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Child of the Moon & Water; Nuray (seabrightmoon) wrote in nosuchplace,
@ 2009-02-21 16:49:00

Entry tags:

nuray, sascha connolly

Friday, December 21, 2007
Who: Nuray, Jay and OPEN
When: Evening, Friday December 21
Where: The town ice rink
What:An old man and a mermaid go ice skating.

Nuray met almost nothing in the world with any sense of trepidation. This was no different. Jay said, "Let's go ice skating," to which she gave him an utterly confused look and then said, "Okay." All without having the faintest conception of what ice skating actually entailed. Sure, she had seen it on television, grainy black and white stuff because the reception on the boat was horrible and they rarely stuck around on land long enough to watch anything, much less for her to process the information for anything truly specific. As it stood, she saw ice skating as something that people did in skin tight outfits and did little twirly dances during. That was not the kind of ice skating that Jay, a native New Yorker, cared to even call ice skating.

"The sport is called ice skating, which is really a misnomer. It should be called: ice dancing," he explained as they walked from the forest cottages in the direction of the rink that the town erected for the purpose of recreation. "Nobody in their right mind is going to try to do most of that stuff on a rink with other people."

Ice skating on rinks with other people generally meant avoiding those who didn't know how to skate while trying to stay out of the way of those who did know how and tended to skate faster than those around them. Oddly like driving if one was completely honest. Nuray absorbed all the various little things he had to say as they walked. This was the most time Jay spent speaking since they came to the haven, Nuray was glad to feel that the ice around him was finally starting to break. The knowledge that he was starting to get used to their current reality made her spontaneously decide to hug him, an action that he took good naturedly by wrapping his arms around her waist and not commenting on the fact that she was far too heavy to be doing this kind of thing to his poor back. She'd have probably swatted him for being mean; after all, she wasn't that heavy, was she?

Lights shone all around the rink making the ice seem magical in an odd way despite the fact that it was probably one of the many things in this particular town that wasn't.

"All right, now once you're on the ice, mind your balance okay? Your feet are going to slide and that means they'll want to get ahead of the rest of you." Still she listened, bobbing her head in the appropriate places, even managing to pay attention in sections when she wasn't being fascinated by the ice and the lights and the motions of the people once they were out on the ice.

The humans were swimming on top of frozen water. Well, that was something for her to see. The pair stepped out onto the ice and Nuray immediately slipped and landed on her butt. An action that only managed to engender a fit of giggling from the woman in question. Jay made a face and sighed.

"What am I ever going to do with you?"

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bohemiarhapsody
2009-02-23 07:20 pm UTC (link)

Nothing fancy, nothing fast. It was Sascha's mantra as he glided easily over the ice, wobbling occasionally but catching himself before he could get thrown too far off balance. He wasn't a pro by any means, but he'd spent enough Christmas seasons in the Big Apple to know a thing or two about ice skating.

There was a bittersweet sort of feeling that washed over him as he watched various families group together on the rink, but it wasn't as sharp as it had been in years past; hell, he hadn't even left his apartment during that first Christmas without the girls. This was a good thing, this was progress, he told himself as he drew up behind a little pig-tailed girl trying unsuccessfully to waddle across the rink. He smiled at the girl's parents and settled his hand against her upper back, skating forward a few steps and gently pushing her along until she'd gotten the momentum she needed to glide (albeit unsteadily) the rest of the way to her mother's waiting arms.

He'd love to have taken Bella skating had she been old enough, but since that wasn't exactly an option anymore, he'd have to find another way to entertain himself. Now that he thought about it, Irei had been keeping himself cooped up in the bungalow ever since the really cold weather had set in; it looked like he'd have to drag the necromancer outdoors for some winter festivities, just like he had for the last three years or so.

Sascha was so preoccupied in thought that he sailed right by the pair that had just stepped onto the ice, although he heard the telltale thump and pivoted around to see the woman seated firmly on her rear. He was close enough that it would be rude not to offer help, and since he was basically alone anyway and didn't recognize either of their faces, he figured it couldn't hurt to make a little conversation.

"Any landing you can walk away from is a good one, at least in my book," Sascha said with a chuckle as he held out a hand to the woman. "But if I had to call it, I'd say it's probably your first time out...am I right?" He looked to the man as if for confirmation. "Not exactly Rockefeller Plaza, but we'll just have to make do, won't we?"

