A Peek at the Sea

"Ahhh, the sea~ So beautiful~" Pai stated in his hyper, high-pitched voice.

He stood at a safe distance from the edge, just in case anyone were to push him off.

"It's great isn't it, Lemmer? It's just...wonderful. Can't you hear the sounds of nature?" he stated, sighing as a light breeze fell upon his shoulders.
---
Not that Lemmer was paying any attention, Lemmer was gazing off in the direction behind Pai, sniffing the air as if he smelled something.

Unkempt grasses bobbed beneath the pressure of the ocean breeze that swept over the cliff side. From amongst the green blades, the wind tugged playfully at a couple white curls, before dropping them down again and out of sight. Vermilion eyes narrowed unreasonably and the figure hiding in the grass pulled himself forwards, slowly edging closer to the other figure standing nearby. The tall one seemed pretty unaware of his presence, but it was the small furry one that looked suspicious.

Shiver held back a quiet hiss in favor of trying to remain hidden as long as possible. It didn't last long though, since as soon as he had managed to shift close enough, he gave in to impatience and lunged forwards. Silvery scales glinted beneath the sunlight as his form was propelled out of the grasses. His webbed fingers grasped for the man's ankles, aiming to pull the limbs towards his mouth so his sharp little teeth could find a hold.

A flash...or a gleam caught his eye, and Pai turned slightly.

"What the-?"

He stared at a fish-like person, gleaming against the flowing grass, aiming to bite his foot.

Backing up slowly, he stopped at the edge of the cliff.

"Wh- WHOA!" he shouted, steadying himself before he'd come falling off the cliff.

He took a quick glance at the ground beneath the cliff.

Two figures could be distinguished amidst the glare of the sunlight.

A woman...and some lizard.

Ignoring that fact, he turned back to watch his footwork, steadying himself every so often to keep from falling off, and keep away from the strange creature as well.
----

Lemmer glared at the unfamiliar figure, snarled, and jumped.

"Psssht. Try and bite my slave? Only one who can do that is me!" He squeaked, lunging at the fish, twisting his tail around aimlessly, hoping he could get a good grip.

A sharp hiss erupted from the mer's mouth when the man evaded his efforts. Noticing how close his target was drawing to the cliff side, Shiver's eyes flashed and he was about to dart forwards and try to give him a boost over the edge, when the suspicious furry thing suddenly launched itself at him. Shiver's hands shot forwards to grab the thing and he rolled over onto his back to free his arms for better use. If he managed to get a hold of the thing's neck he planned to try and strangle it.

INTRUDER!

Shiver hissed again, his mental accusation echoing through the area while he grappled for a good hold.

Distracted as he was by the lemmer, he managed to keep some attention on the strange man with his brightly colored hair, his narrowed gazed flickering in that direction briefly. He was becoming continually frustrated with his own white curls that grew fluffier and tangled around his face as they dried, and with the lemmer's tail which just confused him greatly.

Pai was thinking to jump over the edge, but the water was probably too shallow, which wouldn't break his fall too much...

It was either this or get bit by something that might have rabies.

"..."

He decided not to take any chances.

He turned around, darted back at the creature, then jumped over it, hoping no part of his body would be scarred from this stunt.
---

Lemmer slid behind the creature, then kept running in circles around him, hoping to deplete the enemy of stamina.

Shiver grasped futilely for the man's legs as he leapt over the merlad, and hissed again in frustration when he failed to snag him.

STOP intruder!! He screamed into the man's head, as if he would stop because he told him to. This man didn't look like the intruder he saw, but with so many new people it was too hard to tell. Surely this man had to at least be the intruder's cohort since he was running away! He must have a reason to not want to be caught!

He sneered at the lemmer running about him and aimed a heavy tail-swipe at the thing, hoping to at least smack some revenge into the intruder's-cohort's-pet-thing since he couldn't very well run after the man himself.

He'd heard the words 'STOP INTRUDER' in his head.

"Intruder? Me? I'm no intruder!?!"

He began turning his head around to look at the creature.

"That was you?"

A moment of silence passed.

"HOLY-"

He stopped abrubtly.

"...I should probably run away first."

He turned back around and began to dash away from the cliffs
----

Lemmer began to open his mouth in a wide grin.

"So..you're not a pussy after all, eh? Got some fight, huh?

He yelped at the tail flung at him. Although his left leg was hurt, it wasn't the worst he'd experienced.

Lemmer ran up and climbed up the monster's back, eventually getting tangled in the mass of hair, and began to squirm.

Not like the squirming helped, anyways.

Shiver winced as the annoying creature tangled itself into his hair. If there were closer to the water, it would be easy enough to drown him like that, but they weren't, and that fall was a high one. Instead, Shiver scowled and rolled across the grass several times, trying to crush the lemmer into the ground as best he could. All of it's chirpy-squeaking was very annoying and made no sense to his ears whatsoever.

