12

[asea]

Who: Walter and Serph
Where: Various
When: Various (September 13~October 6)
Style: Either
Status: Closed

[It begins at the clinic.

As Walter is neither ill nor wounded, the visit there is superficial and quick. He's started familiarizing himself with as of yet observed areas in Vatheon, and logic reasons that the clinic is an ideal place to be more aware of for the future. (Even if he wouldn't trust the Merines with its employees: his thoughts on them aren't quite as tolerant.) So with a swift sweep of the building, Walter leaves.

Outside, for the first time since his self-imposed tour, he sights the familiar face of a stranger.]

Comments

[bufudine]

[Serph had been tired after he arrived back in Vatheon; getting punched through his gut and having it regenerated by the coral really takes it out of a guy, you know? Then there had been the murder. When he returned to the base, Serph just slept.

He was on the way to visit Cielo in the clinic the next day, not knowing Cielo just left the city, when he spotted a familiar face. Serph stares for a moment, his still somewhat hazy memories of Vatheon slowly clicking into place. Approaching, he greets that Guy Who's Afraid of Water with a nod.]

[asea]

[Walter glances at Serph on his way out -- briefly, that he looks straight ahead again within a beat. He sees the nod through the corner of his eye, but as the approach is unconfrontational, he continues walking without a break in pace.

In a handful of steps, he brushes past Serph, as if he'd never acknowledged the other presence.]

[bufudine]

[...huh. Well, not totally unexpected from the guy. Serph watches his retreating back for a few moments before he turns and enters the clinic. He'll just have to wait until next time to talk to him.]

15th ( pirate ship )

[asea]

[He hasn't actually entered the pirate ship. He has no reason to, as scouting around the area should be enough (for now). Alas, part of investigating means being caught up in social traffic, which comes to him in the form of a pirate ghost who catches him at the ship's perimeters.

Ergo, the unorthodox yet casual scene is one of Walter standing with his arms folded whilst a pirate ghost vivaciously runs his mouth about some thing or another. His unwilling listener is not at all interested in what he has to say, but at least Walter doesn't look annoyed. Yet. The words are in fact being committed to memory, except they're not turning out to be very useful information.]

[bufudine]

[Serph doesn't visit the Pirate Ship Quadrant particularly often, but sometimes just thinking while he's walking helps. Usually the quadrant is fairly quiet, provided one didn't wander too close to the ship, but--

Hm.

Serph approaches, giving a nod to both that Guy Who's Afraid of Water and the other... person, in greeting. He lacks the vocabulary to know what the ghost is.]

Are you both well?

[asea]

[Any social patience Walter had for the day has been depleted by the pirate ghost single-handedly once Serph comes in. He focuses upon the newcomer, but his disinclination to answer is already interrupted by the ghost, who turns its attention on Serph and begins to blabber away about its timeless days. In short, nonsense.

With no obvious room to talk for the next minutes, hours, even, perhaps, Walter turns to stalk away without a word. This quadrant ended up being a marginal waste of time.]

[bufudine]

[Serph doesn't follow Walter when he walks off. One day.

Turning his attention to the still yammering ghost after watching Walter's retreating back for a few seconds, Serph asks the ghost something that's been bugging him for a while now.]

What are you?

[asea]

[The ghost delights at the chance to yammer on more about itself. It plunges into a long-winded (yet ironically vague) description of its odd corporeal existence with twenty too many filler words, made even more incomprehensible by the speed at which it talks. It's a wonder the ghost has even the breath to say so much, which is turned into a joke of its own when it cracks one about ghosts' lack of physical limitations -- what a great deal, hm?

A lot was said. Not a lot was delivered in content.

Flee while you can, Serph.]

18th ( plaza )

[asea]

[It's been about two days since he woke in the Merines' body, and it doesn't seem this condition will be improving anytime. By now, he's been persuaded enough to step outside if he needs something, even if that something is as simple as "fresh" air. He's no homebody -- staying in all day isn't the way he works.

He's conscious enough to not undertake in some of his usual endeavors, instead keeping to the hot spots like the plaza. In fact, that's where he is now, a dainty hand outstretched toward Lamufao. To the passerby, it would look as though Shirley (who's dressed in pants today) is standing there and caught up in some inner debate, which in actuality is Walter and his inner debate.]

[bufudine]

[Another day, another person found dead. One person being found dead, unfortunately, isn't a particularly uncommon phenomenon; it seems to practically happen every other month in Vatheon. Still preferable to the Junkyard and that other world.

But two in quick succession? That's something to be careful of.

Serph, unaffected by the curse, is also on the way to the Lamufao to touch the coral. He recognises the blonde by the coral, though. Isn't that...? He doesn't know her name, but he knows that Guy Who's Afraid of Water had been somewhat fixated on her. She's obviously important to him, so Serph approaches. Unfortunately, Serph doesn't know Walter's name, so...]

You're a friend of a blonde man, correct?

[Well, blonde describes a good portion of the population, so he adds--]

He wears white and blue and seems to have issues with water.

[asea]

[Walter retracts his -- her, it was her hand. He recognizes the voice. It doesn't stop him from being alert.

