Inadvertent Adventures

[Miranda St.James]

Tanner gets a note at The Golden Perch

Tanner,

I found something else I think you might be interested in but also want to test your investigative journalist side along the way. Your first clue is here, do you think you can find the treasure?

#1 Go to where hot pink wheels almost met a watery fate.
#2 Go to where you climbed and could not get down.
#3 Go to a place where a story began.
#4 Go to the place where coffee almost ruined well printed plans.
#5 Box containing climbing gear and longitude and latitude.

When Tanner awoke that morning in his room at the Golden Perch, he pulled the covers off of him and slowly sat up. Legs hanging over the side of the bed and feet on the floor, he reached for his phone and looked down at it as he woke it up and stared at the screen. No new messages, missed calls or notifications. Setting the phone back down on the nightstand next to his bed, he just so happened to look down when he did and spotted something curious on the floor of his room. Canting his head, brows dipped in the middle as he looked down at the envelope that hadn't been there when he went to sleep the night before.

Having retrieved it, he sat back down on the edge of the bed and opened it slowly. Pulling the piece of paper out and unfolding it, auburn eyes roamed over the words written there and a slow smile began to form on his lips as he read. Not having to guess who'd sent him the letter, he finished with the instructions quickly and was soon up, letter abandoned on the mattress at his side, as he went about getting ready to go out. As evidenced by the letter, there would be climbing involved, so he opted for a comfortable pair of shorts, a white tank top and the best shoes he'd brought with him for climbing.

Out the door with letter in hand, he easily found the first location as it was just outside the door of his temporary residence. There he found the next clue that would lead him to the next location, and then the next, and then the next until he was standing at the door of Miranda's storage building looking down at a box. Crouching down and opening it slowly, he first pulled the map and up studied it for a long moment. Looking down at the map and then up several times, he first worked to orient himself using the features he could see on the page as guidelines. Having his bearings, he gathered up all of the climbing supplies and was soon off in the direction laid out for him to follow. It was a fairly long walk, but he took it slow. He would be in this land for a while after all and he took his time, taking in the sights and making mental notes of where things were along his way. A shop here. A café there. Along his way too, he noticed other inhabitants of Rhy'Din as they passed on the sidewalk and streets. Pushing those black frames further up on his nose a couple of times as he walked, he noticed that, for the most part, everyone he encountered seemed fairly normal.

He gave a polite nod and a smile to a couple as they passed. One man waved from across the street and he waved back. Then there was a woman with horns he passed and he couldn't quite ignore the way her eyes dipped and then rose as magenta lips curled up in a too friendly smile. He smiled at her all the same, but his eyes widened just a bit as she passed and he looked forward, continuing to walk.

After some time, he found himself standing at the base of a cliff and staring at a multicolored rope that was suspended somewhere over the crest, the mooring hidden from view. Having arrived exactly where she had wanted him to go, he stood there, hands on his hips as he looked up to that very crest, smiling in anticipation. Not wanting to dilly dally further, and excited to see what he found find above, strong hands took hold of that rope and he started his ascent. As with the journey here, Tanner took his time. Enjoying the strain of muscles as he pulled himself ever closer, he found the smile on his lips wouldn't fade at the thought of nearing his intended target and at actually being able climbing again.

Finally topping out, Tanner dusted his hands off on shorts and then simply marveled at the scene he was greeted with when he looked up. It was beautiful! The way the sunbeams caught the water just right made it look like a million shining gems were floating in the lazy swells and dips in the surface.


She had been here for hours already. Not in the least bit perturbed at the time as she was happily looking at her phone while she dangled in a hot pink harness just over the other side of the cliff he was standing on. Anticipation etched her features as she looked through the material she'd already found. She knew that if what she had heard was true, they were both in for a big surprise.

Taking in a deep breath, she sucked in some of the dust about her and let out a sneeze. Blinking, she scrambled as clumsy fingers nearly let loose of her phone. "Shit!" She clutched it to her chest and leaned forward to let her helmet rest against the rock face. That was to close! If she had dropped it, he might not get the message she just sent off. Did Tanner's phone have a loud text alert? It should be going off right now.

Tanner looked out over the water for a long time. He loved looking at the ocean even more than he loved climbing. It captivated him every time and now, with the knowledge of who might possibly be under those waves, somewhere, he stared just a little bit longer. He looked at other things too. The white, fluffy clouds in the sky that travelled lazily to wherever it was they were going. Somewhere in the distance a bird dove into the water, emerging with a large fish caught in its bill. It was quite possible he would have stood there for a half an hour or more if it weren't for the sneeze and then the immediate chiming of his phone he heard soon after.

Blinking at the other edge of the cliff he was standing on, wondering why in the world he'd just heard someone sneeze, he looked down and retrieved his phone when he heard it. Taking a few steps towards that edge as he read the message, he quickly put his phone back and started getting the gear ready to attach him to the rope and go over the edge to join her.

Message to Tanner When you get to where I sent you, put your gear on and climb over. I wont let you fall.

Was that chiming? Her eyes widened as she could faintly hear something over the rush of wind and the sound of the sea behind her. Fingers curled on the rope in anticipation as she planted both feet against the cliff face and straightened her legs so that she could get a better view of the top. She saw his foot first and then the muscled length of his leg. When his backside came into view, she flushed and turned her head away, letting her eyes look out to the clouds beyond.

"That was pretty quick." She called up to him, hoping that when she looked back, she would be able to see more of him and not up the shorts he was wearing. "You okay?" She knew climbing down was a problem before and they were really high up this time.

Having slipped into the harness and attached all of the belaying gear properly, he turned around so that his back was facing the side of the cliff that she now dangled below. Looking forward nervously, his cheeks puffed out with a few confidence building breaths and then one leg slid over the edge. Finding his footing carefully, he slowly leaned back and let the rope take most of his weight before slipping the other back and tentatively finding footing for it as well.

Once that was accomplished, he carefully started creeping backwards until he was most of the way over. Stopping, he very slowly turned his head to the side and looked down as another puff of breath filled his cheeks. "Okay. You got this, Tanner. You can do this." The words were quiet. Almost whispered. Having given himself a pep talk, he pushed off with his feet and let the rope out, belaying down a short little bit before doing it twice more until he was beside Miranda.

Looking over at her, hoping she wouldn't notice the white of his knuckles as he held on for dear life, he grinned. "Got here as quick as I could." When asked if he was okay, that grin just grew wider and he nodded, not daring to look down or anywhere else other than at her in that moment. "Yep. I'm good."

"Maybe next time I'll make it harder." She grinned when he finally reached her side and looked up the rope and then back to him. She'd noticed the hesitant breath he blew out and also the white of his knuckles but chose to not say anything...yet.

She couldn't help getting lost in his gaze for just a moment. Maybe it was the way he seemed to focus every bit of his attention on her as if they weren't hanging over the edge of a cliff or as if he weren't scared. "You ready?" She scrunched her nose to adjust the frames on her face and braced her feet against the rock cliff once more. She hoped, since he climbed, he knew how to scale the cliff much easier than he had the ferris wheel. If he needed help, they could always ride tandem.

"What?" He couldn't help it, his mind went somewhere else entirely and of his feet pressed against the rock face slipped and he jerked to one side suddenly. "Oof!" Righting himself quickly, both feet again found purchase against the stone footholds and he smiled at her again, this time perhaps a little wider than before. "Yeah?"

The near fall was utterly forgotten when she stared at him like she did and scrunched her nose up to right those frames, centering them over those too large, owlish green eyes of hers. "Ready." He said with a nod and another smile. The cliff would prove to be much easier than the Ferris wheel since he had the harness and was holding the rope. He wasn't the best at it, but he felt sure he could do it on his own without riding tandem...yet.