Mid-roll he caught sight of the man racing off away from the cliffs and he shrieked loudly, then began the tedious job and squirming through the grasses as quickly as he could manage--which wasn't particularly fast considering he had to try and maneuverer his tail about like some dysfunctional cross between a sea lion and an inch worm, which would not have been a very smooth and comfortable ride for him unfortunate jockey.

Liar! Intruder!

The impression he received from the fleeing man was an sort of uncertain distress, which was so similar to fear, and it gave him drive to push onwards even though it may be illogical to try and keep up.

"I'M NOT AN INTRUDER!! YEE-WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" Pai screeched in fear, dashing madly away from the fish guy.

"HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he screamed, as he ran forward...right into a tree.

"Oof."
---
Lemmer began twitching and screeching in lemur again, and decided to annoy this creature by screaming in his ear, hopefully, that the creature would be able to untangle him.

Shiver shrieked and hissed and winced in response to the NOISE in his ear. He resulted to rolling again, hoping to possibly injure the freakish thing stuck on him as well as use the momentum to travel more quickly after the man.

Running into a tree was exactly what Shiver needed since if the 'intruder' had managed to keep on his pace, the mer would have never caught up. The problem with momentum, though, is that it's difficult to halt once you've got it going. Shiver wrapped his forearms up over his head to protect his face when he began rolling too quickly through the grasses. Afraid of stopping short lest he scrape himself up, he kept on rolling until he eventually rolled himself and the lemmer heavily into the unfortunate man that had already suffered one collision that day.

Feeling extremely dizzy, the mer's hiss was quieter than before and the thoughts he emitted into the air were not coherent enough to form phrases, just wordless wafts of discomfort. He squinted to try and steady his still spinning vision, realizing suddenly that he there was a lot of pink in his vision. With a snarl he made to lunge at it, but squeaked instead and flopped to the side, his tumbled brain not ready for the sudden movement just yet.

"Eh?" Pai said, turning around to face the mer creature tumbling towards him with Lemmer flailing within the tangles of the creature's hair.

The creature tried to make a grab for him, but missed and toppled over on his side.

Staring intently on what species this creature was, Pai uttered words he probably shouldn't say to something who tried to eat him: "...are you okay?"
-----
Lemmer squealed as he was tossed back and forth, fazed and dizzy as the surroundings span past. Eventually, the stupid hissy-fit creature came to a halt, and Lemmer was able to regain his senses.

He let out a frustrated snarl at Pai, the stupid man who was showing pity for the enemy.

The mer made to hiss up at the funny looking man but when he turned, a dull pain throbbed high on his hip. His hiss drawled into a whimper as he twisted to inspect the area. Little fingers poked gingerly at a patch of darkening pink where he must have hit a rock on the way down and scraped off a small patch of scales. It was not bleeding and it definitely wasn't serious, but it stung insistently.

Long white tresses were tangled messily from the tumbling, curls poking out at odd angles and draped across Shiver's face. He tried to shoot a bravely fierce glare at the man again, but the moisture in his eyes ruined the effect.

Yes! Fine!

His vocal thoughts didn't sound any more convincing than his expression.

Where.. intruder??

"Pfft."

This mer-man sure was interesting.

"Need any help? You look hurt...."

He reached out a hand, expectant to be bitten.

---

Lemmer sighed in frustration. Convincing this man was just..hopeless.

Shiver drew back his lip and snarled at the hand offered him. He had planned on biting it, such was a valid concern on Pai's part. But the mer tilted his head, the mean expression slowly fading into a completely distracted one of interest. Both arms shot out and snatched the man's hand to tug it closer. He brought it very close to his face to peer at with big red eyes and then pushed it back roughly but without letting go. He paused, as if thinking, and flipped the hand over awkwardly between his own, deciding that he liked it.

He smiled then, a sharp and pointy smile full of innocent glee, and nuzzled Pai's hand fondly. Yes this was a good hand.

In fear, Pai turned his head away, as he thought he would be bit, after seeing the mer-person's reaction.

However, when the creature began to flop his hand around, he sighed happily, happy his hand wasn't gushing blood....

He turned towards the mer-man..or so... and smiled. He looked at it and thought,

'What's your name...?'

The second mental voice startled Shiver and he hissed loudly again, tugging the hand closer possessively. He looked suddenly annoyed, glaring at the arm, then the hand, arm, hand, as if just realizing it was attached and he couldn't keep it. He scowled because this made him angry, but he still held on in case the hand changed its mind and decided it would detach.

He peered up at the man's face crookedly. It was very strange to be spoken to mentally by a land-er. They typically just spoke back out loud like was normal for them... noisy smelly creatures.

