The look of mischief in your eyes

[synchroswim]

There weren't many humans Demyx associated with these days. It's something that could easily be changed whenever he pleased - having multiple forms had their advantage - but he never felt the need to do so. The way he looked at it, he had everything he could ever want right here.

A heavy sigh slips from his throat, his head unmoving in Ienzo's lap as he shifts his body around to curl in a semi-circle behind his back. He could touch the end of his snout with his tail if he chose to, but instead he splays its fins out, curls his tail up, and lets it drop to the ground with a gentle plop.

There was something comforting about watching (or even listening) to his new friend - his human - work, and while he didn't understand most of it, the Mer at least understood his passion. It's the same sort of passion he felt towards music. It's part of him, and while it's difficult to play anything other than Arpeggio these days, he still enjoys it.

After a long bout of silence, he turns his head up to bump his human's chest with his snout and softly slaps his tail against the ground again.

"You look like you're thinking about something again, 'enzo~♪"

Comments

[truescholar]

When Ienzo had decided to pursue field research of Mermen, he had no idea where it would lead him. It was unknown territory and he was eager to explore it, hoping it might be relevant to his mentors research into the heart and offer more insight into the general nature of magical creatures.

Though he had initially sworn to keep his distance, be unbiased and scientific... His curiosity had taken him down a road all its own and lead him to now; Namely sitting on the shoreline with a Merman's head resting in his lap. And Ienzo had absolutely no issue with it whatsoever.

Demyx had proven so many of his ideas had merit, even listened to his ramblings and answered his blunter questions with patience and even delighted amusement.

Their association had brought him so much new insight into so many subjects (The fact Mermans enjoyed music, even composed their was incredible!). Ienzo was equal parts grateful, excited and just. Happy. To have found his way here, to this unlikely friendship, so much so he'd found himself at the beach more and more over time.

Today, Ienzo found his eyes drawn to the delicate, pretty little antennae sprouting from Demyx's head. They appeared to have bio-luminescent qualities, and Ienzo was wondering; was it a simple reaction of special bacteria within the appendages that gave them their glow? Or was there another more intangible element, something connected to the balance of light and dark found within all things that-

The pointed nudge on his chest with a snout breaks his train of thought. Though, Ienzo isn't mad about it, finding himself chuckling instead.

"Oh-What gave me away?" Ienzo knew he had a habit of looking quite severe when deep in thought, angry even...it had its advantages and drawbacks when in the lab. He wasn't often disturbed...though sometimes it left people avoiding him, afraid of earning his non-existent ire.

Demyx, thankfully, wasn't put off by his habit. Though, Ienzo thought with amusement, he doubted a single look from him would cause the Merman to be intimidated.

"Your antennae caught my eye- got me thinking," he explains, giving one of the pair a gentle poke with his forefinger "Do you use them to hunt?" Ienzo tilts his head, fringe listing to the right and revealing a little more of his inquisitive smile.

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It flicks at the poke - much like how a cat flicks its ear when someone tickles it - and for a moment he goes cross-eyed looking up at it and Ienzo's fingers. He'd never known the man to lay a harmful finger on him, so when Demyx flares the gills behind jaw in response it was more out of curiosity.

Truth be told, it wasn't something he gave thought to before. It was simply something that was part of him, and he largely lets himself be driven by instinct.

"Yeah, sometimes," he starts as he stretches his back legs out, toes and fins splaying, and he digs his claws into the sand. "Sometimes I use 'em to scare people who get too close to my territory or if I'm trying to show off for someone." Though he hasn't used them to do that in a long time.

A very, very long time.

"I lost one of 'em once, too - s'why one's shorter than the other - but it grew back after... Man, I wanna say two? Three seasons?"

[truescholar]

Ienzo stifles a laugh as Demyx's eyes turn comically inward for a few moments.

