Ankyra Sound digital bath

After touching base with the Rise, the Redtail ranges once more, toward the coast this time. 

He battles against the ocean breeze, which whips and tousles his dark fur as he walks. Soon, the trees fall behind him and he sees the endless blue of the ocean for the first time. A sight to behold.

Mulherin reaches the shore at last and finds that the land abruptly ended ahead. He is left standing along the edge of a stony cliff. The boy recklessly stares over the edge and into the waves below. The water is restless, churning with such a power that was unfathomable. He lingers there in quiet observation, then decides to descend the cliffs in favor of the beach sprawling before him. His forest-worn paws are soon warmed by the sands as he pads along.

The Berserkr feels strangely exposed here. There were no shadows to blend into, no undergrowth to disappear into. He stood out like a sore thumb and his senses were overwhelmed—the roar of the waves in his ears, the pungent scent of the ocean in his nostrils, all of it was nothing like he'd ever experienced before.

He sniffs further at the salty, frothy water, even venturing to take a lick. The water is putridly salty. It hits him like a slap to the face and sends him reeling, spitting and coughing to get it out of his mouth immediately. With an indignant snort and lash of his tail, he brushes off the mistake and walks off along the waterside.

Mulherin begins to wonder why the sea chose this spot to stop instead of invading further. 

He also wonders how strong the current may be. 

The boy wades in to test this. He stands amid the waves lapping at his forelegs. Idly, he contemplates about wading in even deeper.

casually messes up my timeline to yoink this

dinah had missed the sea.
she couldn't remember the last time she'd come near it. the coast she remembered from her adolescence was not nearly so... cliff-y. but it is still nice; the cool, salty air feels good upon her face, and so too do the sunbeams bouncing off the rocks. the sand is tougher here, but the sensation of it is welcomed all the same. it was different, and in some way this hurt her heart, but it is also a good difference. it is new.
almost instinctively, she noses along the shore for seashells. maybe if she found a nice one, she could bring it back for — ah. she's pulled from her thoughts rather suddenly by the sight of a phantom standing ankle-deep in the waves. he is tall, dark, and handsome! dinah had never before felt such a strange feeling in her gut.
she approaches with her head low, as if she was afraid he might run away screaming if he turned to look at her. her smile is bashful. you ever seen the ocean before?

A voice.

Mulherin turns his head to face the girl, his feet still submerged in a layer of bitterly freezing water. She is slim and windblown, draped in a coat of washed out red—vaguely reminiscent of his mother, if she were sunbleached. The thought has him eyeing her keenly, especially since she did not rise to look at him.

His tail sways in a friendly wag, kicking up a barrage of water droplets every time it skims the waves.

Come on, it can't be that obvious. He replies, masking his unwillingness to outright admit that no, this was his first time seeing the ocean behind a layer of dry humor. The water's just fine. See?

dinah barks out a giggle, a newfound confidence to her stride as she saunters a few feet closer. maybe i'll join you then.
the water is still freezing at this time of year, and it shocks a gasp out of her as she begins to wade further into the seafoam. but she adjusts quickly, naturally; the water nearly reaches her shoulders by the time she's at the side of the strange boy. now that she can truly see him, warmth rushes to her cheeks and flushes the tips of her ears.
he's nothing quite like anyone she'd seen before. cloaked in midnight, almost vampiric; mysterious, rugged. she is mystified and yet pleased in a way that sends a flutter to her belly.
she sighs contentedly, the stupid little grin now reaching her eyes as she pans her gaze out to the vast expanse of ocean. it's pretty cool, isn't it? it makes you feel small. like nothing else matters.

She drew nearer, growing bolder by the minute. The girl debated joining him.

Be my guest, He encouraged. 

And she traversed the waters like a born natural. The water was still intolerably frigid though, which elicited a gasp from her and a soft chuckle from him at her expense. In a few steps, she met him there and gleamed with an innocuous sort of bliss.