Shhhiver. The thought hovered a moment uncertainly. He considered asking for his name in return, but realized quickly that he didn't really care, and promptly returned his attentions to the hand he had commandeered. He poked the empty spaces between fingers. He considered it unfortunate anatomy, since he must not be very grand at swimming with such stupid fingers, but he still liked the hand nonetheless.

"Eh?!" he exclaimed, as his hand was jerked forward a bit.

'Shiver, eh? My name is Pai...wait.'

He thought to himself this time: '...who's talking to me? I thought I was talking to myself in my head...'

Pai...

Shiver liked the name. Because he really liked pie. Maybe this man would give him pie.

He tilted his head curiously when the thoughts from the man fizzle out. He couldn't follow them into Pai's head when he stopped projecting them. He probably simply hadn't known he was doing it, but Shiver shook his head in annoyance, assuming that Pai just didn't know how to do it properly. He looked pointedly at the man.

Not words... Think.. thoughts

He didn't know how to explain that you're not supposed to think in sentences, but with raw thought, before the brain has made it a phrase. He knew his language was sometimes difficult to understand for these Landers since their brains didn't quite understand how to receive a thought, being so accustomed to being fed structured sentences and not having to interpret much. But really, they should all learn it and switch over, because this way, you didn't have the normal barriers of language and dialect.

Thought alone. I will.. understand. Biigg thoughts... outside your head

He nodded insistently and motioned to his own head. Maybe since this man had managed to say something mentally he would be teachable. Most can't even manage that much.

He watched the mer-person tilt his head towards the side slightly.

When the unknown voice appeared in his mind again, he looked back at the mer creature.

"Oh...so it's you eh? Heh...."

As Shiver began trying to instruct him how to think, he muttered to himself:

"...why is he teaching me how to think?"

He then looked back at Shiver, directing his thoughts towards him-
"How's this?"

Shiver narrowed his eyes, again receiving a perfectly structured English sentence from the man as opposed to the raw thought he had asked for. He shook his head and pushed his hair out of his face, making the curls stick up at crazy odd angles.

Thought, nooot.. words.

He insisted. The emotion he shared with Pai then was frustration. He publicized his annoyance so that Pai could feel that he was doing it wrong. He used it as an example of how to say 'I am unhappy with your attempt' without projecting any words at all. You just get the gist of what he wants to say from the feeling of the thought.

He didn't have high hopes, though.

Becoming bored quickly, the mer stuck the side of Pai's hand in his mouth and gnawed absently. He wasn't breaking any skin, just.. gnawing. Like a child toothing. His tail flopped lazily behind him.

Eh.....Okay.. Pai thought, after recieving a response.

He'd noticed Shiver began to slightly bite on the side of his hand, but he didn't mind.

"Awwww~ How cute~ Just like Lemmer~!" he said cheerfully.

---

Lemmer scoffed at Pai's remark.

"Don't compare me with that monster.." he thought, directing it towards Shiver as Lemmer glared intensely at him.

Then, Lemmer scampered to Pai's hand, and chittered loudly at Shiver:

"And this is my slave, you imbecile."

Shiver sighed mentally. This guy didn't seem to really care about how thinking thought was so much better than thinking words. But whatever, what can you expect from a lander?

He was starting to gaze off into space as he gnawed happily, when Pai's words reached his ears. Cute? He knew that was a good word, and he made a chirped happily. But the funny-looking furry thing had to go and ruin it. The mer shot a glare at it. He gargled a hiss around Pai's hand at lemmer, and narrowed his eyes as the thing ventured closer.

Not.. monster

The continued chittering made no sense to him, aside from being recognized as a stupid and obnoxious noise. Shiver's tail fin was lifted off the ground and best over his back to bat heavily down towards lemmer's head.

He smiled down at Shiver chirping.

He then watched as Lemmer and Shiver began having somewhat of a skirmish.

Chuckling a bit, he decided not to interfere and just watch the scenario between Shiver and Lemmer.
--
Lemmer was knocked off his paws as the tail came quickly for him, like a whiplash.

You're a monster. You're creepy, weird looking, and freaky. Don't judge me. Lemmer thought to Shiver, finally figuring out how to communicate with the beast. He then scampered back up Pai's arm and sat on his shoulder, making somewhat of a raspberry at Shiver in his own lemur way.

Shiver finally released Pai's hand in favor of barring his needly teeth at Lemmer. He grinned satisfactorily when the thing was knocked over by his tail.

Stupid thing... thinks with words, so stupid..

The thought was delivered with a mental image of Lemmer drowning in the ocean. He hissed again and squirmed forwards in the grass. His hands shot out and he dug his fingers into Pai's pant leg, trying to tug himself up to where he could get a hold of the annoying Lemmer's neck and hopefully strangle him. But of course, he was getting nowhere fast.

"W-Whoa, calm down you two!" Pai said, in a futile attempt to stop a small war of sorts.

He held his hand in front of Shiver again, if it was a successful distraction from Lemmer's foreign remarks.