terrariums | open; 2024

So he isn't as oblivious to his surroundings as most humans...

Jade continues his slow, daunting circles. Long, heavily spined and scarred tail flicking through the seafoam. Despite his observational skills, it's clear this little one has no self-awareness to the severity of his situation. If the sea serpent were to throw himself on the shore he could approach him in seconds from this distance. Claws digging into fragile flesh as his teeth seek the blood he's grown used to quenching his thirst.

Slowly his body lowers further into the water until only the waves ebb and flow in his wake. Yet his shadow lingers just below languidly inching toward the seafoam crashing against the sand.

"Beauté....." Aware of his surroundings he may be, but inclined towards self-preservation, he most certainly isn't. Rook stays where he's perched, admiring the glimpses of spines and scales he can make out. How old must this creature be, to bear so many battle scars? What has its life been like?

Maybe he's simply too fascinated by the idea of seeing such a creature up close..... Even as the leviathan vanishes beneath the waves, Rook doesn't move to leave just yet, instead regarding the rippling surface with am almost dreamy sigh. "What drives you to chase your tail in a place like this, vast one? There's nothing for you here, is there?"

His approach is slow and curious. The closer he gets to the rocky shoreline the more difficult it is to hide his sheer length beneath the waves. His tail trails out long and far, practically disappearing into the water surrounding it a distance away if not for his pronounced dorsal and deadly spines. Jade's claws dig into a nearby rock to hoist himself up onto it. Water and foam drips from pale skin, his lips pulled in a dark and toothy smile as he looks down at the human not that far away.

Perhaps he simply needs a reason to run? And what better reason than a strong upper body littered in various teals and dark specks. Scars fresh and old alike licking the flesh of his finned arms.

One particular old and distinct scar clearly clustered in the center of his muscular chest. Mismatched eyes take in the man in front of him with clear thoughts behind them: hunger mixed with curiosity. "Fufu... I could say there is nothing for you here, human."

The shadow beneath the waves only looms larger and larger as it approaches, fins slicing through the water like a ship's sails. Finally, he breaches the surface, brings himself into full view, speaks--

Rook can't help but gasp, looking downright stricken as he clutches his heart, eyes wide and lips parted as he stares; he doesn't quite fall, but he certainly wobbles on his perch, for a moment so overcome that he forgets his balance. "Comme c'est majestueux....."

The way he shines, sprinkled with diamond-bright drops of water and pearlescent sea foam, the beautiful patterns of teal and jade scales, the wicked claws and fangs that could rend him asunder as easily as he breathes, the way his eyes gleam like stars, the impossibly powerful muscles that ripple all over him, battered and scarred as though he's some ancient god carved in marble, a statue from bygone days stepped straight off its pedestal and into the ocean.....

Who could ever claim there's nothing here for him, when what appears before his eyes is so..... so positively spellbinding? For a long, long moment, Rook forgets to breathe at all.

Jade laughs and his gills flare with his deep, hearty chuckle. His body leans forward, webbed fingers coming together as he leans on his scarred forearms on the rock he's decided to sunbathe on. His tail slowly coiling up through the water surrounding him as he idly watches the human before him. Until the slow realization dawns on himself that he's never seen an expression quite like this one before...

Many gasps, yes, but more often screams. Looks of horror with their mouths foolishly agape or tears swelling in their eyes as he drags himself onto the deck.

But this is different. "Are you well, son of man? This is the part where you run."

It's a strange expression, isn't it? So similar to the terror he so often inspires, yet subtly different--the way his eyes sparkle in awe, for example, or the undeniable flush creeping into his cheeks and ears. Jade isn't going to get rid of him that easily, not when he's frozen in place and trembling like this. That voice..... He could roar as loud as a storm if he wanted to, couldn't he?

"Oh, you're more beautiful than anything on earth..... How can I run when I can't bear to tear my eyes away.....?"

A jade brow quirks in contemplation of the human's words. His massive body leaning forward even further on his perch to get a better look at the flushed face and wind tossed blond hair. When had he last looked at a human like this? It's different than on their final moments of life...

Well, not that different by that technicality. He could drag him beneath the waves with nothing but a single hand around his waist.

"Flattery doesn't work on us," most of the time. Though he's truthfully never been spoken to like this. "Why are you here, little human?"

Would he even think to move in time, if such a massive hand reached for him? Or would he impulsively reach back, even fully aware of the danger? He can't even seem to turn away as Jade looms still closer, eyes locked helplessly onto the mismatched gaze boring into him.

"I just..... I needed to find out what's been happening to our ships. I want to make sure nobody else dies braving the open seas."

"'Our' ships?" Jade repeats, tone unimpressed. "If they were truly braving the seas, should they not have something to fear?"

Is this one even remembering to breathe right now? He's speaking, but otherwise it's difficult to say. Such a awestruck expression like he was looking at the open sky when those colored lights explode to paint it's blackness. Yet he's looking at him--a monster.

"Well, you found it."

"They're merchants. Traders. Even a bad enough storm is reason for them to fear foundering in the waves." A war ship might be heavily armed and armored to be able to protect itself, but a cargo ship? There's only so much you can do to balance capacity with speed, there's no way a ship so weighed down could ever hope to outmaneuver or outrun a leviathan.

Even explaining himself, it's hard to remember to breathe. Not when it feels as though those eyes can see straight through to the very heart of him. Not when he's staring at a being of such grace and power that it makes his heart tremble just to behold him. This..... isn't normal, is it?

And the ocean reaps their wares all the same. It partakes of their food, their iron, and their bones... scattered to their brethren still hiding so deep that the ocean is no longer blue, but deep, all-consuming black.

The leviathan's chin comes to rest on the back of a speckled, webbed hand. Tips of clawed fingers so dark they would obscure any sort of filth that could be trapped beneath his nailbeds. His lips pull into a slightly wider smile, his fangs more akin to needles than anything resembling teeth. "And?"

Oh, those claws. Those teeth. Just a good look at them is enough to make his heart skip several beats for all the wrong reasons, flush only darkening in spite of his best intentions. Surely killing him would barely even be worth notice. But what of the boats?

.....What..... of the boats.....? He is here for a reason. He mustn't forget that. "And..... and I came to find out why. I need to make it right. How have we upset you?"

Smile pulls into a sneering laugh, controlled and punctuated by the way his tail smacks the water to send a violent spray of foam and salt at the man before him. Due to his size, it's practically a wave compared to a pathetic splash.

"What haven't your kind done?" It's disgusting, really... how ignorant they can be... but the leviathan settles, even if his eyes never break their stare. Yet the serpent doesn't sound angry, per se. Eerily calm, if anything. His tail is considerably closer to the shore now with more than enough length to spare, and it only inches closer.

open; 2024

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