He could see her closer now, and noticed her eyes; an adventurous shade of blue. The boy studies her face as she turns her gaze toward the ocean.

She was right. He did feel small amongst the tumultuous wake, amongst the endless, bottomless plane of seawater which loomed ahead. 

I can't feel anything. He jests, now squinting against the sun, which reflected brilliantly on the water. You're from the coast, I'm guessing.

an island, actually, dinah quirks a brow at the boy. name's dinah. the wilds' resident mermaid.
she paces a few more steps forward, past him until the water reaches her neck. disappearing beneath the surface, she pops back up with a stream of pearlets running down her chin; the smile returns, childish and crooked.
come swim, it won't bite, she reaches out a willowy forelimb as if to beckon him toward her. just be careful if you see a big, pointy fin. you don't wanna fuck with the sharks.

Dinah, I'm Mulherin, from the Rise. He replied, but she was already venturing out further into the sea. I've never seen a mermaid with legs before.

Her ruddy head slips beneath the waves, then she re-emerges, lively and grinning wildly. Mulherin observes her curiously; she swam well, a fish to water.

She invites and beckons him forth, sly and siren-like, offering a playfully mordant warning about sharks.

Fuck the sharks. He quips.

And he makes his way toward her in slow bounds through the deep water. The ground soon disappears beneath his feet, so he paddles seaward. How far are the islands? He asks, reaching her side.

his name is mulherin, and he's from — the rise? she calls back, head leaning sideward. it sounded mysterious, vague as it was. oddly fitting for a boy like him. it's a day of firsts for you, isn't it?
he confidently swims out to meet her, and though she almost thought he would be frantic and inexperienced, he is steady. he meets her side and she feels a brilliant rush of exhiliration, meeting the eyes of wild ember with a suddenly sheepish look of her own. dinah had never done this before! so far from home, hanging out with a strange boy. she's suddenly sure daddy must be rolling in his grave right about now.
he asks of her home, and she sobers from the heady warmth, a coolness caught in her breath. my island is probably about a day or two's travel from here. but i haven't been there in a while, a long while. i've been living with my mom and my sister in rivenwood. but it got kinda crowded, so, i've been travelling, and now... here i am.
she flicks a few droplets of water toward him, and watches as they roll off the oilslick coat. she shivers. what about you, mulherin from the rise? waves started to call your name too?

Mulherin was not the most adept swimmer, but the strong rivers back home taught him how to swim against the current. He makes up for the rest in sheer boldness.

Redtail Rise. West of a glacier. He clarifies, bobbing alongside the sandswept girl. There's a first time for everything, right?

Dinah was from Rivenwood—a place that was still unknown to him. They were both far from home. And, in a strangte way, they were both searching for something. Soul searching, really.

Why not go back? To the island? He asks out of curiosity, unable to fathom why she would leave the coast, where she seemed so at home. Did she not miss the sea?

As for why he was here, in the words of the Sapphique girl, he answers—I hadn't been here before, and now I have.

And a small part of him wondered if Masquerade had seen it too, the ocean, before she had left for good. If maybe she had also explored, and this was her first taste of true freedom, before she found somewhere else intangibly better than the Rise.

Well, maybe it was the waves, He continues, then quickly sucks in his breath as a wave barrels toward them. Diving, he ducks beneath the water and resurfaces, grinning coyly. Or maybe it was your mermaid magic, Dinah of Rivenwood.

redtail rise, west of a glacier, he says. he asks why she does not return to sweetharbor, and her stomach flips. i dunno. there's just... nothing there for me anymore, i guess.
she shrugs nonchalantly, ignoring the sharp nip of pain the thought of the lavender fields brought her. there was no one left, unless malakai and simeon had stayed, or unless — something else. she chooses not to think about it.
there's a comfortable, relaxing coolness to mulherin, something so alluring; sour and yet sweet, sharp-edged and finelined. she watches as seafoam roils, curling in an angry spiral, and the subsequent wipeout of the glacier boy. she gasps before dissolving into a fit of fluttering, girlish laughter.
my mermaid magic, huh? heat spreads to her cheeks, pooling in the depths of her belly. oh, you've caught onto my evil scheme. such a shame! what ever shall you do, mulherin?

