terrariums | open; 2024

It's not a difficult task, even with the size of the fish. Quick, confident cuts shear away curtains of scales, send viscera cascading into the watering hole to cloud it with blood. Now, to fillet it so the pieces will cook faster, if Jade wants to leave relatively soon..... His own excitement over the finale to their ~~date~~ excursion aside, it would be awful to inconvenience Jade by holding him in the savannah too long, when he needs to refresh his transformation potion.

There! A bit of work to strip a few sticks, and Rook starts impaling pieces of fish onto them, offering a few to Jade to hold over the fire. That should hopefully be enough to satisfy both their appetites, right? Have a sly, borderline smug grin. "I might not look like it, but I can actually be pretty sneaky when I want to be. Think he'll be gone by the time we're done eating?"

He doesn't really even need to cook the fish himself, but Jade obediently takes the offered fish to hold the sticks as intended. Perhaps he could give them just the slightest char for the experience and flavor...

"He should be. I imagine he will take multiple hours arguing--" A pause. "Pardon me. discussing the rules for the game he will be playing with Idia-san tonight. Normally the showers are empty this time of evening, though I can make arrangements..." A sign would be easy enough and fetching the potion he needs from his room would be an equal lack of effort. Perhaps not the most comfortable place, but it would surely be enough for Rook to get a good look at him... as a thank you for their ~~date~~ adventure today.

"Heheh..... Board Game Club sure sounds complicated, if they can't even agree on the rules. Is everyone in Octavinelle really all that diurnal?" What a strange thought..... He's far too used to there being some level of activity in Savanaclaw at all hours, given how many beastmen can lean towards being nocturnal or crepuscular. Then again, he guesses time of day is less important in the depths of the ocean, where natural light struggles to reach, hmmm?

Well, that's fine. It just means Leona is lax at best about enforcing curfew. Nobody will particularly care about him slinking back into the dorm so late, even if it does raise a few eyebrows.

"A fair few, but not all. Floyd, Azul, and I prefer the darker hours." Though with their classes it isn't the easiest thing to be. He's positive that many of the beastmen that roam the halls are equally displeased--some even having a much more obviously difficult time keeping themselves awake during lessons. "We simply tend to keep our halls empty to not disturb the other students."

The stick is turned so the other side of the fish can begin to be licked over by the flames of their little fire. How easy must such dry grass be to catch? How devastating an event that could be...

"Does Leona-san not demand quiet hours?"

"Roi des Lions gets mad at anyone being loud in the halls or dorm rooms at night. But if you're around the common areas that late, then it's your own fault if the noise bothers you. You should just stay curled up in your own burrow when you want to get some sleep." It's just obvious to stick to your own territory when you need to, right? It isn't as though Savanaclaw isn't thoroughly enough sectioned off to keep its communal living areas apart from its sleeping quarters, knowing the needs of its students.

It's rare for someone to be able to sleep anywhere, the way Leona can. Rare and impressive, honestly. How does Octavinelle live, that they need to be so strict with their hours? As often as Rook drops by the twins' dorm room and the Lounge, he can't say he's ever really cared much about the rest of the building. Not many of even the other merfolk fascinate him the same way these three had.

Jade reaches out to pinch quickly at a couple of the nicely butchered chunks of fish with a thoughtful expression. The heat seems sufficient enough... Not too hot to the touch where it would burn his mouth or throat. At least he's grown used to eating warm and hot foods now compared to when he was still so fresh to land. He still blows on it to be safe before digging his teeth into his first bite.

No blood or guts to enjoy, but no less good. Perhaps a little salt would be nice, but that is just the fate of freshwater fish.

"Mm..." His hand comes up to cover his lips as he chews. Shielding away from human eyes how his teeth shred and puncture. "I feel the same, but I believe Octavinelle students prefer their personal dwellings. It can be difficult to have privacy under the sea."

"Oui, it's the same for a lot of us from Sunset Savannah! Plenty of people seem like they have trouble moving up to third year; the lounge is always stuffed with juniors." After all, going back to their own rooms to sleep means that juniors are returning to emptiness and silence. Sometimes it can feel a little unnerving, not having anyone nearby for once. Rook would say he's considerably more tolerant of (and fond of, for that matter) privacy than most Savanaclaw students, but it gets to even him every once in a while.

