In the Deep...

[Soso]

Soso was not pleased.

Though she prided herself in her resilience, her wanderings through the coasts were beginning to irk her in the slightest of way. Her feet, though used to long, hard, aimless travel, stung with wear and tear. She was not looking forward to taking them off next time she bathed.

To alleviate her soles, which begged for release from their torture, Soso sat down along the edge of the dock, her long legs dangling above the waves. After a moment, she was left to find that after hours of being borne down on by the harsh sunlight, the smoothed wood proved to be, in her opinion, as hot as the sun.

So, Soso sat, aching feet refusing to be set upon once more, and legs burning without cooling or pause.

No, Soso thought obstinately. I am not pleased.

[~Shin~]

Shin had been travelling in quite a light mood, though his mission was not of the happy sort. Two years now he had been searching desperatly for his father, the demon that had given him as a gift to his mother. The demon that would come to claim the human in his soul when he reached the age of twenty-five. Three more years of the blissful life of a human.

But he was happy nonetheless, he greatly enjoyed looking at the ocean. He had grown up in the country, in a small cottage in the middle of a corn field. Long hours had been spent playing between the stalks but he had heard stories of the sea from his mother. He had also been warned of monsters residing beneath the waves. Shin had viewed the sea several times during his travels and each time he saw it he felt the same...lifted, nothing else matter but the serene beauty of rolling waves.

The serenity was cut short when he saw a woman, his throat drying instantly. He cleared it behind a hand but a worried frown was painted on his lips. She did not look very happy...not a good sign. Mad women...were bad company.

[Soso]

The irritation was still spread liberally across her face when Soso noticed the young gentleman at the end of the dock. She bit down, a bit too heavily, on the empty cigarette holder she had been lolling around in her mouth. How long had it been since she'd paid any real attention to anyone around her? She couldn't quite remember...

She fell back, her hands burning slightly from the wood, which she tried to ignore, but found she could not. Soso spied him lazily with one eye open, the other closed for protection against the stinging luminosity. He seemed a tad antsy, as if he'd walked in on her naked rather than sitting down. She almost smiled, but didn't.

A thought struck her her suddenly, and she reasoned it was worth a shot. Releasing a short, shrill whistle, she nodded her head once at the uncomfortable fellow. "Oi," She called out. "C'mere a sec." She was pleased that it did not come out as a question.

[~Shin~]

Shin's entire body jolted when he heard the sharp noise flood the air, he lifted a hand tenderly to his ear and massaged the outside of it. An embaressed smile flitted across his face when he heard the next demand. He really didn't feel comfortable with this...talking with an angry women...usually meant pain soon after.

He did close the distance between them however, walking up to her and placing his hands (as casually as he could manage) into his pockets. He cleared his throat a couple of times before looking down at her. "Can I...help you?" he finally asked, trying his best to smile at her...but it flickered on and off like a broken light bulb.

[Soso]

Soso raised a shaped brow at him. She was obviously making him feel flighty, and though a large part of her enjoyed that, a small patch of compassion wanted to offer, at least, a smile, a small sign of reassurance. Luckily she smothered that barely thriving part and instead leaned towards him, hoping to close the space a bit more. She parted her lips shortly before she spoke.

"Do you," she began, "have any beer?"

[~Shin~]

What an odd question...Shin was baffled as to why she thought he would be carrying anything at all. He didn't even have a bag with him, just a small pouch for his money...something he was currently lacking. He held up his hands to her with a shrug. "I'm sorry," he replied with a shake of his head. "I don't...have any alcohol..."

What a strange woman...threatening but...most definately strange.

[Soso]

Soso sat back, widening her eyes in a look of incredulousness. She had to admit that she hoped he would think her odd, discouraging him from asking questions and getting smart or bold. The last thing she wanted was insolence. Her first priority was crystal clear.

Heightening her skeptic look, she turned to face him, arms crossed over her ample bosom, leaning so close to him she had to hide her tottering. "Well," she exclaimed, her voice caked with disbelief and offense. "Have you decency to offer to buy one for a lady? Hmm?" She demanded, having much more fun than she regularly allowed herself.

[~Shin~]

Shin took one look at her, taking a step back. The presence she was giving off right now...frightened him, a great deal. His mind was screaming at him at this moment, 'Run you moron! Run! Before she rips your heart out and eats it in front of your eyes!' His mother had always told him that, Never get close to a woman son because she'll rip your heart out and eat right in front of you!

