky like a balloon released from its string. He clawed helplessly at the air as he released roars of confusion and frustration with being unable to move throughout the atmosphere like one could with water. And, being uprooted from the earth didn't feel too wonderful either. His human mind was intrigued and perplexed by the bizarre ability being demonstrated, and he couldn't pinpoint its origin with his uncontrollable flailing and bestial roars. In fact, focusing on anything was becoming increasingly different with his inability to actually compose himself, for every moment spent aloft, the angrier he became. A slew of a hybrid between human shrieks and roars emitted from his lips, along with the occasional snarl, as he spun incessantly through the air, even attempting to grip onto the gel-like water that slipped through his fingers. Without being anchored to the earth, there was really nothing he could do but wait for the torturous moments of being airborne to end. Out of the corner of his eye, Chase spotted the man from before coming in contact with the siren, and though his words were incomprehensible to him in this state, he was still irked and felt challenged by this gesture. Emitting a roar of frustration, he attempted to reach forwards and close his hands around the other man's neck, though it was next to impossible seeing how far away he was from the other. So, if he hadn't looked stupid enough before, his savage mindset certainly had him looking idiotic now. AM I DIFFERENT FROM THE REST

MADE BY VEL OF GS

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Marina Coventina

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It was strange to be flying through the air, like a fish out of water.  It wasn't a pleasant sensation, and as soon as she hit the blessed cool relief of the water, Marina relaxed.  The stinging, tingling sensation of the impact soon faded as the water began working its healing magic.  And luckily, it lent her its strength to retain her grip on the man.

He sniveled overly pathetically, asking her what he'd done wrong.  She didn't doubt that the change in gravity was his doing--after all, he'd been the only one who hadn't gone flying through the air--but if there was any doubt about anything in her heart, she hid it with a venomous temper and furious countenance.  Rage burned in her eyes as the girl glared at the man she was latched on to.  "Oh, you know perfectly well what you've done," she snarled.  This time, her attention was focused on him, rather than the younger male flying through the air, who she could only see in her peripheral vision.

Now that he was closer to her, she fought her way downwards, so that she was mostly submerged in the water, and tried to smash the male into the rough-surfaced rock.  It didn't work too well, but there wasn't much else she could do.  Dragging herself into the water was hard enough.  Bringing him along with her would be nearly impossible.  However, he didn't need to know that.  "So, if you don't stop whatever you're doing with the gravity, well... You know what's going to happen," she hissed.  "Or do you need a reminder?"  The half-siren girl dug her fingernails deeper into his skin, jerking his hand toward the water threateningly and leaving red streaks on his arm.

The water was acting strangely because of the change in gravity, but he couldn't levitate the entire lake, so it was her safe haven.  If only she could get the boy to help her somehow...  It was pretty much a given that he didn't enjoy being sent through the air any more than she did.  So maybe with his beastly manner, they could overpower the gravity manipulator.  Where was he, anyway?  It hadn't taken her this long to get out of range of the magic.

Maybe if she began to sing again, his power would weaken.  However, her own power sometimes failed to work on the same person a second time, if they were expecting it.  But she could use his own power against him.  Pushing him away forcefully, hopefully enough to send him flying like he'd done to her, she dove back into the water with all the power she could muster, and swam deeper and deeper into the lake until she could no longer feel the tug of gravity.  She then headed away, closer to the shore, and away from the gravity field.  There, she allowed the haze to fill her, and basically entered a state of half-consciousness.  Doing so channeled more of the charm into the song, more than she had before.  

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Notes:

By what he could see in the corner of his eye, the beasty boy was still hurdling around the air in a muck of confusion. He was best to be in this position for the time being so that the seductress couldn’t use his strength for her own will. It would be required to keep the boy out of commission since the mermaid seemed so keen on taking him down or just outright killing him. For what reason she had to do so he wasn’t sure of. He narrowed it down to her just being kill happy, but she was a student at Foresta, or at least she seemed to be since she was young enough to be. As far as he knew killing was off limits to students.

