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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?

[OPEN TO ALL]

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[jaeresteade.livejournal.com]

The way the little girl giggles lightens the air around us, making me think for a minute of something that’s not my thirst or the cold. She leans closer to me, and I crouch down to bring my face level with hers. “I’ve seen more than one, and been glad that one didn’t see me,” I tell her, my eyes wide. Coming out like that, it all sounds like a great adventure. “Do you want to hear a story about a sea monster?” Not promising her a true story, since this’ll be made up of half-memories and wholecloth lies, with a good face on all of it. But if there is no way out of this place, making a little girl laugh seems as good a way as any to spend my time here.

[marbasthefallen.livejournal.com]

CeeCee tells the man she would like to go fishing and asks if he has seen a sea serpent.

"There aren't many of them anymore." I am tempted to lean in and remind her that there are, but the man plays along. "I’ve seen more than one, and been glad that one didn’t see me. Do you want to hear a story about a sea monster?”

I throw back my head and laugh. "And then you can tell him of a fire serpent you saw once, and a fiery winged lion." I wink at her, glad she is enjoying this at least.

"Caught something we have," I turn around and...

Oh, they caught something indeed. The doll faced woman crouches near the serpent, which may not be, and addresses it as Lady. "We have caught you and brought you to land. Will you speak with us?"

I sense no threat from the man, so I leave CeeCee and walk to the older woman. "In these..." stories, histories "times, names have power, and can be used. If you can find the creature's name, you may be able to command it answer you true."

[celeste-excolo.livejournal.com]

“I’ve seen more than one, and been glad that one didn’t see me,”

Oohh! He has, he has! Laughing more, I hold his hands and try not to jump too much. Now I'm gonna see one too! I can't wait to see it!

"Lady, We have caught you and brought you to land. Will you speak with us?"

Wait.. Do they have it? I can't really see around the ladies. Can Sea Serpents talk? Maybe its a magical one, I know they can. I look down at the shore... Do Sea Serpents have legs like people? Oooh! Maybe its a Mermaid! Daddy laugh at the guy and tells me I can tell him about GeeGee (he hates it when I call him that) and Daddy's other bodies.

“Do you want to hear a story about a sea monster?”

"YES!YES!" I squeal and then cover my mouth with my hands. "Bye, Daddy!" I wave and then look at the new man," I mean, Yes, please, Wet Man from town," I smile big and wide for him and curtsy like Daddy taught me to. "I would love to hear your story." I'm not supposed to talk to strangers, but Daddy's here and he didn't tell me to stay away from any of them, and this man is really nice!

[kateohara.livejournal.com]

Syl and I (http://community.livejournal.com/estdeus_innobis/405311.html?thread=10274879#t10274879) pick our way across the beach. It's stony, and I'm glad I didn't lose my shoes in the water, even if they do squelch.

There's a man crouched beside a little girl, and I smile at them, but then I see what the others have dragged into the shallows in a net and feel my heart in my throat.

"In these times, names have power, and can be used. If you can find the creature's name, you may be able to command it answer you true," says a fair haired man, looking down into the net at something that's a serpent that's a fish that's a woman.

I know you. I know you.

"I know her name," I say. I can taste it in my mouth like salt, and I crouch down in the water and whisper it in her ear.

[jaeresteade.livejournal.com]

Her father seems to think well enough of me, to laugh and leave her with me, but I guess there’s not anywhere I could take her. He hasn’t gone that far away, anyway, just to see what was actually wrapped up in that net. I can’t tell much of what’s going on when I’m crouched down like this, but nobody seems to be getting eaten.

I have a little girl in front of me waiting impatiently for a story, and calling me wet man from town. Not sure what that’s about. “I’m not from town,” I tell her. “And my name is J—” The name sticks in my throat, but not because of the salt. “My name is a secret. I think your daddy knows, though.” And where that came from, I don’t know, since I don’t know her father from Adam.