"Maybe it's just a human thing from other countries?" That's his best guess, anyway--after all, it sounds like merfolk culture is more reasonable and understandable, leaning towards communal living as they do. A moment or two longer to let the edges of his fish start to blacken, and Rook tears into his meal with exactly the level of decorum (or lack thereof, rather) that Jade had probably expected from him, heedless of the heat. They may have missed a meal or two, but at least they'll go to bed sated, hmmm? Hunger is the best seasoning, as Ruggie has often pointed out.

Not that he has any plans to go to bed when he gets back. It may be late, but he'll still need to do some midnight hunting so he can get that meat to his cheetah friend, just as he'd promised.

Even when they rise in grade enough to get their own rooms, Jade doesn't doubt that he and Floyd will stay together. Who would clean it if they didn't? Azul would be upset at the very least if Floyd did something to one of the dorm rooms because he was left to his own boredom...

And there's a comfort to having his twin so close, too. When you have never slept apart it can be daunting to make the change to solitary living. Wouldn't Azul prefer them entangled around his extra limbs, gnawing away as they drift off to sleep like they did during naps when they were young? ~~Absolutely not~~. Jade allows himself to watch Rook bury his meal in his own mouth, even as he almost daintily in comparison takes another (larger) bite of his own. It's... comfortable. A human giving in to a nature that they feasibly shouldn't have but that so aligns with his own.

"Perhaps." Normally he finds the humans mingling with non-humans quaint at best, but... he's growing used to it. He lets Rook linger so close, after all. "Some humans seem to struggle with how particular merfolk can be with their personal space, even when we mingle in common areas. I have denied many wishing to visit before and after curfew."

"Do they? Why did they even want to?" Hmmm. Hmmmmmm. He's not sure he likes the sound of that. He comes and goes as he pleases, of course--but that's because (he hopes, at least) it pleases Floyd and Jade just as much to allow him to. Even if he had thrust himself into their lives to start, and simply refused to leave. They're glad he had, right? Maybe even as glad as he is to have them. Because he does have them, doesn't he?

Jade had refused whoever their other human visitors were, whoever else had tried to invade their space. He doesn't need to worry about it. (Even if it's hard not to, just a little.) Although..... no, nevermind. If Jade dismisses them out of hand, it's probably not worth lurking and watching to see who might be trying to pay those two calls at night. "I had no idea you two were so popular..... Does Roi d'Effort have people beating his door down at all hours, too?"

Edited 2024-05-01 09:34 (UTC)

He offers a little shrug of his shoulders. Does it matter what they were wanting? Neither Jade nor Floyd are fans of being on the receiving end of needless interaction. They might float around the lounge like it's second nature and embed themselves in with their classmates like they're meant to be there even though they're a solitary species by blood, but it's a different draw.

"I am certain he does, though that is why he has me. A considerable amount of people come to me because they wish to speak with Azul in private." And they don't actually have anything to offer or want to necessarily make a deal. The now bared stick is tossed onto the fire to help its flame. "Others have claimed to just wish to get to know us better."

He stands, picking his bag back up to pull onto his shoulder. "Would you like to get going?"

"Heheheh..... I guess it's only natural that he suffers from his own success, isn't it? I'm not surprised." Poor, poor Azul. He can see just why the man might be so popular, between the Lounge, his contracts, and Azul just being ..... well, Azul. Even he might have been interested, if Jade hadn't caught his eye first.

Just give him a minute to cup his hands and dump water over the fire before gathering his things up; it would be disastrous indeed if he allowed such dry savannah grass to catch ablaze from lingering sparks, wouldn't it? Even this far out, he knows which way to go to get straight back to the mirror. "Oui!"

The trek back (uneventful as it is with Rook's expert guidance) feels dull in comparison to their journey today, but it doesn't stop Jade from appreciating just how loud the Savannah can be when the sun sinks below the plains. Crickets, frogs, the distant sound of footsteps... it's all grounding even with its difference from what he's used to. The sea so dark and quiet in comparison, but no less beautiful in its own way.

