[ it doesn't take much coaxing to get alisaie to spend some time at the hot springs. she works herself quite hard most days, and she loves the water, even if it isn't deep enough to really swim properly in most places. the heat feels lovely on her achy bones and muscles, and just being in the water feels comfortable for her. and these are special pools! a change of scenery.
well, they're not too much different from what she's used to, it seems, except they're underground, which is nice in its own way. the cave walls smell earthy, and the hazy steam trapped underground combined with the steady drip-drop of water from the cavernous ceiling creates a nice ambience. settling into a nice, smooth corner, alisaie hums, and closes her eyes.
for a time, at least. it isn't long before someone is humming with her.. in a tone so heartbreakingly familiar that her eyes snap open at once.
in the distance is her grandfather, smiling that same warm, easy smile reserved especially for her. he extends his hand. ]
Hello, my dear.
[ a gasp catches in her throat, and alisaie is up immediately, crashing through the water toward him, her heart pounding in her throat. grandfather. it's him. at last, it's him! ]
[What draws him forward is a far more sensual hum, all promise and terrific at wiping out the logic centers of his brain. But that proves to be something of a blessing in disguise -- since his progress forward is slower than his companion's, and since her reaction tells him immediately and without doubt that the seductive lady ahead is no more there than whatever Alisaie sees.]
[And as much as his choices might be different were he alone, he isn't. He has a friend to look after.]
[With a yank of his hand, Morgan slings out kinesis to grab the girl and pull her backwards, as he hurries forward to catch up in the same moment.]
[ at first she is confused, unsure of what is holding her back when she felt no warm touch, but when she turns to find morgan she frowns, angry and puzzled.
why would he stop her? it has been years since last she saw her dear grandfather's face, and her heart aches at the mere idea of seeing him again, speaking with him again, she has so very much to tell him - ]
Think about this, just for a second! [He slows down as he hits the water, high-stepping a bit to try to get to her without splashing or running the way she had. Why did she have to see something she clearly wants so badly...]
What are you talking about? What is to think about?
[ this is a place out of time, after all, why shouldn't her grandfather show up here? why should she not want to see him? she jerks again against the kinetic lasso and bares her teeth, ice crystals beginning to form on her palms. ]
Why would I stop you if what I saw was safe and sane for you to go to?
[He's a dumbass and a dork, no question, but after their adventures together... he hopes he's earned just a little measure of trust. Splash splash, heedless of danger; he's got to catch up.]
Also why is whoever you're seeing just standing there in the water of all things?
[ a frustrated sound twists in her throat, and from her palm springs the blades of ice, cutting through the kinetic rope that continues to bind her, though she does not make a break for it yet. ]
Enough fancy talk! Just tell me what is going on!
[ beneath the water, the siren is veering closer, the shadow nearing her legs. ]
[Kinesis lost, Morgan relies instead on his own arm, reaching out to scoop her back and away from the creature. Which still obstinately looks like something else to him, but the vision of a beautiful woman swimming at Alisaie just doesn't mesh with reality. Or that look in her eyes, of longing.]
[ The loud splashes catch his attention, just as he's debating which pool to enter. Glancing over, he catches sight of white hair and pointed ears. From the back, it's not immediately clear which twin he's looking at. He can certainly see who - or rather, what - she's running towards however. ]
Girl-- Girl!
[ He strides over quickly but carefully, minding the wet floor. ]
[ she turns, at least, and hesitates - but it will not last long. her grandfather is here, at last he is here, and his smile is as warm and welcoming as she remembered. her heart tightens and aches, and she locks eyes with emet-selch of all people..
she hasn't forgotten their time in her shared memory, but still, between he and her grandfather.. ]
[ alisaie looks quizzical, her brows drawn, but at least she does not yet bolt - though beneath the water, the shadow creeps closer, soundlessly approaching her, though alisaie sees, of course, only the warm, welcoming smile of her beloved grandsire. ]
[ Correct him if he's wrong, but he's fairly sure this girl was not sired by a line of otters. If only because of her brother. Seeing the creature wade closer, his grip tightens and he tries to pull her back. ]
Are you telling me your grandfather is a furred beast with webbed paws?
[ his grip is strong, and alisaie is poised to tear free of him, but something keeps her rooted - the knowledge, perhaps, that this is too good to be true, that something is off and strange about this, but still.. even if her mind knows it, her heart cannot yet agree. hot tears spring to her eyes, her voice tightening with emotion. ]
[ His voice is sharp. The accusation stings, but no worse than anything else they've said to him. He's used to them thinking he doesn't have a heart. ]
Describe your grandfather to me then. But unless you are descended from some manner of aquatic beast, I'll be taking you well away from here.