The face he's making is a goofy, almost human expression-though, Ienzo pauses a moment, inexplicably catching his own observation. Was it fair of him to think like that? 'Almost Human'... that made it sound like the Mer was trying to imitate in some way, when Ienzo had come to learn for a fact that Demyx's feelings and interests were all his own, pure and genuine.

Noting and accepting the sense of guilt that settled in his heart, Ienzo silently corrected himself. 'A familiar expression' felt like a better and more considerate description. Ienzo then focused, listening intently to Demyx's explanation.

"I see," he said with a nod "Intimidation and making an impression. How versatile,"

The mention of showing off piqued Ienzo's interest. What would such a display look like? It seemed likely Demyx would combine them with the other luminous patterns lining his scaly body... That'd surely be quite the sight.

At the mention of previous injury, Ienzo looked at the anglers again- he'd noticed the slight asymmetry a little while ago, though he'd never brought it up.

"It grew back? How interesting..." it sets his mind off again; 2 - 3 months to regenerate, with slight loss of size afterwards but functionality retained. Was it comparable to the regrowth of tails in certain reptiles? Did the feelers have a blood supply to aid in restoration-

"-Was it painful? When you lost it," the question slips out before Ienzo realizes, less curiosity and more instinctive.

[synchroswim]

He'd pout if he could, but since he can't do it properly like this he lets his fins do that part of the talking for him - the ones on his neck go flush with his skin and his dorsal fins lower until they're nearly the same, and he makes an odd half-whine, half-rumbling sound.

"Course it did!"

It's not like hair, and for a moment Demyx contemplates rolling over so he can 'bat' at the fringe of Ienzo's bangs that hang down. But he reins that urge in and simply twists himself into a position that'd surely be painful if he weren't as flexible as he was so he could look up at him properly. "It's like losing a finger!"

...Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration. Totally an exaggeration.

Still, it makes Demyx take a moment to actually look at Ienzo's fingers still so close to his lures, and after a long moment he reaches up to gently take his hand into his own.

And after another bout of hesitation, he brushes the smooth curve of one of his claws over a fingertip. "...Actually, it's probably more like having this snipped off by something." So, it hurts like the dickens but it's not the end of the world!

[truescholar]

Now Ienzo did laugh; there was something adorable about the way Demyx used his fins to add emphasis to his emotions... Even if he was attempting to appear stricken in that current moment...

"Alright, I believe you," he chuckled, humoring his friend. Ienzo was then nudged as the Mer twists out of his lap and into a new pose. He takes a moment to marvel at the eel-like flexibility of Demyx's sinewy body, though he tilts his head at the pause that follows.

When Demyx's fingers close around (and dwarf) his palm, Ienzo can't help odd mix of awe and wonder that sets into his chest. The brush of his claw sets his skin tingling.

"Right," he breathes out. He lifts his gaze meeting Demyx's eyes. "So if it's like a cut to my finger...it'd definitely smart for a while, then,"

Ienzo looks thoughtful, finding he's not in a hurry to take his hand back. Demyx was warmer than he thought he'd be, skin smooth and just a little damp. Though Ienzo found he wasn't repulsed by the sensation at all.

His eyes wander back to the lures, the hand not clasped in Demyx's own drifting close to the pretty, glowing baubles at the end of the filaments. Though Ienzo stops himself before he touches them again.

"They certainly look delicate...Are they sensitive?" he looks sheepish, hoping the poke from before hadn't caused any discomfort.

[synchroswim]

He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was always something about Ienzo's laughter that did something to his chest. It made him feel lighter and almost warm, and from the moment he first heard it, Demyx made it his goal to hear more.

At least everything he's been doing seems to have been working so far.

"Ehhhh, kinda? Mostly near the ends and where they start. S'not bad unless something pinches 'em, but it's... I dunno how to describe it." Having human hands touch them is leagues different from a curious fish taking a nibble or an angry turtle taking a couple inches off the top, after all.

If he had the right words, he'd liken it to having an itch in the back of his throat that he couldn't quite get rid of, or a spot on his back that couldn't be reached. Playing with his own lures wasn't something Demyx ever did, nor thought to do in the first place. Humans were...