I get it. He responds. If the Rise relocated, would he still visit their territory? Most likely not, he thinks. The young Redtail was not the sentimental sort. The Rise was nothing without anyone in it. The reaction she'd had told him not to press further.

A smile warms his face upon realizing Dinah's antics.

Oh no, I knew it all along. He laments, his voice nearly drowned out by the sound of a seagulls squawking overhead.

His next move is—

This, He declares with a throaty laugh, slapping the water's surface and sending a spray of water toward the girl. Then, he flees the scene, paddling hastily toward the shore.

oh no you don't! the bastard! the traitor! what on earth was this tomfoolery? dinah cackles to herself as she watches him make a break for it, albeit very slowly. he wasn't getting away with it on her watch.
she disappears beneath the current, propelling herself against the grain in order to catch up to him. she springs back up out of the water in a flash of scarlet, blocking his path to safety with an impish grin.
for a second, she is a little girl again.
whatcha gonna do about it noooo-oow? she teases. she pushes herself forward until she can touch the sea floor again before she darts off in a bounding lope, spraying water up into the air — and hopefully into mulherin's face. she is one with the waves as she splashes along the shallow edge, turning around only to ensure she is being followed.

He thought he's made good progress in putting some distance between them when—like a seal, Dinah resurfaces in front of him. God—you have fins or something. 

He continues paddling toward her, and he would've steamrolled over her too, if she didn't turn tail and make a break for the shore first. The boy's heart races with the innocent thrill of the chase.

And what was he gonna do about it? 

C'mere and I'll show you. He goads.

The Berserkr is quick to go after her and reaches land, only to be hit with a barrage of water she kicks up. This does little to stop him—this is his terrain now. In greedy bounds, Mulherin charges toward her at the beginnings of a full sprint.

she may have had the advantage in water, but he certainly has her beat on land. dinah shrieks as she breaks out into her own sprint, galloping over the seafoam; she evades him with sudden turns, skidding into a bow before bolting off again.
she nearly has him beat until she trips over a rock, subsequently stubbing her toe and crashing face first into the wet sand.
she hisses as she turns to face mulherin, heart thudding in her chest as her paw throbs; but the pained expression does not last long as she watches him thunder toward her. how had she never realized how goofy it looked to run through water? she is quick to dissolve into laughter yet again!
she makes no effort to get up, instead submitting with a happy sigh and a thud of her tail against the shallow surface. uh oh, you caught me, she rolls melodramatically onto her back, waving her gangly limbs in the air. go on, do your worst!

Mulherin's land-loving legs serve him well, more so in stability than speed, it turns out.

Dinah's light form outpaces him, she swerves and pivots, almost deerlike—which eggs him on even more. 

Her trickery is short-lived. He watches the girl spectacularly lose her footing and is sent sprawling. When she doesn't immediately rebound to her feet, he is hit with genuine concern.

The adrenaline gives him a burst of speed as he rushes to her aid; but the concern ebbs away once he hears the sound of her voice, overcome with laughter. Almost foolishly, he slows to an easy jog at her side.
 
Despite her amusement, he circles and inspects her momentarily, ensuring she wasn't actually in any pain. He is bold to venture in this proximity, unafraid of any counterattack she might spring on him.

The boy offers a rueful smile and sits next to her, tongue lolling from his mouth as he continues the banter.