There are two more women, as wet as I am, picking their way toward the knot in the shallows. One of them smiles at me, and I nod back but don’t stand. Don’t need to see what’s going on over there to feel like it won’t end well. I turn back to the little girl. “Are you sure you want to hear a story about sea monsters?” I ask, knowing what her answer will be. “You’re not going to be scared?”

[celeste-excolo.livejournal.com]

“I’m not from town, And my name is J— My name is a secret. I think your daddy knows, though.”

"My name's CeeCee," I whisper, "I'm not from town either. And Daddy is a great knower of things and keeper of... I can't remember!... things," I say, looking Daddy's way real quick. There's two other ladies over there now, one looks like a princess and it looks like they went swimming too. Or maybe they came from the sea! Ooh! I look at the man again... J, and lean back. He said he's not from town, but he doesn't look like a fish... "Did you come from the sea, J? Is that why you've seen Sea Serpents?"

“Are you sure you want to hear a story about sea monsters? You’re not going to be scared?”

"I do, I do! I'm not scared! I'm not a Baby", I say crossing my arms. "I've seen fire snakes and people and lions and I wasn't scared!" My eyes get big so he knows I'm not joking. "Please can I hear the story?"

[jaeresteade.livejournal.com]

I’m pretty sure she wants to hear about sea monsters a lot more than she wants to know where I’m from, so I think I can get away with not answering her first question. “If you’ve seen all that, maybe you owe me a story afterward.” I ease myself down to sit cross-legged. My knees and I are still not on good terms.

She’s looking at me with her eyes wide, still half pouting. I’m going to have to make this a very good story. I clear my throat. It’s still parched, but the prospect of telling a story is distracting me from it a bit. “Right, so once upon a time there was a man who had to take a long journey across the sea, so he hired a boat to take him there. But as soon as the boat set out into the open water, a storm blew up, and the rain and the wind nearly sunk the boat.” I’ve told this story before, I think, to another little girl a long time ago. “The sailors kept the boat on course, though, and when the next day came, the storm had cleared, and the day was bright and sunny and very, very still. And the men thanked God that they had come through the storm.”

I think she’s still with me, even though there aren’t any sea monsters yet. “But that day and the next day and the day after that, there was no wind, and so the boat couldn’t go anywhere. So the sailors cried and prayed to God to send wind, and that night the wind came, the breath of God on the sailors, and all of them fell down asleep. While they were asleep, an angel spoke to all of them in a dream and told them that the man who hired the boat was the reason for the trouble they were having.” I can’t do voices, so I’m just telling the thing outright, hopefully with enough flourishes to keep her listening.

“When the sailors woke up, they went to the man and told him what the angel had said, and even though he cried and begged them not to, they bundled him up and threw him over the side of the boat into the deep water. And what do you think happened then?” I look at her expectantly, ready to along with whatever she suggests, but pretty sure that I know what it’s going to be.

[celeste-excolo.livejournal.com]

“If you’ve seen all that, maybe you owe me a story afterward.”

Nodding, I giggle and sit on the ground in front of him so I can watch him tell his story. I'll tell him mine too if he's got time. I've never gotten to tell anyone a story! I hope I'm as good as Daddy is.

My eyes widen when he talks about Angels. They're tattletales? No wonder Daddy got in trouble!

“When the sailors woke up, they went to the man and told him what the angel had said, and even though he cried and begged them not to, they bundled him up and threw him over the side of the boat into the deep water. And what do you think happened then?”

Ohh, I know! I know! "Uhmmm," I say, pretending I'm guessing, "A Sea Serpent shows up and eats the man and then wraps around the boat and breaks it into a million pieces!" I spread my arms out cos a million pieces is a lot, "Then it eats up all the other sailors before they drown and it lives happily ever after with sailors squirming in its belly waiting for the next boat of sailors to come?" I smile big and hope that's right. A Sea Serpent wouldn't just let a boat full of sailors go.

[jaeresteade.livejournal.com]

Don’t know when I might have had cause to tell stories to a little girl, but it feels like I have before, and see seems to think I’m doing a fine job, the way she’s getting into it and playing along. “You’re almost right,” I tell her, keeping my voice light.