"Let's go then." She was nearly glowing with excitement, those green eyes sparkling like they did the night they climbed the top of that death trap he was so scared of. With a gentle push, she loosened the slack on the rope and let herself swing out lightly from the face of the cliff, perhaps just taking small steps to make sure he was comfortable first.

She could hear the roaring of the waterfall beneath them and hoped it was flowing over the arm of a large stone giant like she had been told. She resettled feet against the rocks and looked up at him to see how he was managing and for a moment, she simply stared. The man was in such great shape! Eyes admired his arms as they tensed to hold his weight and then slipped down his back to watch shoulder blades move beneath the tank top he wore. However, she wasn't seeing the material of his shirt. No, she was envisioning something else entirely and she had to shake her head and look away before he noticed.

Her own outfit was perfect for climbing. A pair of gray yoga like pants protected skin from being snagged by a jagged rock and a snug t-shirt of the same material hugged her upper body, leaving just a hint of her stomach exposed. It was white at her shoulders and faded to that notorious hot pink at the abdomen. Only once he was even with her again did she beam a smile his way and push off once more, this time, stronger and a much bigger decent.

"Okay." As nervous as he was, he found himself equally excited when he saw the glow of excitement on her face and those green eyes sparkling with anticipation. Following her lead, he loosened the slack on his own rope and pushed off of the cliff face. Landing next to her for a second time, he smiled over at her confidently. It wasn't a complete fib, the expression on his face, but the nervousness was slowly ebbing away and it was much closer to the truth than it had been just moments prior.

Even with that little descent he could hear the rushing of water below them as well and wondered what amazing discovery awaited them. Looking at her though, he saw the faint flush of pink on her cheeks and that grin grew just a little wider at the sight. Was she as excited as he was to be on the verge of a new discovery? Or had her thoughts strayed to the place his did when he looked at her? He might have been about to question that fact, but before he could, she pushed off again and was sailing through the air, further down this time.

His body twisting slightly as he watched her descent, he smiled and then pushed off himself, this time enough to match her and he was soon sliding down that rope with the telltale whine that said this was a much larger leap than before.

Oh...she loved a challenge. She saw the confidence growing on his features and fill the depths of those eyes of his. With a giggle, she gave a mighty shove and sent herself flying out and away from the cliff. Far enough that she even managed to spin into a little back flip in the process, landing with her feet against the rocks right next to him. Close enough that their shoulders almost touched....almost. Grinning, she spoke now before he wouldn't be able to hear her the closer they got to the waterfall. "So, there's a spot here where it goes in and there's no footing to push off. You're going to have to take a big leap with me. You okay with that?"

Twisting and looking back as she pushed off again, he might have gone a little pale as she spun into a little back flip and landed right next to him again. His features a little paler than the before for a moment, the color came rushing back when the distance between them closed and he could feel the heat emanating off of her shoulder with this new proximity. The deer in the headlights look he sported for a moment faded too at the sight of her smile so close and those beautiful green eyes and the trepidation he'd felt soon melted away again as he listened to her explain what came next.

"I'm okay with that." He really was, whether she was talking about another leap that would lead them further down their ropes or something else entirely. It seemed it didn't matter what she suggested or what she wanted to do. He was down for any and all of it without hesitation.

Somehow, she knew that would be his response. For a moment, she simply watched him and took in everything around them at the same time. They were suspended at least a hundred feet up still, with the crystal blue ocean behind them and an adventure waiting below them but all she could think about was how nice it was to see the color come back to his features when she neared him.

Could he know what that did to her? It was an incredibly enticing sensation knowing the kind of power you could bolster someone with. Her smile curved slowly at his response and she nodded. "You're going to have to push off here and then give your self enough slack to start. It's going to feel like you're falling but I'll catch you okay?" She tried to show him while she explained by working the rope with her hands and wriggling a bit of the slack into it. Then she looked back to him and tilted her head. "Are you ready?"

Still close enough to feel the warmth of her body next to his, he watched her watch him. The way she looked at him, did things. Things that no one had ever done before. The night they had spent together came to mind of course, but there was so much more to her than that. When he was with her he felt like he could do anything, and so far had! A hundred feet up in the air, dangling by two small ropes with the sound of rushing water below them and the ocean in the backdrop and all he could think about was her smile and how he wished it would never go away. Then there were those owlish green eyes hidden behind coke bottle lenses that just brought their beauty out more and he knew he could get lost in them if she'd let him.

He listened to the explanation, nodding along as she spoke, and found he had to swallow the lump in his throat that instantly formed when she said it would feel like he was falling. He didn't like falling. Not at all. But...he would do it, for her. He looked down, watching intently as she showed him what needed to be done, nodding again as he watched. Looking back to his own hands and his own rope, he mimicked the movement and did exactly what she had done. When he was pretty sure he knew what he had to do, he looked back to her and smiled with yet another nod. "Got it. I'm ready."

Nodding her head, she made sure he was and with a bending of her knees, she was nearly face to face with the cliff wall before she gave a giant shove off with her feet and out and down she flew. The peal of laughter that flew from her lips was barely audible from over the sound of the waves, but if he was listening close enough, he might hear it.

It didn't take long for her to reach the bottom and when she did, she looked up instantly to see if he was following or not. His rope hung not far from where she was so she took two quick steps to grab a hold of it. Thankful she had gloves on, she was ready to tighten it when it needed to be.

She'd wait to feel the rope to start to slide up to know that he was starting his decent and would be ready to stop it. Feet braced and planted a bit apart, she kept her eyes on him and not anything else around her, even if the urge to see what she was standing on was so great, she'd made a promise and wasn't about to break it.

That was possibly a lie. Not an intentional lie, but one all the same. He watched as he neared the cliff face and then gave that mighty shove. Turning to watch her descend further, he did hear that peal of laughter until it was drowned out by the rush of water somewhere below. She made it look so easy...and fun! She was also...not there beside him anymore and the nerves instantly took hold of him.

He watched until he saw her land and then go over to his rope, waiting for him to follow. Looking back to the rock face, he dipped his head and closed his eyes while hands gripped the rope suspending him harder. "Okay. You can do this. You got this far, right? Besides, she's down there. In order to get close to her again you have to do what she did." Working through those words in his mind, his forehead rested against the rope there in front of him and the muscles of his jaw worked hard, building up the nerve. Somehow. Someway. Something he'd seen on a television show a long time ago came to him in that moment. Eyes still closed, he convinced himself further. "Okay. It worked for Jack, so...One, Two, Three, Four, Five."

One second after he said 'Five', Tanner's eyes opened and he looked at the cliff face in front of him, strangely calm. Leaning forward, his face nearly touched the craggy surface before he shoved off with a powerful push of his legs. Sailing through the air, rope whizzing through his hands, it did feel like he was falling, but, it didn't seem to bother him as much as it had in the past. He actually might have smiled a little during the 'fall'. Soon enough, he landed right beside where Miranda had and looked down at his feet for a second, amazed. After that moment of amazement, he looked over to find Miranda standing next to him and a grin blossomed on his lips as he exclaimed, half unbelieving. "I did it!"

She felt the tug on the rope and her smile widened. He was falling...for her! She braced herself and when the time came, she tugged on the rope to slow his decent. Soon enough, he was on his feet next to her with the cutest smile she'd ever seen. He was so proud of himself and she was proud of him too! It shimmered in her eyes and in the wide smile she returned to him.

She had to pull her gaze away though, so that she could unhook herself from the rope and then reach up to tug the helmet free from her head so that strawberry blonde could finally breathe. Strands were flattened against her forehead and she reached up to try and straighten it out as best as she could. "Do you need help unhooking?" He was a climber, but she wasn't sure if he used the same gear or not. She had been impressed he had made it as far as he had without her. Impressed with how quickly he responded to the tasks set before him. Impressed with the way that tank top stuck to his skin from the effort he had put into climbing. Blinking, she forced her gaze back up to meet his and hoped that the heat in her cheeks could be confused with her own exertion.