Seeing you faceplant was enough for me, I bet that sand tasted great.

daww, what, are you going easy on me? she was not about to admit that the sand had, in fact, tasted awful, and that she thinks she may have inhaled a grain or two. i grew up with four brothers, i can handle it.
his concern, however, is evident, and dinah quickly rolls onto her belly as if to prove she was okay. sand and sea plants are wound into the red strands of fur along her back in a way that surely made her look a bit ridiculous, and suddenly she feels a warm pull of embarrassment. she crawls into deeper water in order to bathe herself, watching as it disappears in a muddy cloud.
man, i wish i would've met you earlier, the silence is broken by a soft chuckle, the wistful blue eyes now turning back to mulherin. the hard flare of sun bouncing off of his pelt makes him look a dusty shade of brunette, and she admires this for a moment. but i'm sure my mama would flip shit if she knew i was with a cute boy on a beach right now.
and if she knew her daughter was making a terrible attempt at flirting with him.

He tilts his head, eyeing her inquisitively as she rolls. An amused scoff escapes him then. Yeah, right. And I'm not trying to get all four of them to kick my ass for beating you up.

When she retreats further into the surf, he rises to his feet and looks off to the horizon—awfully doing his best to avoid ogling her any further.

But he feels her crystalline eyes upon him now. And he looks to see the waves lap at her sodden figure. At her comment, he lets out an easy chortle—flattered.

Well, If I'd only known the wild's resident mermaid would be here, I would've visited the beach more often. He replies, draped in frisky sarcasm.

Who said your mama has to know anything?

she doesn't.
his eyes are upon her and she feels it, the warm press of amber upon her spine and her shoulders. she'd never thought of herself as desirable, never like this; never quite understood the pull of hearts and bodies to one another. not until now.
when she sits up, the top of her head just barely reaches the height of his jaw. she can feel her pulse fluttering yet again. would it make it better or worse if i told you she was religious?
and that in accordance with said beliefs, she was teetering on the edge of sin, and yet finds that she does not care anymore. god is not here, not now, and it shows in the way the clouds pass over the sun for a flicker in time.
but she does not move in yet. still, she is apprehensive, and yet the coy, velvety smile does not fade. you think your family from the rise would be happy if you brought a girl like me home?

On the topic of religion, he doesn't bat an eye. He is unknowing, unphased, and inexperienced with the concept itself. Nobody he knows is religious. It means little to him—a recklessness that is bold, naive. Couldn't care less. I'm not the religious type. 

He senses there is tension there, something between the girl and her mother. Part of him wishes to know, and part of him knows it was unimportant—he grew up without his mother, after all.

At her next question, his eyes gleam with mischief, amused by her boldness. A strong gust of wind slaps him in the face. He brushes it off, ears flattening against the air. So, you wanna come home with me? Gosh. You move fast. 

It wouldn't matter what they'd say. He answers, a statement with double-meaning; most of the Rise is nonverbal anyway. He thinks himself to be awfully clever for the quip.

The Redtail regards her once more then turns away, beckoning her to follow with a tap of his tail against her shoulder.

Come on, I'm freezin'. 

not the religious type. for a moment dinah is grateful for this, finding both relief and curiosity in it. dinah had come to learn that this lack of belief was more common than not, and more and more she thought of embracing it.
something in her was not quite ready to do so. but she does not mention this, only smiles with a twinkle in the sapphire eyes.
what, i can't come visit? she continues to tease, shuddering beneath the cold press of the wind against her wet frame. it could be fun.
she'd meant it innocently, but now she began to wonder what this fabled glacier-home was like. goodness, what were his parents like? his friends? his siblings? maybe it was the type of place she needed, if they were all like mulherin.
and besides, what did it matter? life is too short! she hops after him when he beckons her forth, taking it as an invitation and eagerly finding her stride beside him.

would u like to fade here and have a new one? <3333

fade with your next? i’ll start a new one for us soon!

Hey—I didn’t say no. He corrects. You’re nothing but trouble.

Fortunately, he loves trouble.

The thought of Dinah in the Rise amuses him. Without him there, he thinks she’ll be miserable. He’s not opposed to being her only confidant.

They walk shoulder to shoulder, bumping alongside each other as they navigate the winding paths between the sand dunes.

Just tell me where I can find you.