Tensing, he turns to Serph. The height difference caused by the body swap forces him to look up. Though he initially regards Serph with his trademark deadpan, he scowls at the mention of himself.

Of course he isn't recognized in this body.]

We're not friends.

[The tone of her voice may be oddly low for such a petite frame.]

[bufudine]

[Serph tilts his head questioningly. They're not? ...Something else, then? Either way, he's certain she's important to him... Even if she seems... annoyed at that mention of him?

The low tone doesn't strike Serph as odd; he's quite used to women speaking in such voices.]

What are you, then?

[asea]

Why do you need to know?

[It's his way of brushing Serph's question off. As soon as the words leave her lips, he strides past. (Touching the coral can come later.) He has no interest in striking conversation, much less in this body.]

[bufudine]

[Serph doesn't need to know, but he'd like to. He doesn't say that, however; these mannerisms seem rather familiar...

But when she strides off, Serph follows. Serph isn't terribly tall and tends to have the most leisurely walking pace, but he can move quickly when he puts his mind to it. Which would be now, with him moving in front of the woman to cut off her escape.]

You seem important to him.

[He dips his head in a slight nod before standing aside to let her leave.]

People have been murdered recently. Be careful.

24th ( forest )

[asea]

[ He's back in his body, and back to the usual spot in the forest where the giant lake sits. As usual, he doesn't step into the water; rather, he watches and, in the welcome silence, thinks.

Although, he only thinks about detestable things.

So instead of doing that all day, he takes to going over some old motions of hand-to-hand techniques. It's been a while, and he can't afford to go rusty. A kick to the right, followed by a twist of his body to swing to the left, then a crouch as he throws forth a punch -- ]

[bufudine]

[It's not unusual for Serph to be in the forest; he lives there, after all. And it's not unusual for Serph to come by the lake, either.

But when he sees That Guy near water, Serph pauses and watches in silence.]

[asea]

[The second he senses another presence, hands still balled into fists, Walter drops his stance and turns to the source. At the very least, he managed three or four combos before the interruption.

That's more than enough for Serph to have possibly seen.

Walter looks back, unimpressed.]

[bufudine]

[It's a look Serph's long grown used to seeing on this guy's face. It's a look that he belatedly realises he's seen on a different person.

Serph tilts his head before stepping forward to a more comfortable speaking distance.]

Were you affected by last week's curse?

[asea]

[Something in Walter stirs, and he's neither too happy nor too upset with the connection Serph has seemingly made. Still, it's not a fact he wishes to advertise, so with a slight frown,]

And if I was?

[bufudine]

[Serph gives a brief nod in apology. His description of Walter probably wasn't the most flattering.]

I apologize for my description of you; I lacked your name.

[BTW, WHAT IS IT, MR SCARED OF WATER??]

October 6th ( island )

[asea]

[It's late and the temperature has dropped considerably from early on in the week, but that doesn't deter Walter in the slightest. "Late" is when most people retire, and when he can take a swim he hasn't had in a while. (And so, for this occasion, he's left his cape behind in the apartment.)

It helps to work out some of the stress. Beating against the gentle current—even in these particular waters, there's something about the dead sea he can hurl his anger into.

The waves demand more strength than on land, but Walter is a good distance from shore by the time his strokes calm. He steadies his breath, the whole of him submerged underwater and his hair glowing a dim blue in the halcyon darkness of the night.

. . . there's a disturbance in the water—]

my tag quality seems to decline as the day goes on

[bufudine]

[AND THAT SURE IS THE MOSASAURUS COMING THIS WAY WHY--

who is this person swimming this way why is he swimming in Walter's direction

oh

it's just Serph. Swimming in Walter's direction. With the mosasaurus on his tail.]

you say that like it's a bad thing

[asea]

[This was not supposed to happen.

One look at the incoming mess, then Walter propels himself to the side. If you continue to bring that thing in his direction, Serph, the mosasaurus will be the least of your problems. (Don't dump it on him, either.) Go away.]

it could be bad sometimes!!

[bufudine]

[Serph sees Walter -- was his hair always like that...? -- but is now faced with a dilemma. Is Walter... drowning? Walter can't swim, after all...

But if Serph keeps swimming, then he'll lead the demon straight into Walter, which would be bad. But if Serph swims in a different direction, that leaves Walter as the target, and demons are more likely to go after the weaker and less troublesome targets first, after all...

They're very close to the edge of the mosasaurus' unmarked 'territory' -- an area that expands when one has travelled too deeply in the mosasaurus' territory -- where the demon tends to give up chase, so Serph opts for continuing towards Walter. If he gets close enough, he fully intends to reach out and grab Walter to drag him along--]

nah, don't lie

[asea]

[Does he look like he's drowning, Serph?

He makes room for this entire commotion to pass him by, and what happens? The perpetrator changes directions. Ridiculous.

He almost suspects Serph to swim past him and end up dumping the creature along the way, but his suspicions are put to an abrupt rest when, in rigid anticipation of what might happen, he's being—grabbed?

What?]