terrariums | open; 2024

Releasing his human form is easier than turning into one, he thinks. While it's less effort to simply drink a potion, it's different to allow himself to simply be. His eyes fall closed as the changes begin. The skin of his legs fusing together in thick webs, ankles pulled taut as they extend and change in color. A flood of teal and speckled blue-black spots tracing up his calves and thighs.

Sharp spines break from his back and even someone so collected and Jade can't stop the faint grimace that brushes across his features. His fingertips darken as his blunt, human nails grow more sinister. Strong and pointed with a shape more akin to beast than man.

He takes a deep breath as his ribs start to pull, the skin breaking and falling open as if a knife was run between the very bones of his ribcage. The color spreads up his chest, fading out over his abdomen, chest and face as his skin takes on a glossy, thick sheen as his legs visibly contort as they grow in length. Unnecessary appendages pull into himself as if they were never there, but still disappearing right where they should be. Jade relaxes after a moment, aural fins that replaced his ears twitching as he adjusts to the difference in his very eyes. The dual-lids blink as he turns to look at the upperclassman with him. His tail curls up around himself, coiling easily around his own long body. "There..."

Rook watches the transformation in silent, undisguised awe. Surely there's no shortage of people who would find it horrifying, seeing flesh warp and tear, seeing a body twist so unnaturally. But him? It feels..... it feels like watching a butterfly burst from its coccoon, a miracle of life. Finally, to shed what restrains you, to leave behind what you are and become who you're truly meant to be.....

It's so similar to Jack's transformation, yet so fundamentally different as well. How could it not touch his heart? He could actually cry..... Instead, sun-kissed though it is, his face only manages to turn redder still. Rook reaches out to stroke Jade's cheek before he even realizes he's moving at all, eyes sparkling in admiration. "Magnifique..... You must be the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

The touch brings a small sound of surprise, his gaze staying squarely on the flushed face in front of him. His own taking a darker, blue-green tone thanks to his cold blood as he realizes just how... different this has gone than he expected.

"...You think that I am beautiful?" How can he tear his eyes away from such vivid green ones when he says something like that? His body shifts, webbed hand coming to rest on his own chest. He can feel his heart lurch in anticipation even before he speaks again. "I... think I may be misunderstanding."

"How could I not? Everything about you is..... stunning." Including the lovely tint his face takes, closer to the main colors of his tail; Rook can't help but stroke Jade's cheek with his thumb. Just how had Jade thought this was going to go, exactly?

"Are you?" This is it. There's no way they can misunderstand each other now. Whether Jade is oblivious, or simply profoundly uninterested..... He finds out here and now. Rook closes the distance between them in a single step, sinking down to his knees and leaning in to capture Jade's lips.

His gills flare when their lips press together and for what feels like a long few moments Jade sits frozen. Until finally his webbed fingers move to run through thick, blond hair--so dry it feels like the grass they stomped through, but with a different warm quality to it--so it can rest on the back of the hunter's neck.

But he breaks the kiss quickly enough. It's better if he doesn't lean too far, too fast, isn't it? "...I was under the impression you were interested in Floyd."

It's a tense few moments, but once Jade moves..... Oh, the wait was worth it! All of it! Even when they part, Rook looks radiantly happy, not yet ready to pull back too far. Where in the world had Jade gotten the idea that he wanted Floyd? Wouldn't it have been more likely that Azul would have intrigued him?

"Of course I love Monsieur Spontané, but it's not the same. Even with my family so far away, he makes me feel like I really still have a brother right by my side, too."

That's a sweet sentiment... one he can't deny that he likes. He's seen the way the two of them play, but the line to Jade had been so blurred. No one leaps to play with Floyd the way that Rook does and such kindness towards himself felt alien and strange. It's only natural to want to make a good impression on someone's family, isn't it?

Then again, that applies to this situation as well.

Should he... apologize? Some things certainly feel a lot more obvious. Perhaps showing Rook this much of himself was accidentally far more forward than he realized? "I suppose we should talk, then."

"Oui, but don't let me delay you if you're not comfortable. Isn't it hard to breathe like this?" Should they turn on the shower for the sake of Jade's gills, if he wants to talk in his real form? Would the noise attract undue attention, or would it simply mask their conversation?

"I am more comfortable than you would think, but one of the showers may help." At least keeping the humidity up helps keep him moist. Staying like this for longer than a few days would be deadly, but for this late night rendezvous it should be plenty. Though he did bring supplies to shower, he can still already feel the way his body expels the dirt and grime from the day.

His clawed fingertips trace along his gills revealing a thick thread of slime when he withdraws them. "So long as my skin remains moist I can stay like this for a considerable amount of time without fear of suffocating. Other merfolk are not always so fortunate."