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seabrightmoon
2009-02-23 09:26 pm UTC (link)

"Too right, and I never thought I would miss Rockefeller Plaza," Jay grew up in New York. He'd gone to see the tree in the Centre every year from the time he could walk on his own two feet. Before that, he was sure his mother had pulled his hat down around his ears and pushed him to see the lights in a stroller. Going around and around in a circle under the lights of the tree was just an essential part of his childhood.

Nuray took the hand up with a smile, happy to give it another shot. This was going to be fun, no it didn't matter that she had stepped out on the ice and gone down like a German fighter plane in WWII. Nuray was more than happy to accept that she didn't know how to ice skate, yet. She was going to figure it out soon enough though. It required grace and balance. She had both of those in spades. Therefore, it would come to her if she applied herself. Just like her understanding of Egyptian hieroglyphics. "Hi, I'm Nuray, this is Jay. He's gonna teach me how to ice skate. WHOOP!" And with that she fell down again.

Jay was trying very hard not to laugh at her as she slipped back down onto the ice. Nuray was a cross between his best friend and his only child. That meant he found her endlessly amusing. No matter what she did, there was always something about it that made him want to laugh.

"Ray, when you get up, tilt your skate forward until you dig a bit with your toes. It will keep you from falling down so much." Of course, he didn't want her grabbing onto him. His old body wouldn't handle the consistent crash or the cold all that well. "As she was saying, she's Nuray and I'm James, Jay, you are?"

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bohemiarhapsody
2009-02-24 10:57 pm UTC (link)

Sascha couldn't quite rein in his smile at the woman's antics, although her second tumble nearly knocked him off his feet as well since he'd still been holding her hand. He flailed one arm for a few moments as he tried to regain his balance, almost latching onto the man for purchase but deciding against it. Probably wouldn't have appreciated getting dragged into a dogpile, anyway.

"Nuray, you said?" Sascha finally managed to stand on two feet again and glanced at the man as he repeated the introductions. "Nuray and Jay...sounds like some kind of comedy troupe." He tried to steady the woman with one hand while offering out the other to his new acquaintance. "Sascha Connolly, librarian and current Vice Council hopeful...y'know, if I manage to pay off all those bribes." That's right, nothing like a little offbeat humor to make a lasting first impression.

This Nuray woman was, upon closer inspection, quite the looker; Sascha wouldn't have minded in the least if she'd tried to grab onto him- hell, he'd even have encouraged it!- but he wasn't sure Jay would approve. He'd only just met the couple, after all, and although they both seemed friendly, he wasn't sure what the relationship between them might have been and didn't want to step on any toes.

"I've been around the block a few times when it comes to skating," he said with a chuckle, "so if you need an extra hand, I'll be more than happy to volunteer. I could use the company." She certainly seemed determined enough, and Sascha drew up next to her on the opposite side from Jay so that they looked a bit like the Three Amigos...in parkas, no less. "Are you two from New York?"

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seabrightmoon
2009-02-26 09:30 am UTC (link)

Jay made the whole thing look easy, standing still and straight on his skates. He had years of practice though so he could be forgiven knowing so much more about it than Nuray and Sascha did. Ah the pleasures of being old. "That would be when you start calling us Ray and Jay and then get us confused," apparently that had happened before...at his Mother's funeral no less. That was not something that James intended to tell a complete stranger though, so Sascha would likely not hear about the entire mess Jay's mother's funeral had been. Especially with most of the family thinking that Nuray was his wife. That had just put a new spin on things he wasn't quite sure how to deal with.

Nuray managed to get back to her feet with some assistance and even followed the directions given to keep her from falling on her butt for a third time. "Vice Council," Nuray tried to remember what she'd read. "Oh yeah, they sent me a letter asking if I would like to run, someone nominated me but apparently I missed the meeting where they had the nomination acceptances." Truth be told, she'd slept through it and then didn't feel she knew enough either about actually doing anything in politics or the haven in general to really think she could do much for the people here. She shrugged, a semi-confused look on her face. "Good luck."

Reaching over, Jay looped his arm through hers. "You're welcome to help, I think once she gets moving, she'll get the hang of it."

"Nope, he's from New York, I'm from Alanya, that's in Turkey," said Nuray in answer to Sascha's question. She shuffled her feet to get some forward motion going, careful not to let her feet get too far out from under her. "I've never been ice skating or really even seen a frozen over lake."