[ look she's explained to him 400 times that she knows he has a heart and why he's doing what he's doing, if he doesn't want to believe her, that's on him!! ]
He.. he..
[ she looks back toward the siren, where she still sees only the kind visage of her grandfather. her voice tightens again, choked with love and pain and loss and warmth. ]
He is.. tall, his eyes are blue, his skin is brown and his hair is white and short, and he has the warmest, kindest smile one could ever be fortunate enough to see..
[The whole 'special relaxation package' pitch had been a bit too convenient for Balthier's liking. As with many things, he had taken it with a grain of salt, unwilling to trust anything he was told given the current political climate. When he passes through the entryway to find the pool already occupied, he suspects he had been right to be cautious— though he quickly recognizes the figure reclining in the corner, humming to herself.]
Alisaie, fancy finding you—
[His greeting is interrupted as she gasps and bolts upright; his first thought is that he might have startled her, but her attention isn't on him in the least. She's thrashing her way through the water towards something, a figure that is shapeless and indiscernible to him even as he squints, but the sudden and violent nature of her reaction has him moving quickly towards the water's edge, alarmed.]
alisaie glances briefly over her shoulder toward balthier, and while she likes the guy well enough (he's certainly seen into a painful shard of her past), he won't keep her from reaching her grandfather. no, it's been too long, her heart aches at the sight of him, at the sweet, familiar sound of his voice..
how could she resist?
turning back to her beloved grandsire, alisaie dives forward again, reaching for his warm, familiar hand, though it feels.. strange. cold.. ]
[He calls her name once more, the urgency in his voice heightened, but it doesn't seem to reach her. It matters little— he's already in motion, the entire situation feeling far too wrong for him to simply stand by, and he has never been one for inaction. He's all but deaf to the splashing of water as he lands in it just behind her, still fully clothed, reaching out to grab hold of her upper arm firmly enough to at least give her pause, though she could still certainly pull away with ease.]
Whatever this thing is, it's not your grandfather, you must believe—
[He cuts himself off as his gaze falls on what had previously been an indiscernible figure, now taking shape to become someone far more familiar to him.
"Pirate scum of the skies," the bespectacled figure before him remarks, condescending and yet somehow still affection, and Balthier lets out a sharp tch as he shakes his head as though to clear it.]
[ but she knows it, now, in her heart, however much she does not want to admit it. she can feel her grandfather's touch, and it is icy, unfamiliar, nothing like the feel of his warm, worn hands. ]
But..
[ balthier's hand on her arm is strong and sure, her mind is beginning to clear, but the siren, it seems, is quite displeased with this turn of events. that, or she is now near enough for it to strike - the shadow beneath the water surges, wrapping around her, and with a shriek, pulling her beneath the water. ]
[Perhaps he should have foreseen this turn of events. Whatever it was that was responsible, clearly it wasn't going to be pleased about having its game interrupted.
There's no time to think; he moves quickly, lunging forward the moment Alisaie is pulled beneath the water, and while his target is unclear— and they're in far too close quarters for him to even consider risking taking a shot at it— it's Alisaie he reaches for. The siren strikes at him in turn, indiscernible shadows wrapping around his arm to try and wrench him away, but he manages to reclaim it and engages in a struggle with the creature itself.
His vision is blurred by its swift movement beneath the water and the poor lighting, but it distinctly does not look like his father any longer, and he imagines Alisaie will no longer see her grandfather, either.]
Let go of her!
[He's made himself nuisance enough, at least, that its hold on Alisaie begins to loosen, enough that someone with her fighting spirit might break free.]
[ it all happens so quickly, and alisaie thankfully has very quick reaction time, but even she is a little shell-shocked for a few brief seconds while she is pulled under, and balthier intervenes. there is no small amount of abject shock in her expression when the mage of her grandfather melts away.
but she feels it when that grasp loosens, and alisaie takes her opportunity to kick free and dart away; she's quite fast beneath the water.
she is also unarmed, but thankfully her magic will come to her with or without her rapier and focus on hand. beneath the water, it is very easy for her to summon a handful of sharp icicles, which fly through the water to strike the beast in multiple places, earning a pained roar, its grasp on balthier now slipping as well, its gaze flitting left and right, searching for an escape route. given its method of drawing in prey is a lure, alisaie can only guess that open combat is not its strongest suit. ]
[She offers him just the reprieve he needs; those icicles strike the creature hard and give Balthier the opportunity to pull free and resurface, dragging in a deep breathe of air and swallowing it down. It flails in response, but Balthier quickly moves to seize a decorative rock from the side of the spring and uses his alchemy magic to quickly transmute it into a stone blade, following up Alisaie's attack with a wide swing that sends the shadowy siren back beneath the water.]
