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[npc-excolo.livejournal.com]

Dream.

There is a great sea. The sky is grey, the water green, and the seafoam is the flecked white of milk on the turn. The shore is stone and shingle, and the cliffs are bone-shades. Will you wake on the little fishing boat that rides the waves, wary of great beasts that lurk beneath the surface, or on the cold and stony shore? Or perhaps as some watery thing yourself, breathing in water as cold as ice and with a salt-iron taste like blood?

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Comments

[syl-thorn.livejournal.com]

"Oh, for goodness' sake," she snaps, "How many people are going to skin themselves today?"

"Glad't's routine fer you," I says, still breathin' hard. "Wuz my first time." Least's far's I c'n remember. I kick th'skin 'way from m'feet. See't's come way perfect, like if'n't wuz taken off witta knife rather'n by rubbin'.

"Are you alright?"

"Think so," I says. Feel slimy'n dirty from th'fat'n blood, an' th'air's bloody cold wit' jest'is thin human skin 'tween me'n it. But feel good, otherwise. Pain's gone. Take stock'a m'self. Don't quite...look th'way she duz. Fingers'n toes gotta thin skin'a webbin' stretchin' 'tween'em. An'I c'n feel't m'teeth ain't changed; still sharp 'n jagged'n m'mouth. But overall seem healthy 'nough. I stand, a li'l wobbly, an' pick m'sealskin up. "So where'd you come from, anyway?"

[kateohara.livejournal.com]

I realise she's not quite a person when she speaks. Her teeth are sharp as a fish's. But she doesn't seem like the wolf.

"I came from the forest," I say. "On a wind summoned by a wolf that used to be a little girl." I raise my eyebrows. "It's been a strange sort of day," I conclude. "Are you a woman disguised as a seal or the other way around? And thank you for saving me," I add. "It would be silly to have managed to escape a hungry wolf only to be drowned."

[syl-thorn.livejournal.com]

"I came from the forest," th'blonde girl tells me. "On a wind summoned by a wolf that used to be a little girl. It's been a strange sort of day." I nod. Makes perfect sense t'me, all thin's considered. "Are you a woman disguised as a seal or the other way around? And thank you for saving me. It would be silly to have managed to escape a hungry wolf only to be drowned."

"Yer welcome," I nod. "An' t'answer yer question...I think'm both. An' neither." Shake m'head. "Best answer I c'n give, fer right now." Consider m'sealskin ferra minute, an'en wrap't snug 'round m'waist. I ain't gonna be no fisherman's wife.

[kateohara.livejournal.com]

I nod at what she says.

"I'm Kate," I say. "Do you have a name?" I watch her wrap her seal skin round her, and it reminds me how cold I am. "I wonder if those people know if there's a village nearby," I say, looking down the shore. "Maybe they know where we are. Do you want to come with me to ask them?"

[syl-thorn.livejournal.com]

"I'm Kate. Do you have a name?"

"Syl," I says after a minute. Know'it like I knew t'peel off m'skin. "Good t'meet ya, Kate." See'er eyes wand'rin' over t'a group'a people, standin't th'water's edge.

"I wonder if those people know if there's a village nearby. Maybe they know where we are. Do you want to come with me to ask them?"

I hes'tate a minute, an'en nod. 'ere's an instinct't makes me nervous, 't makes me check t'be sure't m'skin's wrapped tight, 'at't can't be pulled 'way're torn. But I do wanna know what's goin' on, where we are...an' why I got th'feelin' we's s'posed t'be doin' somethin'.

"Yeah." I says. "Le's go see what's up."

[kateohara.livejournal.com]

"Good to meet you too," I say, and we walk (http://community.livejournal.com/estdeus_innobis/405311.html?thread=10279231#t10279231).