The words that came out of his mouth were half unbelief and half triumph, but when auburn eyes landed on the shimmering green of her eyes and that wide smile on her lips his mindset shifted more towards triumph than the other instantly. Then he watched her look down and unhook her gear before pulling the helmet off of her head to reveal matted strawberry blonde locks that she tried to fix.

She did manage to fix her hair, save a few stray locks that stubbornly stuck to her forehead and refused to move for her swiping fingers. Smiling at the sight, he turned towards her and took a step in her direction. "Just...," He started, reaching up to tame those unruly strands and tuck them behind her ear gently. "There." He looked down then, his gaze finding hers as she asked if he needed help unhooking and he nodded. "Uh huh."

She froze when his eyes landed on her and that look came over his face. When he stepped closer she caught the corner of her bottom lip between teeth as she fought the urge to step back. Distance....she needed to remember to keep some between them. Watching his hand lift, she held still while he tucked her hair back behind her ear and then let out a breath as he nodded. Distraction! She had it! Looking down, she reached for the fasteners that held his climbing gear in place and busied herself with unhooking them.

This was no big deal! She was simply freeing him from the gear and then she could take a step back so they could both see if what she had heard was down here really was. Then, they'd be so caught up in the excitement, she'd be able to distract him even further! Or maybe it was herself that needed the distraction! Either way, she was convinced that what she was feeling was just excitement from the possible new discovery. Certainly that was what he was feeling too. Who cares that they had shared one of the most amazing nights together she'd ever shared with anyone. It was just a night...a chance for two people to let off some steam. She'd been telling herself that every day since that night.

He didn't miss the way her teeth caught her bottom lip when he smoothed away her hair, tucking it behind her ear. His hand falling away, he looked down briefly as her hands went to the gear encasing him and worked to free him from the encumbering harness and ropes. As she was working with that, his gaze lifted and he watched her face, smiling at the effort she put into it. When the harness fell free, and before she could step away, his hand rose again and instead of her hair, his soft palm found her cheek and he tilted his head. The grin on has face told of his intentions and he had even started to lean in a little closer.

Before he could kiss her though, the splish splashing of water could be heard coming from behind the statue they had yet to see yet, the sound magnified by the echoing stone ceiling that cast the sound outward. With those sounds could be heard a strangely melodic and slightly high pitched voice calling at something unseen. "Go 'way! You stupid thing!" splish splash "Please go away! Mom is going to be so mad if I don't get back soon!"

"There!" The harness and buckle fell to the ground at his feet and she looked up just in time to see his hand coming towards her once more. The rush of the water around them seemed to fade as his hand placed a burning touch upon her cheek. The tilt of his head and the grin told her exactly what his intentions were and before she could say anything, there was a splish splashing and a voice! Blinking, she turned her head and then her body that way. Distraction! She nearly whooped with glee! "Did you hear that?" Eyes were trying to see beyond the pouring water of the waterfall as she took a tentative step that way.

Her hand reached behind her, grabbing a hold of his to pull him along with her. If it was something that could hurt them, she hoped she could distract it enough to give him time to run. Another step taken, she called out. "Hello?" Her voice seemed to nearly fade with the spilling of the water, but the cavern's walls did well to amplify it enough for whoever it was to hear it.

When she blinked, so did he, turning his body and attention towards the sounds and the voice they had both heard. "I did!" When her hand reached behind her it was met with his and she really didn't need to pull at all as he was following along right behind her, just as eager as she was to see who or what they would find in that cavern beyond the waterfall.

When they both entered into the space between rock and falling water, Miranda's voice echoed along the cavern walls and the splashing and the sounds stopped immediately. What they would find, if they were looking in the right direction, was the form of a young woman hidden from the waist down by the water she floated in lazily. The girl's head, partially hidden by a bulbous half globe that lay limp without the support of that water atop her head, was turned in their direction and large, dark eyes blinked, surprised to find others in this holy place. Easing away in the opposite direction, a slender hand found the soft earthen bank while fingertips of the other rested against her chin gently as she called out to them curiously. "Wh...what are you two doing here?"

She stopped short, without warning, probably sending Tanner colliding into her back. However, her eyes were wide as could be behind those coke bottle lenses and she brought her hand up to cover the gasping sound that escaped her lips. "We...We were looking for the statue." Her hand squeezed his as if to make sure he were still there and seeing the same thing she was seeing. "Are you...." She took in the bulbous head and the pretty colors of the creature's skin. "Related to Calladora?" Her heart was slamming in her chest as she asked that question. Was it possible?! She had brought him to see the stone statue and instead..found one of the people from the story he had shared with her?

Tanner didn't crash into the back of her, but he rose up on tippy toes and bowed his body hard to avoid doing just that. When her hand squeezed his, his squeezed hers back just as hard. The man's eyes were about as wide as Miranda's, even with those coke bottle lenses, and he stood and stared in amazement at the young girl he was looking at. His gaze only averting to briefly look at Miranda, he quickly found the young girl again and nodded enthusiastically, mirroring her question silently.

The girl in the water, slowly furthering her retreat, let those large eyes slide past the two standing right beside the statue and looked at the back of it before looking at them again. If they'd come to gaze upon the god turned to stone they'd certainly found it. At the beginning of Miranda's question, the girl flopped her head to one side and looked at the woman quizzically, the bulbous half globe atop her head shifting with the motion. Looking at Tanner next with a similar motion, the girl looked back to Miranda as she finished the question.

The creeping retreat stopped at the mention of Callidora and the girl rose up in the water slightly and drifted towards them enough for that slender hand to leave the bank of the pool she floated in. "You know my mom?" Her head canted to the side and she looked at Tanner again with a blink, then back to Miranda, awaiting her answer.

Her heart slammed in her chest and she could have sworn Tanner could hear it as close to her as he was. Her voice was exactly as she had imagined it would be! She couldn't help staring, her owlish green eyes simply taking in every bit of the girl from the color and texture of her skin to the wonder that was her eyes and to the fact that she was actually here in front of them!

"She's your mom?" Her voice came out in a surprised squeak and she nearly tipped forward into that pool she was soaking in as her excitement caused her to hop just a bit on her feet. She clutched Tanner's hand to prevent it from happening. "I'm Miranda..this is Tanner." She motioned to the silent man behind her. Was he even still there? She brought her other hand behind her to reach for him just to ensure that he was even if she still held his hand in her other one.

Not only had he helped her learn what those creatures in the water were, he'd encouraged her to find this place and now they were speaking to one of them! It was all because of this man standing behind her. She was going to have to really think about that later. Right now, she wanted to talk to Calladora's daughter who was...right...in...front...of....them!

His heart was pounding away in his chest. So hard was it thumping against his rib cage that he felt sure Miranda would be able to hear it for as loud as it was in his own ears. She didn't though, or if she did, she made no mention of it as her attention focused forward on the wondrous young woman in front of them. His couldn't seem to tear his attention away either. Here, right in front of them, was a living, breathing...wait.

Her mom? Had she just...? He stared at her for a long moment until his gaze was ripped away by Miranda mirroring her question. He looked down to the woman next to him, auburn eyes blinking behind false lenses until he looked to the woman again in anticipation. Could she really be Callidora's daughter?

"...Yes?" Pollydora stopped her advance, a watery brow line furrowing at the question she had clearly answered with the previous one. Stilled and floating in the water, two slender hands came to rest just at the surface of it as fingertips curved and dipped over the ripples caused by her presence. Her gaze remained centered on Miranda as she was the one doing the talking and her head dipped subtly with effort as she spoke. "M..Miranda." To the man she looked next, trying his name on her lips. "T..T...Tanner. Hm." Both names spoken aloud but very different sounding, one of those small hands rose and a lithe digit pressed itself against her lips as she looked down in thought.