Would Rook like their little part of the ocean? It's hard to imagine he wouldn't miss burying himself away in the dirt and grass like he watched him do so readily today.

Octavinelle is just a hop away when they're through the mirror and he can't help but feel a little... excited? Nervous? It's difficult to tell which it is. "I will need to stop by my room to drop off our spoils of the day. Azul would be furious if I sent you on your own, so please stay close."

Who knows how he might like it, unless he has the chance to see for himself? Maybe he would enjoy burying himself in the sand to lurk and lie in wait, hiding amidst the kelp and coral. Maybe he would find the darkness and quiet calming, or maybe just unnerving. Would he grow even more animated and energetic to fill that space, or settle down under the touch of that stillness? Even nighttime in the savannah is still so active, after all.....

Either way, he's at least quite comfortable with Octavinelle's sea. Rook follows obediently close at Jade's heels, ears pricked for the sound of footsteps just in case. They're not likely to get disturbed at this hour, from the sound of it..... but would Azul be mad that an outsider was in his territory so late, even if he is with Jade? Even if he was interested in exploring, that could always wait until tomorrow. "Of course. I won't leave your side."

"Wonderful."

The halls are quiet despite how young the night is, even with the utter darkness surrounding them through the heavy and water-tight windows framing the dormitory's lounge area painting a much later image. Maybe that's why the students there seem to go to their own rooms once it gets dark? It isn't like the dorm's lighting is made for all that much illumination.

Floyd doesn't seem to be in either, but Jade just sets his bag carefully in the chair of his desk. He'll need to sort those things out later, but for now he reaches under his bed for a wooden box. Carefully plucking out a smooth, clear bottle. "I suppose Floyd is still out playing. That is a shame... I am sure you would have enjoyed seeing him."

What a disorienting place. No wonder everyone retreats to their rooms so early; how are they meant to tell what time it is, when it's so dark even at this hour? Even Savanaclaw, making so much use of natural light, doesn't feel as though it's hours later than it should be like this--and it's never so quiet. Not even in the dorms section. Wouldn't anyone but a nocturnal merman like Jade and his friends get tired awfully early, if they didn't turn on all the lights in their room and maybe listen to some music?

Even Rook can't fight back a yawn as he follows, the weariness of the day starting to creep in with everything so still. Is that the transformation potion? It just looks like water, without being able to taste or smell it..... Weird. "It would have been nice. But there's always tomorrow, right?"

"True. I doubt that either of you would enjoy too much time apart." Because they're so close after all. With Rook fluttering in and out of their room despite Octavinelle's stricter rules on outsiders, their playtime, and generally Floyd seeking Rook out when he wants to ditch class in favor of rougher and games of tag or chase.

He straightens back up after grabbing a small tote of personal shower belongings. He might as well clean himself up afterwards, right? Door closed and he heads down the hall.

"Are you tired? We can put this off for another time..."

"Good thing we won't have to, eh?" Because he doesn't plan to leave either of them alone for any length of time, of course. Not for a long, long time to come! That's what friends are for, right? At least, until he might be useful for other things Jade might enjoy.....

Yet again, he's a little grateful (for once) that he has to tail to betray him as they step back out into the hall. It might be a little offputting to be this openly excited, hmmm? How can he not be, though, when this feels so special? "No, no, it's fine! I just don't think I've ever come to Octavinelle so late before."

"It is rather different, isn't it? I had thought the savannah would be darker but the star and moonlight is surprisingly illuminating." He has no issue with traversing through the dark as it is, but it was practically pleasant to walk through the dry grass back to the mirror under such calm light. It's different than when the light stops reaching into the depths of the ocean, leading to nothing more than the faint occasional wisp of bioluminescence from a sea creature.

One that Rook might be getting to see rather closely soon as they continue on their path. "No light reaches the ocean floor. It is why so many deep-sea creatures produce their own... and why so many others are attracted to that light."

"Isn't it nice? It never gets really dark unless it's cloudy." Even if he's diurnal, it's hard not to appreciate the savannah at nighttime. Dark and cool without being overbearingly cold and impossible to see, pleasantly still but still buzzing with life just beneath the surface, all around you if you know where to look. The perfect comfortable temperature and level of white noise to settle in and get some sleep.