Her grip was strong for such a dainty figure. If it wasn’t for the difference in gravity he probably would be able to break away from her grip, but the lightness on his body made it difficult for him to do anything with force. Rather, he couldn’t do anything or else the woman could just pull him under again. She threatened to do so again, tugging at his arm and even puncturing his skin and letting the lake water infect his wounds. She had some strange sadistic tick to her. The way her eyes glared at him, the way she spoke. She would have made an interesting tool if he hadn’t already let his arrogance and pride for revenge take the wheel. “I-I don’t know what it is you mean!” he cried as his gash was left to mingle with the waters. His eyes drifted to his drenched jeans as he made his gaze backward very apparent to the woman. “Wait! The Enchantress! She gave me a pair of jeans for cheap because she muffed the enchantment on them! I swear that’s the only reason I can come up with this possibly happening! She said to avoid getting them wet!” he pleaded one last time as she released him into the frictionless abyss that laid behind him. His tone was as legitimate as a lair could get. If he had an education or at least the funds for an acting school he’d be a very convincing one.

He collided with the other boy during his drift backward. It was almost like two curling irons knocking against one another, though lacking the weight. If Chase was lucky it could dip him back into the drink and free him of his midair confusion, if being within the same realm as the siren was considered lucky. As for Cathal, it sent him careening off in the opposite direction gaining speed as he continued to fly diagonally across the lake. He wasn’t too high from the ground, but it was enough to cancel out any effect he had on the surface below him. He could easily make his escape now, cut his losses and not end up dead at the bottom of the lake on this night, but the mermaid gave him a better offer.

The song, the sound of her voice. It was all too familiar. She was trying to enchant them with her words yet again. Was she really so dim to believe that Cathal would fall for the same trick a second time. As the call tried to break through his skull he returned to a scheming mind frame. Perhaps this was his second chance to get in good with this woman. Allow her to believe she has control over him to in turn plant his own seed of deception. He had the time to wait on it and with a power like hers it could definitely be beneficial. Only issue with that was all she seemed to be interested in was killing him. Perhaps there was a way to turn the tides into his favour.

As Marina’s haze continued to play, Cathal’s expression changed to one that seemed more like he was set into a trace. He released his grip on the gravity and allowed himself to fall from the four meter height and directly onto the grassy shore. He didn’t brace himself for the landing, in fact he let his body go limp to add a sense of realism to his reaction. He absorbed the pain of the fall no matter how powerful the impact was. In an instant after his descent he gazed back into the open water longingly. “I shouldn’t have lied to you…” he called back with a blank sense of regret. He almost sounded zombie-like in his tone. He slipped back into the water and slowly began to paddle back to her position. It was a gamble for him to risk his neck like this yet again, but the turn out may be more profitable.

( WORDS ) 474 ( TAGGED ) @marina & Cathal  ( MUSE ) here The agony of spiraling uselessly through the air was really beginning to goad on the beast within Chase now. If he wasn't careful and at least partially in control of his mental restrain, he might go through a transformation while airborne, and that certainly wasn't something he'd like to experience anytime soon.. Or at all, for that matter. As he dealt with this inner conflict, all thoughts were halted as his form was suddenly sent hurdling towards the water's surface by the other male. He'd emitted a snarl of disapproval as nothing other than a reflex to the unexpected contact, though it was shortened as he entered the waters once more. Now that he wasn't spinning aimlessly through the air, he at least had a chance to regain his bearings and decide where to go from there. Even a beast needed to have his composure. One on hand, he wanted to ensure that he could claim the female for his own, but simultaneously, he wanted nothing more than to sink his canines into the other man's pliable flesh for his movements. Almost immediately, this decision was made, and Chase resurfaced out of the water after about a minute of holding his breath. He inhaled and exhaled deeply as his lungs refilled themselves, all while searching for the individual that had previously collided with him. That wouldn't go by unnoticed, that was for sure. He caught sight of the man falling from the sky, or so it seemed, as he landed rather limply in to the water and began to head towards the woman, who was swiftly creating distance between herself and the remaining duo. The half-beast's pupils dilated as he listened to her alluring song weave through the air, conflicted as to which path he should take. Only a few feet away was the man that had angered him and yet alternatively, he could be swimming through the now liquefied water and towards the woman that captivated him. He emitted a roar of frustration as he peered between the two of them, and, seeing that the man was in a much closer proximity than the siren was, he made his decision. Lurching forwards, Chase deftly parted the waters with his body as he began to close the distance between himself and Cathal. In all honesty, the young man wanted nothing to do with this stranger, but his beastly, irrational rage couldn't be stopped now. Luckily, it seemed as though the other male was in some sort of stupor, probably from the song pulling on Chase's own senses, which delayed his movements just a bit. But, with his arms outstretched, he went for a lunge at the individual's shoulders. He still had an animal's mindset in that taking the prey to the ground was one of the best tactics to use in situations like these. AM I DIFFERENT FROM THE REST