They were strange creatures.

Very, very strange, Demyx thinks to himself as he turns Ienzo's hand over, presses the heels of their palms together, and slowly stretches his own fingers out to 'compare' sizes.

"They won't bite, so... If y'wanna mess with 'em, go ahead. I'll tell you to knock it off if it starts feeling too weird." A beat, and he brings Ienzo's hand down to his nose to sniff. Is that a new kind of soap? "No pinching, though. Or tweaking, or pulling. I'll slobber all over your fingers if you do."

And just to make good on his 'threat', he sticks his tongue partway out, and pulls it back into his mouth.

boop

[truescholar]

Demyx's clawed fingers are longer than his own, he notes. And his palm broader, obviously to accommodate his aquatic lifestyle. Ienzo had heard a number of comments growing up about how dainty his own hands were. Though he didn't see the purpose in such observations (Braig had made them with a teasing lilt in his voice) They were certainly true enough, he supposed.

At the threat of slobber, Ienzo blanches a bit "You wouldn't really-" he retorts, though. Demyx would, the threat his harmless enough for him to follow through on and Ienzo knows it.

He stares at the, honestly, truly silly bleps of Demyx's tongue before yielding to amusement again with a sigh.

"Fine," he concedes "I'll be gentle though,"

Ienzo hesitates a moment, in spite of the permission granted, trying to decide how best to proceed. He settles on carefully taking the end of the longer one between his fingers.

The bauble feels fairly tough, a little warm-though he suspects that's due to the chemical processes that give the lure its glow and not a proper blood supply. He gently rolls the end between his fingers for a second before glancing at Demyx, looking for any signs of discomfort (and a potentially imminent tide of drool).

[synchroswim]

There's no drool (yet), but his fins are perked up in a mixture of curiosity and caution. Logically Demyx knows that he has nothing to fear in regards to Ienzo and his handling of him, but his instincts haven't quite caught onto that yet. This was new, mostly uncharted territory.

Once it fully sinks in that nothing bad is going to happen, his fins return to their more relaxed position and he busies himself with (gently) kneading the pads of his thumbs against Ienzo's palm. If he's going to play with his lures, then he calls dibs on playing with his hand.

He can't help but flick the end of his tail a bit though as he rolls the end of the lure between his fingers. It almost tickles right now, but it also teases his prey drive into thinking that there's something taking a very, very strange nibble. It's easy enough to quash down, and Demyx snorts lightly against his skin.

"You ever touch anything like those before? On other fish? Or animals?"

[truescholar]

"I haven't," he replies "To be honest, I don't think there's anything on land that'd compare. Myself included," he says this with a laugh, pausesing to watch Demyx knead the palm of his hand with a faint smile

"You're pretty remarkable, in other words, Demyx,"

Ienzo lets the lure go, watching it twitch back into place, the motion odd to his eyes. Delicate like a strand of hair, but clearly possessing a degree of muscle control. Fascinating...

Cautiously Ienzo extends his hand again, still mindful of causing the Mer undue irritation with his prodding. His finger settles in the space between the two lures, gently scritching to see if it prompts the appendages to move any...

[synchroswim]

When he opens his mouth to reply, he finds himself at an absolute loss for words. He wants to counter with one of those corny flattery lines, but his attention is too focused on what Ienzo is doing. As his hand gets closer, he shuts his eyes out of habit but when nothing happens, he slowly opens them.

Almost as soon as he does, a low rumble begins to grow in his chest and the kneading stops, and for a moment Demyx freezes. But as quickly as he tenses up, he starts to relax and lean his head forward into Ienzo's hand. The rumbling continues, but this time it's accompanied by his eyes slowly sliding shut - slow enough to show a third eyelid. That's...

Wow.

That's. Definitely a new feeling he hasn't felt, and before Demyx even realizes it, his knee starts to gently thump into Ienzo's hip and inadvertently start to dig a shallow hole into the ground. If he stops, he's going to whine.