"She makes herself sound like such a little bumpkin," Jay rolled his eyes at her statement. "I've considered coming down to the Library, I've got a dozen or so history texts I'm not using that could use somewhere else to take up space."

"You'll be sad if you give your books away, Jay." Nuray tilted hard in Sascha's direction before managing to right herself without falling. Score one for her.

"I'm not giving them away. Libraries are public. I can go back and see them anytime I want." Oddly enough, this conversation sounded like when one would speak of children or pets, not books.

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Um...right, I suck. Sorry for the disappearing act. -_-

bohemiarhapsody
2009-04-19 11:31 pm UTC (link)

The rapport between his two companions was entertaining to say the least, and Sascha found himself smiling a little wider at their casual banter. Something about the woman seemed slightly...off, and it had nothing to do with her balance (or lack thereof) on the rink; he couldn't put his finger on exactly what had caught his attention, but there was something in her voice and mannerisms that just seemed...childish. Innocent, maybe even a little blase.

"History texts, you said?" He directed his question to Jay and pressed his shoulder against Nuray for balance as she tilted against him. "Is it some kind of career, or just a hobby? That sounds like a bit more specialized literature than your average Joe would have lying around."

From the corner of his peripheral vision, Sascha could see the familiar blue coat of the little pig-tailed girl he'd helped earlier as the trio approached her. They weren't moving terribly fast, and the girl probably could have waddled out of the way before they drew up on her, but apparently his new companion's free-spirited nature had rubbed off on Sascha, and he raised his and Nuray's arms over the girl's head like a drawbridge as they skated past. The child grinned and giggled adorably, and Sascha felt his heart melt at the sound.

"Cute kid," he said with a soft smile before looking back over at the other two. No harm in getting to know his new friends, right? "Have any yourselves?"

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Life chin-kicked everybody at about the same time. No harm, no foul.

seabrightmoon
2009-04-20 07:09 pm UTC (link)

For all the time that she had spent with Jay and the years she herself had accumulated, Nuray was never quite able to get rid of the absolute childish wonder she had for everything. It came out when she spoke, making it hard to pinpoint her actual age. Not to mention it appeared she was aging quite well for someone who was now working on the north side of 30. Hopefully she would continue to age in the same fashion.

"I started my career as an Egyptologist working in Cairo. That was before I threw it all over to become a treasure hunter and met my companion here." Jay was quite happy to talk about his past. In fact, he preferred any past to the discussion of the possible future, specifically when one considered the idea of most of humanity being culled by their own stupidity.

The drawbridge made Nuray giggle madly in a way only someone who is truly amused can manage. Then she pulled loose from Jay starting to become steadier. Her natural sense of balance was becoming rather used to the skates allowing her to manage with a little less support. "Have any what?" She was confused by the question.

Jay however chuckled at the very idea, covering his mouth.

"What's so funny?," Nuray wasn't the least bit bothered by his laughter. She laughed freely all the time. She turned her head and tilted it in confusion at Jay who was keeping pace despite not holding on anymore.

"He's asking if we, you and I, have any children, Ray. We don't." Apparently the idea of him as a father amused him as much as the idea of him as a husband. However, his sister refused to take no for an answer on the idea of Nuray being her brother's wife.

"Oh," then she started to laugh herself. "Jay's not my mate. My Captain, but not my mate. So no, no kids." Nuray used the word 'mate' as opposed to husband because it was the closest translation she had found to the word in her own language which was partially derived from Arabic, but modified as an underwater language.

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bohemiarhapsody
2009-04-26 08:05 pm UTC (link)

If he'd had to guess, Sascha would have said the young woman half-clinging to his arm was at least five years younger than he was- it would have come as quite a shock to hear that they were actually the same age. Not that Sascha had aged badly, by any means, but he had been sporting those premature greying streaks at his temples since he'd hit twenty, and they always managed to add a few years to his appearance.

"Egyptologist? Really?" Didn't that just sound fascinating? There was definitely something appealing about the idea of exploring the remnants of ancient cultures and civilizations, and Sascha couldn't help chuckling at the image that came to mind. "Anything like a real life Indiana Jones? You've even got the girl to boot."