"Oh..... Incroyable! In that case, let's turn on a shower for you." He'd had no idea that eels could breathe through their slime alone! That's valuable information to take home and update their file with.....

But why is he even thinking about something like that, now that he's finally gotten a kiss? Rook tosses his hat onto the pile of Jade's clothes without a second thought, reaching for the taps. Are his own clothes coming off? Why would they, when he's planning on talking, not actually taking a shower? It's fine to just rinse a little of today's dirt and dust off while they chat, he'll probably dry off again by the time he gets back to his dorm room.

The steam that immediately pours from the shower head is a relief. Jade shifts and his tail darts across the floor to rest more comfortably as he leans back against his palms.

He watches Rook carefully for a few moments--taking in his wild hair and the way the offshoots of water licks at his clothes. "What do you know of mermaid courting, Rook-san?"

Because he can think of a few things that Rook has done... trinkets, quality time, displaying how capable of a provider he could be with the large amounts of food he's brought them and the catfish he caught today. "I admit my knowledge of human methods are more limited..."

It's not such a bad thing, basking in warm water and steam, is it? Rook settles in to sit cross-legged, hardly an arm's length away. "A little! I read some about it. Like sharing food and treasures?"

Would you look at that? His interest has been serious--and long-term--enough that he actually put in the work to study what he needed to do. "Human methods are pretty varied. It really depends on what country you're from!"

"It is much the same in the Coral Sea... each region and species has their own practices and methods. The ones you listed are vitally important, though the acts themselves are not exclusively romantic." Because in such a vast place full of so many dangers it is only natural that the small communities of merfolk take care of each other. Jade's family is fairly vital in that sort of thing, for example.

Not that he'll be bringing them up just yet, but possibly... should this conversation take a serious sort of turn. "In our part of the Coral Sea, gifts and providing for a potential mate is one of the highest concerns, but more-so are acts of bravery or cunning. The ability to set themselves out as a strong mate that can preserve and strengthen our already old-sea bloodline. ...My species also mates for life."

He knows the last bit is particularly difficult for some humans to understand--even some merfolk, really. Even if they comprehend, it's different to actually accept it when things get difficult. Especially when they can witness other merfolk switching partners so easily with the seasons.

"Oh..... should I have been doing something different?" He supposes the animals he had hunted for the twins had been rather common..... hmmm. Maybe he should have been aiming higher, seeking out bigger, more dangerous game? He supposes hunting something more apt to potentially kill him would have shown some bravery. What about cunning, though? Stalking clearly wasn't enough to display something like that. He's pretty good at potionology, would that have counted as being cunning?

Trying to puzzle out that particular missing piece is clearly giving him more trouble than the rest; Rook nods readily enough at the last part. "Right, like jackals and dik-diks." And..... like Hunts. He can certainly pursue someone like this, but until he's absolutely sure..... No, he definitely can't tell his family. Not yet. Not until they've both agreed this is the right choice. If anything, that Jade's family is like this too just makes it easier to be on the same page, doesn't it?

"It is more clear to me in retrospect." To know how to lay low and strike at the perfect opportune time is plenty cunning, though Rook's curiosity and skill with potions has not escaped Jade's notice. How could it when potionology is such an important cultural gift to those from his part of the sea? While bringing them a more dangerous animal might have been impressive, Jade can't deny the skill that goes into such neat kills.

"At the time I saw it as you being friendly." In some ways he still thinks that's partially the case. "It hadn't occurred to me that a human would make that effort in earnest, so I chose to view it the way I felt a human might."

Yes, he's aware now that he's probably been leaving Rook 'hanging' for at least a couple of months? Perhaps longer...

Edited 2024-05-09 17:01 (UTC)

Well, at least it doesn't seem like accidentally being received coldly for so long has dampened his enthusiasm any? Rook just laughs, shaking off the long locks trying to plaster themselves to his face under the running water. "I guess bringing you both things at the same time might've muddied the waters a little..... I thought you would want to share, though."

But..... He had wanted to show he had no intention of leaving Floyd out in the cold, either. That he loved both of them, that he wanted to be able to protect and provide for Jade and the people he loved most. He might have only brought the trinkets to Jade, but it would have felt wrong not to bring enough food for both of them to eat their fill.

He reaches forward to use a claw to tuck a blond tuft of hair behind the hunter's ear.

"A little. Though I would have shared your spoils with him regardless... I appreciate your efforts more now." It fits perfectly into the type of slot that Jade wants to someday fill--a partner he can rely on and that can challenge him in turn. Someone that would care for his most precious possessions and be able to protect them in any case that he was unable to. There is the issue of Rook living on land, but... actually, that in and of itself is a good point to bring up in this situation, isn't it?

"Once your education here is finished, where do you plan to go?"