Would he fall into an even deeper sleep than usual, in a place like Octavinelle? Or would he be restless and uneasy, listening for noise that isn't there, curled up in a ball to ward off a chill? Would those tiny flickers of bioluminescence be comforting and familiar, or unnerving in such profound darkness? Rook's eyes widen in growing fascination as he considers the information. Attracted to that light is right..... "Oh..... you mean you do, too?"

"We do. We get our glow from our mother." It's a sweet saying, he thinks. Something Floyd and him heard so often as they grew up while their father held their faces. Doting on them with adoring admiration of the spawn he created with the mate he loves so completely. Although they are also drawn to the faint glows when they're underwater--just intimately aware of the possibilities of what they could find themselves face-to-face with.

He pulls the door to the showers open, holding it with a foot as he pulls a prepared paper from the small tote in his hand. With that placed clearly front and center he motions for Rook to head inside first. "I should have asked first, but I imagine witnessing my actual transformation may be uncomfortable for you... Some find the way our bodies shift during the process unsettling."

"Beauté! What a sweet sentiment!" How adorable is that? She must be so proud of them! Or is it perhaps meant in a more literal sense? Is Jade's father another species altogether? Such endless possibilities..... It's hard not to let his imagination and curiosity alike run wild.

Rook steps in as bidden, stepping aside to lean against the wall and make room for Jade to work as he needs to. (Sorry, Octavinelle, it might come away smudged when he leaves. Letting himself dry in the evening sun doesn't exactly discourage the dust from settling on him on their walk back to the mirror.) Seeing their bodies shift, hmmm..... He wonders how similar it is to watching Jack's transformation? Surely it can't be that much worse. "Not to worry! I'm quite used to it. Monsieur Fier-à-bras has shown me many times before."

Jade slides inside behind him, finger clicking the lock for an added bit of security.

"How interesting. I wonder how the two compare?" His tote is set down as he sets to work removing his shoes so he can set them aside as well. He may be a merman, but he's not the biggest fan of wet socks. "It is a shame you aren't able to see Azul like this. In my opinion, he is even more impressive in his real form."

And more delicious, but that's just personal preference. Fingers start working over the buttons of his shirt to slowly reveal the even, smooth skin beneath.

"I guess we'll find out! What is Roi d'Effort like in his real form?" It's hard not to be curious. After all, Azul is already impressive, isn't he? Tall, strong, handsome, talented--but certainly built considerably more differently than Jade and Floyd, as well. He's heard Leona's nicknames for Azul, so he has some idea, but..... Well, it's not often you see depictions of octopus merfolk, really. Are they or eel merfolk rarer?

It doesn't matter, either way. He'll keep the conversation going for the sake of their comfort, but it doesn't distract from how interested he is, watching Jade disrobe. How is it even fair that one man can be so effortlessly beautiful?

"He is stunning." His shirt slips from his shoulders, revealing a strong back and arms as he folds it. "While Floyd and I are considerably larger in our true forms, we are nothing compared to Azul. His tentacles are long, elegant and strong enough to hold and crush. If we weren't careful when we were younger, he could easily force us to stay still."

He chuckles like it's a fond memory... because it is. How Azul has grown from that octopus that used to hide in a pot from anyone and everyone. Scared of reaching out and being known. Sure, it is a different sort of feeling these days, but back then he was just so... cute. It makes Jade appreciate the man Azul is becoming all the more. The shirt is set aside as he starts on his belt, pulling it effortlessly free from its loops. "I told you before that octopus is one of our favorite meals... Floyd and I joke often about how satisfying just one of Azul's tentacles would be compared to the little creatures we find hiding."

"He sounds stunning." And Rook means that--but he wonders if it's possible for Azul to be more stunning than the body that Jade reveals now, inch by inch, long and strong and so enticingly toned. He probably shouldn't be staring, in all honesty--but can he really be blamed, if it's so difficult to tear his eyes away from the beauty that stands before him?

Ah, he wants to reach out and touch him. They're so close, it would be easy. But that's not conducive to seeing what he really wants to see, now is it? "Even at your real size? He must be enormous."

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