After a brief moment, those large, dark eyes rose to the pair again. "You have strange names." Moving forward again, only slightly, both hands found the water again and balanced delicately on the new rippled that had just been formed as she asked the next curiously. "What kingdom do you come from?"

Oh...Just look at her! Miranda really wanted to bring her phone out to take a photo but wasn't sure that was wise. "Kingdom?" It took her a moment to try and make sense of that and she even tossed a look over to Tanner with a raising of her brows. He was the one to find out about these creatures maybe he would have an answer?

Those wide green eyes were simply shimmering with excitement and giddiness. She might even be trembling with the excitement of the situation. She pulled her gaze from Tanner to look back at Polydorra. Her mind raced a million miles a minute in ways that she could try and convince the girl to talk more but it stopped on one little point and she looked around quizzically. "Wait...was there someone else you were talking to?"

She looked to the water, then to the area behind the girl as if she expected to see another of her kind come up. Who knows, if they were talking to her here...maybe more could be not far away? Her hand squeezed Tanner's and she did take a small step closer to the pool's edge.

"Yes?" Pollydora tilted her head, the gelatinous half globe atop her head shifting with the motion as she blinked and those brows furrowed again. These really were simply questions she was asking, she thought, though this Miranda seemed to be having such a hard time with them. When the woman's gaze shifted to the man, so did Pollydora's and she tilted her head again with the motion, blinking at him as she awaited his input, if he had any at all.

"Umm," Tanner looked to Miranda when her gaze shifted to him, brow raised and stare quizzical. "Kingdom...umm...Oh! Right!" His eyes grew wide as he said it and he brought a finger up as if something had occurred to him. Standing behind Miranda as he had been, he moved forward just as bit so that he was standing beside her instead and looked over to Pollydora with a smile. "We umm...we don't come from one of the ten kingdoms. We're land dwellers. Rhy'Din. We come from Rhy'Din." Well, he technically didn't come from Rhy'Din, but he was sure enough from there now. There was no way he was going back to that old life with Miranda and now a living, breathing Calidarian looking directly at him.

"Hm." Pollydora looked down and again the pad of her finger found lips in thought. She had never heard of this kingdom before, and that meant.... "What?" She looked up to Miranda when she spoke, not understanding at first. Seeing that she was looking past her, she turned and looked behind her as well. "Oh!" When she turned back around, meeting Miranda's gaze with large, dark eyes, she explained. "Not someone else. A shark chased me here and I was trying to get him to go away so I could go home." Her nose wrinkled angrily with the explanation and she turned to look behind her again, one hand lashing at the water and sending an arc of wetness in that direction. "Stupid things!"

Her eyes widened if that were possible. Toes near the edge of the pool, she paused and looked down in the water. “Can’t you just punch him in the nose?” Isn’t that what one did to sharks? Miranda looked back to Polydora and grinned. She couldn’t help it really. It was like the photo he had shown her had come to life.

“Can we help you somehow?” A chance to get in good graces with the daughter of Callidora? You bet she jumped on that opportunity! Would she ever get another? Probably not! She was still holding Tanner's hand but all of her attention was on Pollydora. She lifted a hand and slid those glasses down her nose just a bit so that she could look over the top of them, her smile widening even more. She really was beautiful!


Tanner watched the exchange between Miranda and Pollydora with rapt attention, paying special attention to the way the young woman talked and her mannerisms. He'd imagined what they must have sounded like above and below the water and now, he wanted to hear her talk underwater somehow. When Pollydora turned around and hit the water, he turned to look at Miranda again when she offered the suggestion of punching it in the nose. Smiling at her quick wit, he also noticed how perilously close to the water's edge she was and his hand in hers tightened just slightly and he pulled back a bit to warn her silently. When she then asked if there were some way they might be able to help, Tanner again looked to Pollydora and mirrored the suggestion. "Yes. Can we?"

Pollydora, still turned to look behind her, had her nose wrinkled and lips pursed as she looked at the expanse of water beyond the lip of the pool she floated in. When Miranda's suggestion that she punch him in the nose echoed through the small cavern, Pollydora's shoulders slumped slightly and she let out a gentle sigh at the notion. Turning back to the pair again, hearing both of them offer their help, she shook her head slowly and gave an apologetic look. "Most of the time? Yes. But not Brutus. He is much too big and much to old to....," Polly's words cut short and a swell of water formed in front of her as she surged forward suddenly. Tanner and Miranda, standing on the leg of the statue as they were, were much higher than Pollydora, who was floating in the water. When she was close enough, two tentacles snaked out from somewhere behind that mass atop her head and snatched Miranda's glasses right off of her nose and out of her hands before she surged backwards a safe distance away from the two. "What are these?" She looked at them, blinking and tilting her head as she turned them this way and that in her hands. "Why do you have four eyes?" Looking at them still, she brought them up to her face and placed them
over her eyes like she'd seen the woman do. Looking up at them, those already large, dark eyes magnified through Miranda's faux lenses, she blinked at the pair again. "'Tis very strange."

She felt the tightening of his hand and then the tug to bring her away from the edge. Turning a look over her shoulder from over the top of the lenses, she smiled her thanks before turning back as Pollydora started to speak. Brutus? Of course the shark would have a name!

When the wall of water started to form, she might have taken another step back towards Tanner just in case and as that large tentacle snaked out towards her, she took a deep breath as if expecting it to pull her into the water. Eyes instantly closed so she didn't see the glasses get removed but she sure felt it. It was instinctive really, to reach for the frames to try and get them back with both hands. Feet did slip a bit on the water dampened surface and she seemed to run in place for a moment. Arms shot out in that balance beam pose as she tried to regain her balance all the while watching Pollydora with her glasses.

"They're glasses...to help see better." Somehow, she regained proper footing in time to see how they magnified Pollydora's eyes and she nearly snickered. If that was what she looked like with them on, no wonder her crew didn't take her seriously all the time! Pollydora looked like a combination of puss n boots and a jelly fish mermaid.

When Miranda stepped away from the edge and looked back at him, even in the presence of a Calidarian, Tanner couldn't help but look down to her and smile back. When Pollydora began speaking though, and Miranda turned to listen, he did as well and squeezed her hand subtly at the mention of 'Brutus'. Because of course the shark had a name!

It happened so fast that all Tanner really had time to do was widen his eyes when that surge of water formed and Pollydora seemed to lift out of the water and come for them. When Miranda's hand left his, shooting out to do that balance beam pose, and she teetered there in front of him, he instinctively reached for her waist to pull her back before she fell in. Holding her tight and pulling her back against his chest, he looked on as well as Pollydora inquisitively inspected the glasses and then put them on.

Blinking a few more times through the coke bottle lenses, her fingers holding either side of them, she finally shook her head and took them away from her eyes. Looking down at them for a brief moment, she looked back up to Miranda, confused at first. "But you seem to see just fine without...Oh!" She'd noticed in that short time that the woman didn't squint or seem to have any trouble without her second set of eyes, but then she saw the way the man held her against him and protected her from falling into the water. A slow smile replaced confusion and she moved forward again, this time much slower, but still cautious as she placed the glasses on the ground next to Miranda's foot. Retreating again, she waited until she was a safe distance away before bringing her hands up in front her for several small, excited claps. "You're together!" She'd seen her father hold her mother like that many times before.

She felt the warm wall of his chest against her back and the firm grip of his fingers at her waist and she had to really force herself to concentrate on the lovely creature in front of them. Once more, she was being called out on wearing the glasses and she really didn't know how to explain to Pollydora as to why she did wear them..at least, not in a way that would probably make sense to her.