There were a few moments of confusion after he'd asked his question- at least for the lovely little lady at his side, seeing as her companion was obviously amused by the thought- and Sascha blinked at the answer Nuray finally afforded him. Captain? Mate? Now he was getting really curious.

"O Captain, my Captain," he murmured with a smile before shaking his head and flashing Nuray a flirty grin. What harm could it do, after all, since she and this Jay fellow apparently weren't attached? "I'm surprised he could resist a pretty lady like you, Miss Nuray." He arched his eyebrows knowingly in Jay's direction. "You're a better man than I." Sascha still hadn't released the woman's hand from his own, and he carefully raised it up to drop his customary kiss of greeting to the back of it; the gesture was more playful in nature than anything, especially since they were both wearing gloves.

"If you don't mind my asking, Miss Nuray," and here his eyes flickered briefly over to Jay, since the older man was obviously still protective of her even if they weren't lovers, "exactly what kind of special talents do you have? It's been awhile since I've heard someone use the term 'mate' while referring to themselves." Anyone human, anyway.

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seabrightmoon
2009-04-27 04:16 pm UTC (link)

"I've had perhaps more than my fair share of near death experiences." Jay continued to keep pace easily as if he'd been ice skating regularly all his life. In the ten years the two had been at sea, Nuray couldn't remember him ever really mentioning it. She wasn't really paying attention to her usual companion and his skating habits, however. There was no need to. Jay was rather like the world at large for her, a given, there was rarely a thought of him not being there since that would be tantamount to saying tomorrow there will be no sunrise in the east. "More to the point, I didn't get the girl. The girl got me."

"He doesn't resist me, Jay gives in to me all the time," though not in the fashion that Sascha was suggesting. Nuray missed the implication as was not completely abnormal for her. The nuances of spoken language were actually harder for her than anything she'd been taught to read. She did however key in on Sascha's seeming interest.

The discussion of her vocabulary just made her cock her head in confusion again. Didn't all people refer to their closest ones as their mates? It seemed strange he would key on her use of 'mate' as something strange. "Special powers," Nuray did not consider being a mermaid something special, but at least she got it when he asked the question. "I'm a mermaid."

"A condition I am quite thankful for. Otherwise, Davey Jones would have certainly had me as his dinner guest many years ago."

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'Bout ready to wrap this one up?

bohemiarhapsody
2009-05-20 03:47 pm UTC (link)

Sascha nodded in understanding as Jay spoke, and he couldn't help but laugh at the remark about the girl getting him. Ah, how true it was. "Well, I guess we know who the real treasure hunter is here," he said with a wink in Nuray's direction before grinning over at the other man. "Looks like you've been claimed, my friend. Don't worry, it happens to the best of us."

A brief look of surprise flashed across Sascha's face when Nuray mentioned that she was a mermaid. He'd only ever encountered one other creature of that nature before- Miss Marit, in fact- and it had been awhile since he'd last spoken with her. The thought stirred up a bit of nostalgia in him, and he unconsciously squeezed Nuray's hand in response.

"Davey Jones has enough on his plate; I, on the other hand, am always up for dinner guests. Speaking of which," and here he tilted his head inquisitively at the pair beside him, "is anyone else here hungry? I haven't had dinner yet, and I know this great little place in town." Right. As if everyone didn't know that great little place in town, as if there were any other places in Helicharis that most of the general populace didn't know about.

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End, I couldn't help the fall...I really couldn't.

seabrightmoon
2009-05-20 09:29 pm UTC (link)

"She's got better eyes for seeing underwater," Jay had no problem admitting that Nuray was far better suited to the whole underwater treasure hunting gig. They enjoyed doing that together though because Nuray's knowledge of the things she was looking at was not as complete as Jay's was. He was lucky enough to have been educated at one of the premiere universities in the world. Granted, the world no longer existed in that sense, so it didn't matter anymore. That didn't keep him from continuing to be proud of it.

"But all the books belong to him," Nuray shot back.

The idea of dinner hadn't really occurred to them and it was not often that Jay was out of the house for long enough to make any acquaintances. He was very much a home body human. Nuray asked him without saying a word if they could go. He agreed with a nod. They were going to go to dinner with Sascha.

"Oh goodie," Nuray's reaction to Jay's acceptance of Sascha's dinner invitation was to give Sascha a hug and then promptly start to fall because she'd overbalanced herself badly. Just her luck, really. Oh well.

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