I’m trying to think of the best and most exciting way to tell the next part when I see her eyes go wide, and there’s a terrible splashing sound behind me. I scramble to my feet as I turn to look down the beach at the knot of people around the nets. They may have been fishing, but now something’s caught them. A great, coiling body, and a head, rising up out of the water, speaking.

I blink once, and then I’m backing away as fast as I can, feet scrabbling for purchase on the sharp stones. I reach out for CeeCee’s hand as I do. “Come on, sweetheart. We need to be not here.”

[celeste-excolo.livejournal.com]

“You’re almost right,”

Oh! It must be even better! I can't wa ..... wait. Something big is moving in the water where Daddy is!It swallows one of the ladies up just like I thought it would. He's probably teaching her a lesson so she doesn't try to catch one again. J gets up real quick and looks scared.

"Its a Sea Serpent!! See! I told you it likes to swallow people," I say, jumping up and down and clapping. Maybe the Serpent like'd J's story too!! And its talking. Ohhhh! this is so much FUN!

“Come on, sweetheart. We need to be not here.”

He grabs for my hand, but I hide mine behind my back shaking my head. "Its okay, my Daddy is there and it wants to play a riddle game! I'm good at those!" I turn and run as quickly as I can and call back to J," I'll be right back!" then I get up as close as I can and look up at the Serpent (http://community.livejournal.com/estdeus_innobis/405311.html?thread=10289215#t10289215).

[tess-thiess.livejournal.com]

I am a woman, water-choked, air-breathing.

I am a serpent, low-bellied, wish-seeing.

I am an enchantress, tangle-haired, demon-seeing.

I am a woman, water-choked, true named.

[syl-thorn.livejournal.com]

Th'folk 're gathered 'round somethin', tangled'n thrashin' on th'sand. 's Kate'n me get closer, I see'at't's a serpent-creature, woman an' fish an' snake, an'I hiss through m'sharp teeth cuzzi hate seein' anythin'a th'sea netted 'n hauled into th'dry. Th'net 'tself makes me uneasy, an'I keep m'feet away frommit's tangles.

Whoever th'snake is, Kate knows'er. She kneels down, whispers a name inta'er ear, an' th'heavy thrashin'stops. 'er sides heave 's she gulps dry air, an' somethin'....somethin'...

Dunno whatcha wuz messin' wit'is mornin', but sure don't help'n old lady sleep.

there's a cage all 'round us, built out 'a despair like it was chains holdin' us down t'broken glass, and every time we struggle we cut ourselves...

Hey you, you put her down, fuckin' trash, should string you an' that stringy bitch up along with your friend.

Whoa, yeah, somethin'. Somethin' fromma dry time long 'go 'n far 'way. Press m'hand 'gainst m'temples. Th'sun hurts m'eyes. "Reckon we both know'er," I says t'Kate. "Reckon we all three ovvus knew each other, somehow."

[pollyladon.livejournal.com]

A woman who's a serpent must something sacred be, and so I say:

"Let's free her of these nets," and we untangle her. I look at the woman with a seal skin round her waist, and the woman with a soaked dress, and down at the snake-woman, and I wonder.

"Can you speak?" I ask the snake-woman. "You knew her name," I say to the blonde one in a wet dress. "Where did you come from?"

[sapphira-ststep.livejournal.com]

Well, surely names have power; names and masks and faces and skins, and all of that here, and it comes to me that none of us have spoken our names aloud. I count it as him offering assistance, and nod, and then two more women coughed up out of the sea join us, selkie and swimmer, one dark and one fair.

The blonde woman kneels and whispers into the ear of the netted serpentess, and the sea covers the sound of it. But there is still a change, as if the silhouette of a mask had passed before a candle flame and cast a shadow--featureless and dark, but clear-edged for all that.

"Let's free her of these nets," my fishing companion says, and I am glancing curiously at the new women as we do so. They know her, and I am glad that they are not furious with us for having caught her, at least not so much that they are willing to forego speaking. (http://community.livejournal.com/estdeus_innobis/405311.html?view=10283071#t10283071)