"You both only would have gotten a half-portion, in that case." And that had been his main concern, really. They're all growing boys with the appetites to match, aren't they? What kind of provider would he be, leaving his people still hungry? Rook leans into the touch with a hum of contentment, one that turns thoughtful at the question posed.

What does he want to do, after he finishes school? He'll take up the mantle of a Hunt scion, of course--but family work won't take up all his time. And even if it took up most of it by some chance, if he wants any hope of a public life afterwards, he'll need some manner of cover story. Some people may be content with a quiet life in the shadows..... but he doesn't think he would be one of them. So..... what does that leave him with, then? Where does his passion, his life's true calling lie? What beauty will he find that will become unique his own?

"I don't know..... Maybe I'll travel for a little while? I think I might like to see the world while I figure it out. You're going back to the Coral Sea, non?"

It's easy to see the consideration on Rook's face as he debates the answer, even as he so easily leans into the cold of Jade's palm. He lets his hand linger there on the other's face, content to feel the warmth radiating from his sun-kissed cheek.

"I will be, yes." They'd discussed Jade's family's expectations for him a little bit earlier today. Though that had also led them a bit into this very topic... and Rook's interest and unrest with the subject certainly makes more sense in retrospect. It wasn't just concern for a friend being rushed into something, but perhaps a twinge of some sort of deeper emotion. "If you visit my home it may be... different than you expect. My family is not standard among merfolk. If you do want to pursue me, it would be more dangerous than choosing another human here on land."

"You mean all the crime and murder, non? I already decided you're worth the risk." It's so casual and conversational, the way he says it, nuzzling into Jade's hand affectionately without even missing a beat. Would anyone blame Jade for wondering if he'd heard him correctly? He doesn't even seem particularly bothered over the information, whether by the risks it could pose to himself, or the unsavory acts themselves. Why should he, when he'd already put so much thought into deciding to seriously pursue this, pursue him?

Jade blinks. Twice, technically if the way the transparent aquatic lids move are any indication.

"There is more to it than that, but... yes." It is a decent summary, but also-- "It is rare for someone on land to know about things like that." Even the school interview he'd had he'd been careful to avoid revealing too much about it. It's no one on land's business, after all. At least not in Jade's mind currently... "If things did not work out and you were too close, it could end badly for you. My family would expect any mate of mine to be at least partially active in the business."

"I did a little research to make sure I knew what I was getting into, and if I really wanted to take the plunge." That..... that doesn't explain anything, Rook. You're not clarifying how you found any of this out, only why you wanted to know.

Either way, he only smiles blithely at the potential threat. That's not supposed to scare him, is it? He'd already long since taken it all into account. "Pas de souci! I already do that sort of thing when my family needs a hand, too. They wouldn't want any loose ends either, but I don't think they'll care what you do. I'm just a middle child, after all."

His hand finally retracts, coming to rest his arm across his own lap.

"And what exactly would I be getting myself into, then?" It's a fair enough question, even if he had thought it to be quite a different situation. He'd heard stories of siblings loosely before, but not in detail. None of those stories came off as particularly unsettling... but it isn't as if he considers Floyd and his own relationship as anything other than 'normal'. Partners more than siblings, yes, but he is still his valued brother. "I understand if I can't receive the full details."

His own family is secretive, so he understands... even if really he feels drawn to dig his claws into this trail of conversation. Rook knows so much about him, after all, but even his own research and questions often left him with nothing.

"Oh, nothing too different! It's just all technically legal." Technically legal, in that they won't get in trouble for anything they do. How could they, considering the people they most commonly answer to?

"We help keep things safe for people! Mostly on land, but occasionally even in the sea, too. If there are monsters or direbeasts causing people problems, or situations Arcane Response Units might be too slow to get to, or so obtrusive that they would panic people taking care of them..... Stuff like that!" So they kill creatures and people, if the ARU ordinarily needs to be called in. And clearly they can get where they're needed fast, on land and in the sea. And if they substitute in so seamlessly for the ARU, just how many governments do they have ties to, exactly?

"I see..." He lets the words hang in the air for a few moments, simply taking them in. It's something more than he was able to get himself, but it does make how difficult it was to find anything on the Hunt family make more sense. Professional photos of the current head of family aside, there really wasn't much. Even how many children they have was surprisingly difficult to find if it weren't for Rook's own easy admission. Just a fact that clearly means little, but is still squirreled away.

It is more than he expects, yet still leaves him with more questions.

"Ufufu... my family must seem so insignificant in comparison." Maybe his father has even hired one of them at some point? For the most part he keeps his shadier dealings hidden behind his second set of jaws. His children too young to deal with all of the details of their business when they could still enjoy being teenagers... even if Jade has always been more studious with it. "What do you want from me then, exactly?"

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