Thankfully, Pollydora made that assumption next and caused the apples of her cheeks to turn bright red. "Well, we're researching together." Oh Miranda....why did you have to use that word?! She cleared her throat and tried to keep her expression light. Oh there were her glasses! Bending down, she made a move to grab them, forgetting just how close she was to Tanner until she bumped into him. She nearly shot forward into that pool with the contact and straightened swiftly as she tugged those glasses back on her face like a safety blanket!

Feeling her body press against him like it did, he couldn't help but dip his head slightly and take in the scent of her hair. When Pollydora made her assumption that they were together, his face remained where it was and only his eyes raised towards the woman in the water while a grin found its way to his lips. Thank goodness Miranda was captivated and her focus was in front of them!

"Oh?" Polly questioned. Both hands in front of her, one of them lowered, slender fingers again finding the surface of the water and tracing the lulls and dips in the surface from the earlier commotion while the other came to her lips and a single finger was placed there. "What are you researching?" she asked, her head coming forward a bit with the question. She had completely missed Tanner's smile, hidden there as it was behind Miranda's hair.

Before either of them could answer, Miranda was bending down to retrieve her glasses. When she stood back up, apparently forgetting how close she was, she bumped into the man and again teetered off balance slightly. Watching her dip forward again, nearly falling into the water, Tanner's eyes again went wide and he lurched for her, hands finding her waist just as she straightened and pulling her to him...again. For the briefest of moments, Tanner had a thought, and instead looked past Miranda and smiled in Polly's direction. "Your mother and her people." He didn't know about the statue they were standing. right. next. to. yet.

Why was it that every time he did that she felt like it was the first time all over again? Could it be the magical land they were in that caused those electrical currents to shiver through her? She was going to blame the excitement of meeting Pollydora. That had to be it!

With Tanner answering the question, it gave her time to regain some of her composure and she could only nod in agreement....at first. Somehow, someway, Gabby came flooding to the surface and she could only hang on for the ride. "I've seen them for years. Every year at the beach..I've always wanted to know who they were and Tanner..." She pointed back to him. "Found their stories in the library. How old are you? Is your home close to here? Can you walk on land if you wanted to?" The questions simply flew from her lips and she did reach into her pocket for her phone. "Can I take your photo?"

Sheepishly, she brought her fingers up to tuck a strand of strawberry blonde behind her ear and tilted her head to the side. There was no move to step away from Tanner only because she was afraid to knock him back into the water behind them and in front of them was the pool that contained Pollydora. "I'm sorry. It's just...so amazing to meet you and to see you."

Tanner was torn. Even with their beyond exciting discovery floating just a few feet in front of them, he was still drawn to the woman that rested against his chest. The warmth of her body, the perfume of her hair and the remembrance of night's past threatened to devour all of his attention...until she spoke and brought him back to the present. Looking out into the water at Pollydora, he waited eagerly for her answers to the volley of questions sent her way.

Those large, dark eyes flicked to the man first, saying that he was researching her people, but quickly went back to the woman when she started talking. Her nose wrinkling slightly at the explanation, her features smoothed out suddenly when the realization hit her. "Oh! You mean the festival!" She nodded several times in succession once she had gathered her meaning and she was about to look back towards Tanner when the other questions came. "16. Yes." She stopped at the third, sighing and shaking her head as she looked down to the water she was confined to. "No, not yet. My legs haven't fully formed yet, but they are close." Looking back to Miranda, Pollydora's head tilted slightly in confusion and she asked. "What is a..F...foto?"

Tanner, standing right there and way too close, couldn't help but watch as she tucked that stray lock of strawberry blonde behind her ear and his hand might have tightened at her waist ever so slightly at the sight. She didn't move, which was fine with him, and he looked back across the scene when she spoke again.

Polly, with eyes solely on the stunt woman at this point, bunched her shoulders up in bubbling excitement at hearing how amazing it was to meet and see her instead of her mother. Which was always the case at home. "Really??"

She listened to each answer and nodded along to signify she was listening. Oblivious, for the moment of study given to her by the man behind her, that is until his grip tightened at her waist. She couldn’t keep the giggle that bubbled up from slipping past her lips with the ticklish spot hit.

Using Pollydora’s question about a photo as an excuse, she slid her hand down into the pocket of her pants to pull out her phone. “It’s a way to capture a moment in time.” Lifting up the phone, she turned it about so that the camera faced her and Tanner. Lifting those owlish green eyes, she met his in the image and she nearly forgot about the whole reason she was taking the photo.

Did he have any idea of how sexy his eyes were? Miranda! Snapping inwardly at her self, she clicked the button and brought the phone down so she could turn it towards Pollydora to show her the picture. “But eventually you will be able to walk on land.” That means, they possibly could have a celebration on the beach next year and everyone could attend!

Her smile grew at seeing the excitement on the young Pollydora’s features. “It is! We’ve only just learned about your kingdoms and here we have one of the most lovely of it’s occupants before us and talking with us. Honestly...it’s an honor.” Oh sneaky reporter! She knew that a 16 year old’s ego was so easy to inflate so why not do that with Pollydora? Maybe it would soften her up to tell them more!

Hearing the quiet, muffled giggle that arose from the woman at the tightening of his hands, he fought the urge to do it again and moved his hands from those exact spots. Lowering, his hands settled more about her hips in a gentle embrace and he smiled at the thought.

Opportunity, it seemed, wasn't done with that particular situation however. When Miranda pulled her phone out of her pocket and held it up for a selfie, those hands tightened gently about hips and his head lowered next to hers. When auburn eyes met emerald green, he couldn't help but grin when he saw her entire expression change at the meeting. No. He didn't have any idea how sexy his eyes were, but he knew exactly how sexy her eyes were.

"Oooh! Like a portrait." Pollydora said, moving closer again when Miranda turned her phone around to show her the image she had captured. Inspecting it curiously, her finger came up to her lips as she studied it. Looking at the screen, to them and then back again, she nodded absently as she admired the cute couple. "Yes. Eventually. They should be strong enough in about a year." She was 16, as stated, but she had neglected to mention that she would soon be 17 and at 18, or so, is when her 'land' legs would be strong enough to carry her weight out of the water.

Having looked at the picture long enough, she floated back just a bit in the water as she again looked past the phone to Miranda. Tilting her head just slightly at the compliment, she smiled and bunched her shoulders up again. "Aww! Thank you! And your kingdom must have sent its two loveliest ambassadors to do so." She'd never seen humans before, but the two standing in front of her right now weren't terrible or awful to look at, at all. "It is mine as well."

“So can I take your portrait then?” It would make a perfect cover page piece! The perfect way to break Tanner out into the field and get him right back where he needed to be. Then, she would be able to focus more on her own writing and stunts and perhaps things would go back to the way they were...

She almost frowned then. Did she want them to go back to the way they were? Pausing, she looked to be waiting for Pollydora’s answer but really, she was questioning herself as to why she was questioning herself! It was a bad habit of hers to get wrapped up in her own thoughts but old habits died hard.

She smiled brightly at the compliment from Pollydora and looked past her towards where she had mentioned there was a shark earlier. “Is your friend still there? I might have an idea on how to get rid of him.” Kill two birds with one stone perhaps!

"Oh! Of course!" Pollydora exclaimed, her high pitched voice echoing off of the walls of the small cavern they were inside. Looking up at the pair, she tilted her head in a way that her entire face would be visible when the portrait was taken and she smiled, her hands remaining at the surface of the water.

Tanner smiled at Pollydora's agreeance to take the portrait. He had seen many pictures of many of her people in the books he had poured over at the library, but he knew without a doubt that this one would be different from all of the rest. He was present for this one and had talked to Pollydora herself! He would treasure it always, just like he knew he would Miranda.