[ the siren is beginning to panic now, and it roars in pain when balthier's blade hits home, and rather than attack it now instead turns around, tensing to bolt.
she does not hesitate. alisaie considers electricity, it would be quite easy to reach it with a bolt, but she risks electrifying the water and shocking them both, so.. ice again it is. rather than ice spears this time, however, alisaie instead freezes the water around the siren, effectively hemming it in in an icy gaol that snags it in place. TETHER FOR THE WIN!!
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day five prompt; may event
[ it doesn't take much coaxing to get alisaie to spend some time at the hot springs. she works herself quite hard most days, and she loves the water, even if it isn't deep enough to really swim properly in most places. the heat feels lovely on her achy bones and muscles, and just being in the water feels comfortable for her. and these are special pools! a change of scenery.
well, they're not too much different from what she's used to, it seems, except they're underground, which is nice in its own way. the cave walls smell earthy, and the hazy steam trapped underground combined with the steady drip-drop of water from the cavernous ceiling creates a nice ambience. settling into a nice, smooth corner, alisaie hums, and closes her eyes.
for a time, at least. it isn't long before someone is humming with her.. in a tone so heartbreakingly familiar that her eyes snap open at once.
in the distance is her grandfather, smiling that same warm, easy smile reserved especially for her. he extends his hand. ]
Hello, my dear.
[ a gasp catches in her throat, and alisaie is up immediately, crashing through the water toward him, her heart pounding in her throat. grandfather. it's him. at last, it's him! ]
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[And as much as his choices might be different were he alone, he isn't. He has a friend to look after.]
[With a yank of his hand, Morgan slings out kinesis to grab the girl and pull her backwards, as he hurries forward to catch up in the same moment.]
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[ at first she is confused, unsure of what is holding her back when she felt no warm touch, but when she turns to find morgan she frowns, angry and puzzled.
why would he stop her? it has been years since last she saw her dear grandfather's face, and her heart aches at the mere idea of seeing him again, speaking with him again, she has so very much to tell him - ]
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[ this is a place out of time, after all, why shouldn't her grandfather show up here? why should she not want to see him? she jerks again against the kinetic lasso and bares her teeth, ice crystals beginning to form on her palms. ]
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[He's a dumbass and a dork, no question, but after their adventures together... he hopes he's earned just a little measure of trust. Splash splash, heedless of danger; he's got to catch up.]
Also why is whoever you're seeing just standing there in the water of all things?
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Enough fancy talk! Just tell me what is going on!
[ beneath the water, the siren is veering closer, the shadow nearing her legs. ]
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[Kinesis lost, Morgan relies instead on his own arm, reaching out to scoop her back and away from the creature. Which still obstinately looks like something else to him, but the vision of a beautiful woman swimming at Alisaie just doesn't mesh with reality. Or that look in her eyes, of longing.]
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[ she looks honestly puzzled. sure, maybe it is strange to run into her grandfather here of all places, but - ]
People show up here all the time, why would -- h-hey!
[ morgan is scooping her away now, and alisaie trusts beneath it all, but she also begins to panic, tears springing to her eyes. ]
No, wait - please -
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Girl-- Girl!
[ He strides over quickly but carefully, minding the wet floor. ]
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she hasn't forgotten their time in her shared memory, but still, between he and her grandfather.. ]
What?
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Do you know that creature? [ he asks warily. ] 'Tis like none I have ever seen before.
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[ alisaie looks quizzical, her brows drawn, but at least she does not yet bolt - though beneath the water, the shadow creeps closer, soundlessly approaching her, though alisaie sees, of course, only the warm, welcoming smile of her beloved grandsire. ]
It is my grandfather!
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[ Correct him if he's wrong, but he's fairly sure this girl was not sired by a line of otters.
If only because of her brother.Seeing the creature wade closer, his grip tightens and he tries to pull her back. ]Are you telling me your grandfather is a furred beast with webbed paws?