MADE BY VEL OF GS

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Marina Coventina

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The siren's grip tightened on his arm, eyes burning, as she waited for the male to speak.  His answer only served to further infuriate her.  Marina was almost absolutely certain he was responsible, and his pretense of innocence was more than vexing.  He then glanced at his jeans, before speaking of some 'Enchantress'.  The mention of another sort of enchantress set off an inexplicable envy and anger in her mind.  Surely there was no better enchantress than a siren?  Furious and disgusted, she bared her teeth slightly at him, then sent him spinning into the air.  

Relief washed over her as soon as she resurfaced outside of the gravity field.  She made sure not to get too close to the shore, in case he decided to begin screwing with gravity again, so that she could escape to the depths of the lake.  Marina hated to even think that she was escaping--sirens were supposed to be predators, not prey.  With this in mind, she began to sing again.  She knew that her power didn't often work twice on the same victim, unless they were particularly weak-willed, but it was worth a try.  

As soon as she was aware that the man had been lured back again, she slowly released the melody like a bird being released back into the wild.  The last few notes drifted into the air, tossed by the wind.  She laughed, a melodic sound, but with underlying disdain.  He appeared to be completely entranced once more, save for the blank look on his face.  It should have been a look of desire.. but perhaps the song worked differently based on previous events.  

She drifted closer to him, fingers clenching and unclenching, muscles screaming to punish him in some way.  However, it seemed like the boy had finally come through, lunging at him.  With a flick of the tail, Marina shot backwards a couple yards, smirking with malicious joy.

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Notes: Sorry it's short

Cathal continued his clumsy swim toward the siren faking a trace so as to get in closer to the woman without having to deal with her suspicions. Unfortunately, this plan never factored in the beastly boy as he was still very much a pawn in this dilemma. He wasn’t reminded of this until he heard the smacking the boy was giving to the water as he swam through. He was gunning toward him and Cathal didn’t even need to look in his direction to figure that out. The woman repelled, which made matters much more difficult. He quit his chase of the woman in favour of not being blind-sided by this hulking boy that was no doubt looking to smash him. Cathal knew that the poor boy was probably still under this wretch’s spell and the new song she sung definitely solidified her grip.

Once Chase breached the water like a dolphin preparing to pounce, Cathal ducked under the water, trying to submerge himself as quickly as possible. He needed to think quickly. What was the path of least resistance? Well, that would be running away and doing that now was probably for the best. Cut his ties now before he digs himself in too deep. An alliance with this mermaid would have given him quite the advantage, but it was for not. He already ruined his own chances by not thinking quickly enough and the chances of her forgiving him were slim enough that he felt that it was not worth the risk of wrestling with this strange beasty boy. Get to land as fast as possible and fly away, that was the best he could do for now.

He launched himself toward the surface, though resurfaced as far away from the other boy as he could manage. His breathes were harsh and somewhat panicky. He began to paddle away, not being the most proficient swimmer, but being decent enough to add some more distance away from the far more muscular male. Shore wasn’t too far from his reach considering that he had dove off the lake side not too long ago, but it was still further than he would like. He still couldn’t quite touch the bottom just yet. “Beloved! He still chases me! Call him off!” he shouted, trying once more to see if his words would faze her and if she would try his commands. It was a low chance, but it was at least worth a shot.