Just as Miranda pressed the button to take the picture of the young woman, a small jellyfish who had found its way inside of the pool floated upwards and came out of the water. The bioluminescence of its body bright against the dark backdrop, it floated upwards in front of her and she looked down at it, her hands leaving the surface of the water and coming to either side of it as it did. The picture perfect pose she had struck for Miranda's portrait askew without her knowledge, she smiled again and looked up to the woman. "No. He has left now." Her gaze averting once more, she looked back to the small jellyfish as it slowly lowered itself into the water and swam away lazily. Again looking back to the man and the woman, she tilted her head and smiled brightly. "The danger has passed, and now I can go home." She was so kind to offer a solution to a problem that was not hers and the man seemed nice enough as well. "Would...would you like to come see?"

Oooh she was so happy for that photo and she took more than one! Once it was over, she tucked her phone back in her pocket and watched the smaller jellyfish disappear within the murky depths of the water. It was Pollydora’s next question that had her head snapping up to meet the larger gaze of the girl. “I...don’t think that’s possible. We don’t breath under water.” Her fingers found Tanner’s once more and gave them a squeeze. Was he hearing this?

Not only had they actually met one of Callidora’s children, they were being invited to go see their kingdom! Suddenly, she wished she were a fish or a mermaid, only so that she could do just what the girl was suggesting. Green eyes left Pollydora and settled on Tanner as she smiled.

Oblivious to the many portraits that Miranda had snapped, she looked up to the couple expectantly, awaiting their answer. She smiled a knowing smile at the response from the woman. Of course she had taken that into consideration before asking. With a giggle, she slowly began to sink further into the water and turned halfway. "I'll be right back. Oh!" Stopping her descent, she turned back to the two. "In the meantime, maybe you two could look around the statue." Another knowing smile spread her lips and those large eyes slid to the side of them, to the back of the very statue she was talking about. Then, with a whip of her tail and a small splash of water, she was gone.

When Miranda's fingers found Tanner's, conveniently located at her hips, his fingers entwined with hers and he squeezed gently. He was hearing this! He hadn't quite gotten as far as an objection yet and when Pollydora disappeared beneath the water, auburn eyes found owlish green and a smile pulled at the corners of his lips. Looking to their left for a brief moment, he looked back to her and nodded his head in that direction. "Well?"

She watched Pollydora disappear beneath the water and then looked back to Tanner with a grin. “I almost forgot! The whole reason I brought you here! “ She looked to the right and started moving that way, her fingers letting go of his as she held her hands out to the sides to keep her balance so she wouldn’t fall.

The part of the statue they were on slanted down towards the sand covered beach so that it was easy to hop down and she did so, turning to look up as she took a few steps back. “Oh..oh wow...” Her eyes went wide and she covered her mouth as she simply stared at the statue.

"Oh yeah?" He wasn't quite sure if he actually knew why she had brought him here. He only knew that she had wanted to show him something. When she looked to the right and started moving that way, his fingers unlaced from hers and slowly fell away as she moved.

Following her lead and moving down the slant of the statue, he hopped down to the sand and looked to her and her expression first. Smiling at what he saw, he took a few more steps in her direction before turning around himself and looking up. "Wow!" The statue was simply amazing! How lucky was he to have met Pollydora, be looking at this amazing statue and having done it all with this amazing woman at his side? The luckiest man alive if you asked him.

“It really is here.” She said with a bit of a sigh. “Isn’t it amazing?” Her phone in her hands once more, she snapped a couple more photos. “The legend is...he was a God who chose to be turned to stone to spare his love.” It was such a romantic notion!

She wrinkled her nose and aided those frames to set on her nose a bit better. “So, what do you think she’s doing?” She pulled her gaze away from the statue and looked back to him, her eyes sparkling and the wind toying with those frustrating strands of strawberry blonde that were forever falling into her line of sight.

Tearing his gaze away from the statue, he looked down to her and smiled at the sound of relief in her voice. "It is amazing." Was he talking about it or her? Probably both. His eyes remaining on her, he took a step closer as she explained the legend behind what they were both standing in front of. "Oh wow." It was such a romantic notion!

He would miss the wrinkling of her nose to push those glasses up, sadly, but when she turned her head to look up at him, she would find him right there, smiling down at her as he reached up to brush those wild strands of hair out of her face. "I don't know, but I'm sure whatever it is, is going to to amazing."

When had he gotten so close? She nearly froze as his hand lifted to swipe those strands away and for a moment, the statue was forgotten. Swallowing, she cleared her throat and smiled. “Can you believe it...We actually met her daughter.” That’s it! Talk about Callidora, or the statue, or anything else!

“I mean, just three weeks ago, I was watching glowing jellyfish in the ocean and now we’re here talking to one of them.” She bounced on her feet in her excitement. “I’m so glad you get to see this too.” For his research of course!

He was glad to see that she hadn't realized he'd gotten so close. The way she froze when she looked up at him, swallowing and then clearing her throat, gave a little crooked edge to his smile and his head canted a bit. Forgetting the statue that rose behind her like a solitary sentinel, he admired the nearly frozen features of the statue nearer to him with her owlish, emerald eyes. "I'm starting to believe a lot more since coming here," he said, his words soft but with the hint of a rumble to them.

His hand falling away, he watched as she bounced in excitement and listened to her nearly ecstatic words. "I am too. Thank you." The thanks he tacked on at the end were sincere, and truly meant for her. Had it not been for her watching glowing jellyfish on the beach three weeks ago neither of them would even know who they were talking to, and more than likely not be on the beach they now stood on either.

Thank you? She blinked those owlish eyes and looked up at him. “Me? I only followed your lead. If you hadn’t done the research, found out about the Calllidorians, made me want to find something to show you..” She motioned to the statue behind her. “None of this would be happening. Instead I would probably be working on a way to...” She stopped then and caught herself just in time. A way to what? Distract herself? Bury herself in work?

She lifted her gaze back to him and couldn’t help but admire the way the sun brought out the lighter colors in his eyes. Or the way that crooked grin made her feel like she was the only one who got to see it. She knew better of course and as her eyes lowered to that grin she nearly leaned in to....No! She stepped back and spun around to look at the statue. “You think the story is true?”

[Miranda St.James]

The way his head dipped subtly in answer to that magnified blink and one brow rose slightly might have conveyed the answer of 'Yes you,' but he didn't want to leave any room for doubt. "Yes. If I hadn't met you I would have never known about any of this. And if you hadn't given me my 'homework' assignment, neither of us would know anything about them at all." He watched as she motioned to the statue behind her, but his eyes remained on her and the grin affixed to his lips. Then she stopped and his head quirked to the side. "Ways to what?"

As they stood there, Tanner met her gaze when it lifted to him, admiring those gorgeous green eyes that looked up at him, magnified by those faux lenses. He could see every detail of them like this and he explored every one, every time. When her gaze lowered to his lips, he leaned in when he thought she was about to, but she quickly turned around and they were both met with a different answer, from a different person, than they probably expected.


"Well of course it is, silly!" Pollydora answered. She had returned a few moments prior and had leaned against the very leg of the statue they had stood on upon their arrival. Arms crossed in front of her, one on top of the other, she'd rested her cheek on them and had been watching until the woman turned around and questioned the origin of the statue she now looked at. The answer had been given, along with a giggle, at such foolishness as to not believe.

Saved by Pollydora! Miranda jumped at the sound of her voice and cast the girl a sheepish smile. “Oh hello again.” The girl would never know how thankful she was that she’d shown up when she did. The question Tanner had asked would go unanswered it seemed as Miranda turned and took a step towards her.