Now his mother's saying was controlling all of his actions. "I don't have enough money, I'm sorry!" And he spun around and bolted, running as fast as his legs could carry him, away from this woman.

[Soso]

Widened eyes widen further as Soso watched the guy run off. She sat for a moment, staring after him, before realizing she'd been brushed. "What. The. Hell." She managed to say through clenched teeth. Her brow furrowed and a presence of rage swept across her face. "You bastard!" she positively shrieked. "You son-of-a-bitch, don't you run away from me!" Then, with incredible quickness energized by the horror at being brushed off, she streaked after him.

[~Shin~]

Shin looked over his shoulder, his eyes widened in fear. Shit, she was following him! He bit his lip, stumbling over a crack in the docks, his hands catching himself on the ground before pushing himself back to his feet and he continued running. She was going to kill him, rip him into thousands of pieces and smear his blood on the walls.

He just had to run...get away from her and get to someplace safe. Then he could hide for as long as it took.

[Soso]

The wind whipped her face as Soso charged after the skittish man. Her teeth were so heavily clenched down on the holder in her mouth, she swore she felt it crack. She saw him fall, get back up, and keep running, and though she had used that time to get closer to him, she still had not managed to catch up. The only explaination as to how he stays out of my reach, she thought conceitfully, He must be not fully human.

Though she mildly appreciated the expercise of such a good run, she felt herself getting bored. She decided that if she wanted to keep herself interested in the tall, cool ale she would make him buy her, she had to end the chase quickly.

Almost without thought, she felt the slight coolness of magic trickle into the symbol etched into her chest. She felt it spread to the edges and witnessed (with smug satisfaction) the two long sharp streamers protrude from her back, jetting with snakelike agility around the blurred feet of her sprinting "prey".

[~Shin~]

'Ground!' Shin's mind offered the warning a moment too late. Several milliseconds after something had wrapped itself around his feet and sent him tumbling to the ground. He hit the dock rather hard, his arms coming up to sheild his face as the wind was knocked from his chest.

He could feel the skin tear from his arms and he wished at that moment that he hadn't removed his sweater and rolled up his sleeves earlier that day. He rested his forehead on the ground, the thoughts of running away replaced now with a nagging pain in his knees and arms.

He could feel the injuries...skinned knees...torn pants...slivers in his palms and arms. It hurt...a lot...but in an hour or so the wounds would be gone. That never stopped the pain though.

[Soso]

Soso watched the strange fellow fall face first to the ground with a flinch-worthy crack. And to add insult to injury (which Soso prided herself on), she carefully jump-landed on the man's back, semi-hoping he'd me just a tad in pain. After all, he had run off in the middle of their conversation. What kind of person did that?

For a moment she sat, stratling his back, fore moving herself into a more comfortable position (for her), cross-legged. She leaned down by his shoulder , her mouth by his ear. The holder, which had been precariously balanced between her lips fell to the ground , in two jagged pieces.

She sa, staring at it. "Now look what you've done." She said calmly, into his ear. Her face was stoic, but her voice held a faint tremor, like there was a chuckle bubbling beneath her breath that she refused to release. "I suppose you'll just have to add that holder to the list, right below the ale, hm?"

[~Shin~]

"I told you that I didn't have enough money," Shin grunted between clenched teeth, the faint taste of blood on his tongue. Split lip no doubt. His tongue darted out to lick the wound and he felt the skin mend together. Demon saliva had healing properties though he didn't go around licking all of his wounds. They would heal on his own but for quick injuries a quick swipe of his tongue healed the deal.

"I'm not a millionaire strolling around, I'm a traveller..." he finished with a scowl, resting his chin on the dock and staring straight out at the scenery.

[Soso]

"Do you really think I care?" She spat. She leaned back, and thrust a hand into the cup of her bustier. After a few moments of rummaging, she pulled out a silver compact. With a click it opened, and she drew to towards her face. She ran her fingers trough the waves, trying desperately to smooth it down, to alleviate the damage the wind had caused to it.

After a few minutes she was satisfied, and with another click it closed, and she tossed it nonchalantly back from where it came. She settled her tush((ehe!what a word!)) into his back, her elbows on either knee, hands under her chin. She stared relentlessly into the back of his head.

"Why did you run away?" She asked him, as if he were a child who had to admit he did something naughty. "And I won't get up till you say why."