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[ his grip is strong, and alisaie is poised to tear free of him, but something keeps her rooted - the knowledge, perhaps, that this is too good to be true, that something is off and strange about this, but still.. even if her mind knows it, her heart cannot yet agree. hot tears spring to her eyes, her voice tightening with emotion. ]
Now is no time for your tricks! Please -
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[ His voice is sharp. The accusation stings, but no worse than anything else they've said to him. He's used to them thinking he doesn't have a heart. ]
Describe your grandfather to me then. But unless you are descended from some manner of aquatic beast, I'll be taking you well away from here.
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He.. he..
[ she looks back toward the siren, where she still sees only the kind visage of her grandfather. her voice tightens again, choked with love and pain and loss and warmth. ]
He is.. tall, his eyes are blue, his skin is brown and his hair is white and short, and he has the warmest, kindest smile one could ever be fortunate enough to see..
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Alisaie, fancy finding you—
[His greeting is interrupted as she gasps and bolts upright; his first thought is that he might have startled her, but her attention isn't on him in the least. She's thrashing her way through the water towards something, a figure that is shapeless and indiscernible to him even as he squints, but the sudden and violent nature of her reaction has him moving quickly towards the water's edge, alarmed.]
Alisaie!
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alisaie glances briefly over her shoulder toward balthier, and while she likes the guy well enough (he's certainly seen into a painful shard of her past), he won't keep her from reaching her grandfather. no, it's been too long, her heart aches at the sight of him, at the sweet, familiar sound of his voice..
how could she resist?
turning back to her beloved grandsire, alisaie dives forward again, reaching for his warm, familiar hand, though it feels.. strange. cold.. ]
Grandfather..
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[He calls her name once more, the urgency in his voice heightened, but it doesn't seem to reach her. It matters little— he's already in motion, the entire situation feeling far too wrong for him to simply stand by, and he has never been one for inaction. He's all but deaf to the splashing of water as he lands in it just behind her, still fully clothed, reaching out to grab hold of her upper arm firmly enough to at least give her pause, though she could still certainly pull away with ease.]
Whatever this thing is, it's not your grandfather, you must believe—
[He cuts himself off as his gaze falls on what had previously been an indiscernible figure, now taking shape to become someone far more familiar to him.
"Pirate scum of the skies," the bespectacled figure before him remarks, condescending and yet somehow still affection, and Balthier lets out a sharp tch as he shakes his head as though to clear it.]
It's not real!
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[ but she knows it, now, in her heart, however much she does not want to admit it. she can feel her grandfather's touch, and it is icy, unfamiliar, nothing like the feel of his warm, worn hands. ]
But..
[ balthier's hand on her arm is strong and sure, her mind is beginning to clear, but the siren, it seems, is quite displeased with this turn of events. that, or she is now near enough for it to strike - the shadow beneath the water surges, wrapping around her, and with a shriek, pulling her beneath the water. ]
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There's no time to think; he moves quickly, lunging forward the moment Alisaie is pulled beneath the water, and while his target is unclear— and they're in far too close quarters for him to even consider risking taking a shot at it— it's Alisaie he reaches for. The siren strikes at him in turn, indiscernible shadows wrapping around his arm to try and wrench him away, but he manages to reclaim it and engages in a struggle with the creature itself.
His vision is blurred by its swift movement beneath the water and the poor lighting, but it distinctly does not look like his father any longer, and he imagines Alisaie will no longer see her grandfather, either.]
Let go of her!
[He's made himself nuisance enough, at least, that its hold on Alisaie begins to loosen, enough that someone with her fighting spirit might break free.]
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but she feels it when that grasp loosens, and alisaie takes her opportunity to kick free and dart away; she's quite fast beneath the water.
she is also unarmed, but thankfully her magic will come to her with or without her rapier and focus on hand. beneath the water, it is very easy for her to summon a handful of sharp icicles, which fly through the water to strike the beast in multiple places, earning a pained roar, its grasp on balthier now slipping as well, its gaze flitting left and right, searching for an escape route. given its method of drawing in prey is a lure, alisaie can only guess that open combat is not its strongest suit. ]
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Quickly, we must finish it off!
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she does not hesitate. alisaie considers electricity, it would be quite easy to reach it with a bolt, but she risks electrifying the water and shocking them both, so.. ice again it is. rather than ice spears this time, however, alisaie instead freezes the water around the siren, effectively hemming it in in an icy gaol that snags it in place. TETHER FOR THE WIN!!
but it won't last long. ]
Now!
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