She was ever conscious of the man behind her, possibly even more now that she had seen the way he had seemed to get lost in her eyes earlier. Her cheeks flushed just thinking about what that crooked grin on his lips had almost had her doing. Get a hold of yourself! Just because he’s sweet and kind and ungodly handsome doesn’t mean you have to go all jelly legged around him! She reached up to adjust those frames on her nose as she looked from Pollydora to the statue. “Is there a chance to free him?” She couldn’t imagine the kind of love it took to sacrifice one’s self that much. Hearing about it in a book was one thing, seeing it in true life? That was something unbelievable.

A glance over her shoulder had Tanner in her sights again, only to make sure he was still there...not because she was thinking....no certainly not! She looked back to Pollydora as she let her hands drop to her sides.

"Hello!" Pollydora said. Raising her cheek up from her arms, she smiled at Miranda, mainly for having snuck up on the pair and making the woman jump in surprise. Watching as she took a step forward, those large, dark eyes slid to the megalith perched beside her at the question and looked up and down the length of this side of it. Looking on, her features seemed to take on a saddened expression before she looked back to the woman and nodded. "Yes, but I don't know what his freedom entails. Only that it is possible to free him." Looking past the woman to the man when she did, that saddened expression lessened and turned into more of a smile. The story of the god encased in stone was a sad one, but it wasn't like he was going anywhere. Besides, they have more exciting things ahead of them.

Looking down at Miranda expectantly, he awaited the answer that wouldn't come. Instead, the moment interrupted by a giggling, smiling Pollydora, he smiled and looked in that direction as well. His gaze returning to the woman closest to him when she asked the question, he once more looked in Pollydora's direction expectantly, awaiting that answer instead of the first. When it was explained that it was possible to free the god before them, he would miss the glance given by Miranda as auburn eyes strayed to the massive statue in wonder. To know that what they were looking upon was once a living, breathing god who had given up everything for his love? Well, that was truly awe inspiring indeed. He looked back to Miranda once more, those thoughts swirling around in his mind, and he smiled softly before looking back to Pollydora.

“Perhaps for another time.” Whether that was in response to Tanner's question or to Pollydora's answer to hers, she wouldn't specify. She took another tentative step towards Pollydora. “You said something about us going to see your kingdom?” Persistent wasn’t she? The thought of being able to let Tanner see the place he had brought to life with research and words? It was like she was given the opportunity to not only pay him back for what she had done, but give him a new life!

She admired Pollydora once more and tilted her head. Anticipation had her heart slamming in her chest and fingers twitching at her sides. She wanted to write, to get the word out at what they were seeing...to...No! this was Tanner’s story not hers and there was no way she would allow herself to take it from him.

When Miranda took that second tentative step in the girl's direction, curious eyes blinked to her and she tilted her head in return. When the question had been asked, several quick, excited nods were given in response that had the gelatinous half globe atop her head quickly bouncing along with the movement. "I did." The smile on her lips shown that excitement as well. Twisting half way around, lithe digits found their way into something that looked like a purse made of seaweed before she turned around again. Producing two glass vials, she grinned and clinked them delicately on the stone surface of the statue she was leaned against. Inside each one looked to be a bundle of slimy, grey-green rat tails. "And these are how you two can do it!"

Tanner watched the antics patiently with an anticipatory smile plastered on his lips as he too waited for the answer, hoping it was a yes. The somewhat goofy looking grin endured through it all, right up until he saw the glass vials and the contents of each. Almost instantly, the curve of that smile flatlined and it was his turn to take a step forward, this one towards Miranda. Placing his hand on her shoulder gently, he couldn't quite seem to tear his gaze away from the contents inside the vials. "Umm."

She looked from Pollydora to the vials and the substance within and her eyes widened. She almost took a step back when she felt that hand upon her shoulder. The warmth and the instant feeling of security felt had her head turning to look over at him from over the curve of that shoulder. The excitement seemed to dim just a bit in those green eyes, replaced by a look of trepidation. Was he feeling the same thing she was?

She studied him for a moment and then looked back to Pollydora...or rather, the things in the vials. "What...is that?" If the girl was going to tell them they had to drink it, there was a good chance Miranda would pass up the offer. Were the things moving in the vials? She might be a daredevil, might be a risk taker, but she drew the line when it came to things that were slimy and snake looking.

If she had a very queasy feeling in her stomach and a general feeling of uneasiness at the sight of those 'things' in the vials, then yes, he was feeling exactly what she was feeling. Gazing into her eyes worriedly, the hand upon her shoulder squeezed just gently when she turned and looked at him over the curve of her shoulder.

"It's gill weed! You eat it!" Pollydora's slightly high pitched voice rang out excitedly, shattering the silence.

The watery, metallic tang underneath his tongue already there, Tanner dipped his head and closed his eyes while the hand on Miranda's shoulder definitely squeezed harder after hearing the answer he hoped he wouldn't have to. That was exactly what he was afraid of, and, with his eyes closed, he would miss whatever horrified expression Miranda shot back at the girl holding the vials when she heard the dreaded truth too.

When Miranda did turn back to face Pollydora, even though her gaze landed on the glass instead of the girl's eyes, the royal jellymaid stared and smiled expectantly at the woman and the man and held both out for them to take as she could go no further than she already had.

Miranda’s throat closed and her eyes watered. It’s quite possible that she turned the same color as the weeds in the vials. “Does it taste like seaweed?” She could just pretend she was eating sushi! Wait...was she really going to attempt this?

She looked over at Tanner and could see the same horror in his eyes before he closed them. It was that look, or perhaps the press of his fingers to her shoulder that bolstered her courage. It was always that way with them. Turning to face him, she brought a hand up to let fingers gently trail along his jawline. “If this is the only way then I’m willing to do it if you are.”

She knew how important this was for him...no for them. It was something they had discovered together and this was a chance of a lifetime. How would either one of them forgive themselves if they walked away now?

"What?" Tanner gasped out as his eyes shot open and looked at Miranda. Was...was she seriously thinking of..."Mm!" His cheeks puffed out slightly and he closed his eyes again. With that, his hand slipped off of her shoulder and both hands went to his waist as he straightened up and looked skyward at the thought of it. Cheeks relaxing and, depuffing, his lips formed a little 'o' as he exhaled slowly, trying to quell the churning in his stomach.

In that brief moment, Pollydora blinked at the question and recoiled slightly as she looked down at the two vials in her hands. Looking back and forth between the two for a moment, she blinked again and then looked up to the woman as she answered, her tongue lolling out and wagging back and forth in the process. "Ew! I hope not!" She had, admittedly, never had to taste the grey-green rat tail looking things before, but surely they weren't as bad as seaweed!

Having calmed down a little, Tanner's gaze found Miranda when she moved towards him and he looked into those owlish green eyes that looked up at him. Managing a smile, he leaned his face towards those fingers as they lifted to caress the line of his jaw. Wait. She was willing to do this? Those auburn eyes going just slightly wider at the thought, he drew in a deep breath that filled his chest and puffed his cheeks out again as he blew it out slowly, this time for a different reason. Pondering on their dilemma for a moment longer, he slowly relaxed and smiled down at her. Seemed he was willing to do just about anything if she did it with him...so far. "Okay."

She stared up at him for a moment. When those amber eyes sought hers it was as if everything around them stopped existing. There were no words needed in that moment. Together The word seemed to radiate between them and when she felt his body instinctively react to her touch it took everything she had to steel herself from reacting the same way.

It was his voice that caused the sound of the waves behind them to break through that moment and her eyes widened before they flashed with excitement. “Really?” Were they really going to do this?!

She turned around, closed the distance between herself and those vials, and grabbed them to carry back over to Tanner. “So do we swallow them whole or chew them? And how much should we eat?” She was looking down at the vials in her hands while asking Pollydora the questions.

"Really." He said it plainly, with a smile and a nod at the sight of her widening eyes and the excitement they held when he'd agreed. It seemed that they were, in fact, going to do this. When Miranda turned around and closed the distance between herself and the girl, Tanner followed along, even if it was just a little slower. When she took the vials up into her hands and looked down to examine them, he looked down too and tried to focus more on the glass that encased the contents. Or the lid. Or Miranda's hands. Anything but the slimy, grey green contents held within. Listening to her questions, and as an excuse to look away, he looked to Pollydora when they had been asked, hoping again, for the best.


Watching the two as they seemed to deliberate over what to do, Pollydora stayed where she was and waited patiently for their decision. As she looked on, she watched the woman reach up and touch the man's face like she had seen her mother do to her father and a quiet giggle bounced her shoulders and dipped her head a little. Finally, the two had seemed agree to embark on the endeavor and Pollydora blinked happily and smiled at the woman as she approached, lifting her hands and raising the vials so they would be easier to take.

Once the glass containers had been taken and Pollydora's hands free, she leaned her elbows on the leg of the statue and rested her chin in her hands while she tilted her head and looked up at the two. "You have to eat all of them. Each vial contains one dose and will give you the full amount of time, which you will both need if you are to stay in the kingdom for very long. And you have to chew them to release the magic they hold. If you swallow them whole it will be several hours before the magic is released and takes effect." Such simple directions the girl thought they were that she divulged the required information freely and with a smile.

Okay...they could do this. She continued staring up into his eyes, finding the strength she needed from his trepidation. Carefully, she unscrewed the cap of one vial and handed it over to him and then worked on her own vial. “We do it together.” Just like they had everything else. Just like when she had climbed down to rescue him, she was taking initiative and with a deep breath she held her vial up.

“On the count of three.” She gave the instructions and watched him as she brought her vial close to her lips. We can do this her eyes implored him, the emerald green simply boring into his. Together she tried to let her confidence outweigh her uncertainty. Tried to force it to flow into him. “One.....” She waited to see if he lifted his vial. “Two....” She took a deep breath and gulped in as much air as she could so she wouldn’t have to breathe after chewing. “Three.” She upended the vial into her mouth, all of the contents at once and started chewing as fast as she could. There would be no breathing no savoring, just fast chewing until it was broken up enough to swallow.

When the cap of the first vial was unscrewed, Pollydora straightened a little and placed her hands on the leg of the statue as she watched in amazement. She'd never seen anyone actually eat gill weed before and she was curious as to what, exactly, it would do to them. Her eagerness increasing as she listened to the woman talk, she nodded along with her words which caused the bulbous half dome atop her head to flop back and forth lazily with the motion. And then, there was an afterthought when the woman upended her vial. "Maybe you should get closer to the water."

Tanner stared in muted horror into Miranda's eyes as she looked up at him, unable to look down at the vials in her hands or what she was doing with them. Nodding a couple of times when she said they'd do it together, he swallowed the lump in his throat when the first one was opened and handed over to him. Taking it in his hand, he nodded again. "On the count of three."

It sounded so simple in theory and when Miranda coaxed him on patiently. When the vial in her hands was lifted however, and he caught sight of the opening nearing her lips, he could actually feel the color drain from his face and more of that metallic tang leak into his mouth. 'One...,' she said. He lifted his vial with a shaky hand. Oh God. 'Two...,' came next and he swallowed again. Was he sweating? 'Three.' came the last and he squinted his eyes shut as tight as he could and tossed his head back, emptying the contents into his mouth where he immediately began chewing. His cheeked puffed out with the action and the look on his face said it was the most vile thing he'd ever tasted. And the chewing! His eyes watered, tears streaming down each of his cheeks as he forced himself to keep at it. The sound of rubber against teeth and crunching torture to his ears until finally, mercifully, after chewing hard and fast, he swallowed.

She managed, with several gags, to get it all down and instantly felt the strange sensation start in her fingers. Her eyes widened as she looked down in amazement as a thin webbing started to appear between her fingers. Her eyes widened and just when she was about to show him, she gasped for breath and reached up to her face as if she were trying to remove something.

She was trying to breathe but it didn’t seem to be working. Worriedly, she glanced over to Pollydora and then back to Tanner. A step was taken towards the water while she snagged Tanner’s arm about the wrist and tugged him along with her. Her heart pounded and alarm bells rang in her ears as she was getting less and less oxygen.

Her feet started hurting with the transformation that was happening and she only had a moment to slip from her shoes before her feet started changing. Nearly running now, she managed to get waist deep in the water and tossed a look back to Tanner before she dove beneath the surface.

It was a good thing she did too because the tearing of her skin at each side of her neck indicated that something else was going on as well. Emerald eyes widened and a film grew over the surface and as she brought her fingers up to investigate the openings at her neck, she opened her mouth and.....took a breath?

Bubbles formed in front of her where she laughed and she sprang up to the surface to see if she could find Tanner. “It’s amazing!”

Oh if it would have been that simple. He had managed to get all the rubbery, tendril like leaves ground up with his teeth, and had even managed the act of swallowing, but they didn't go down as easily. Wincing, his cheeks puffed out as he leaned forward to gag, his hands coming up to cover his mouth. Slowly, the sickening feeling in his belly subsided, giving way to another feeling altogether. His hands already at his mouth, he pulled them away slowly and looked down to see that his fingers were now joined by thin webbing.

As he was admiring the new flesh that would propel him through the water much easier, his breath caught in his throat and stayed there. The look of awe morphing into fear, those webbed fingers went to his throat to try and coax it out as he looked over at Miranda and noticed she must be having the same difficulty. Immediately thrusting a hand towards her as she grabbed for him, he followed along desperately, kicking off his shoes as well as his other hand squeezed at his throat.

When they reached the pool of water and Miranda slipped in, poor Tanner wasn't nearly as graceful. Panic stricken as he was, his legs bumped into the stone leg of the god turned stone and he dumped into the water head first even as he continued to struggle and suffocate. Once he was beneath the surface however, the panic and strain immediately began to ease and he relaxed slightly. Taking his hand away from his throat, he again held his hands in front of him, twisting and turning them as he inspected them in childlike amazement. In his feet too he felt the change and looked down to them for a brief moment before once admired hands went to the sides of his neck and he brushed the now slitted skin their delicately. He...he could breath!

The realization and comfort he felt in the water was near immediate and he looked around slowly, noting that he could see just as well under the water as he could above it.
In a flurry of webbed fingers and flippered feet, he propelled himself to the surface, breaching it easily before bobbing effortlessly on the surface and watching Miranda do almost exactly the same. At her exclamation, he grinned and nodded emphatically. "Isn't it!?"

Pollydora, having watched the transformation and flailing humans with amusement, waited until it seemed like they had gained their bearings before she brought her hands up in front of her and clapped excitedly. "Excellent!" she added. Honestly, she hadn't known what to expect, but was delighted at the outcome. Swimming over to the lip of the small pool they all now floated in, she perched herself on the cusp of it and turned back to the pair. "Ready?"

When he resurfaced, she let out her breath. Part of her had wanted to dive beneath and search for him but she knew they were being watched and knew that he needed to do this on his own.

Pollydora be damned....She threw herself at him and wrapped her arms about his neck so she could rest her cheek against his damp chest. It was just a hug of relief. A hug to show a friend that another friend was happy for them. Never mind the trembling, it was just a sign of her excitement that’s all!

When Pollydora spoke, she looked her way and nodded, still keeping her cheek against his chest for just a moment longer. Slowly, she looked up at him and searched the depths of his eyes for any sign that what they were doing was wrong.
“Ready?” She echoed the girl’s words, but softly just so that he could hear. They were in this together and if he showed signs of changing his mind, she would support that decision whole heartedly.


.............................This post to be continued in the Heathen's post Convergence


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