"'nzo...?" His speech is broken up by both the rumbling and the kicking motion of his leg, but it's clear that it's more curious over anything else.

[truescholar]

Ienzo blinks, eyes snapping to the knee that's now bumping against his hip, startled. Well that wasn't quite the reaction he was expecting to get. (Is he, purring?)

"Demyx?" he answers, though he hasn't missed the inquisitive tone in the Mers voice. Ienzo takes it to mean he's not causing him pain. It appears quite the opposite, in fact.

"Uhm..." Ienzo hesitates. He hasn't forgotten the threat of slobber, though he doesn't think he's breaking any of the rules Demyx set... so Ienzo opts to slow his rubbing of the spot, almost to a stop, though not quite. He gives Demyx a tilt of his head.

"...Did you want me to stop?" he offers.

The insatiably curious (and somewhat childish) part of his brain really doesn't want to... finding Demyx's response and the fact he's prompted it so, endearing?

But, the more mature and rational side of him waits for Demyx. Ienzo not wanting to inadvertently push the trust and boundaries they've set.

[synchroswim]

When he starts to slow down, Demyx's tail sweeps across the ground and he presses his head more incessantly against Ienzo's fingers. His leg stops kicking too, but his toes continue to flex and while he's not sure what just happened, he does not want it to stop.

It's nice.

"Nn," it's low in his throat, but it's the closest he can get to actually saying no.

Never in a hundred years did Demyx imagine his brain would turn stupid over a little spot on his head, nor did he imagine it'd feel like this. Had he known, maybe he would've tried to interact with humans sooner. But then again if he had, he may have been taken away for who knows what. He may have never even met Ienzo.

Hell, if anyone else had tried touching him like this he may have even tried to bite, but he'd never turn his teeth on Ienzo like that. Demyx may not know Ienzo as well as the people he worked with, but he trusted him. That meant something.

[truescholar]

"Oh-Alright then,"

He's still a little bemused but, if Demyx says its okay (more or less) then...

Ienzo resumes rubbing the spot between the lures, shifting so the Mer's leg can twitch without worrying his hip too much. But he doesn't move away, adjusting so Demyx can rest his head back on his lap if he wants.

He gives it minute or so, before changing the pace and pressure, scritching a bit closer to the base of one of the lures-if they're connected to nerves is there a chance they're more sensitive around here? He wonders.

There's a chance Ienzo's playing with fire but. He wants to know! For...'science'

[synchroswim]

One, two, three and his leg starts to go harder and faster, along with another rumble - it's a very pleased sound this time, Demyx's grip on Ienzo's hand loosening as he leans his head further into the touch.

He's barely able to look up at Ienzo, his eyes half-lidded and nearly rolling back into his head and then he hits the spot. His fins which had been going slack suddenly perk up, his entire body going rigid for all of two seconds, and just like that his head drops down completely into Ienzo's lap with a gentle crooning and a goofy 'grin' plastered on his face. His fins remain up for a wee bit longer, but just like the rest of him they flop down harmlessly against his neck and spine.

Whatever just happened, Demyx wasn't expecting that, but he's not about to complain.

Is he seeing stars? He's fairly certain he's seeing stars. Good idea to let Ienzo get handsy with his lures? Definitely a good idea.

[truescholar]

Ienzo lets out an 'oof' as Demyx's head drops into his lap, the sound of his crooning all but rumbling up through Ienzo's chest. As he surveys his work, the words 'deflated' and 'boneless' come to mind as an apt description for the state the Mer now found himself in.

Ienzo's still for a moment, unsure what to make of the strength of the response his scratching had gotten, but pleased with himself all the same.

"Are you still with me, Demyx?" he asks, soft, teasing lilt in his voice as he runs his hand over the now very relaxed fins leading down his neck.

[synchroswim]

At the moment words fail Demyx, so instead of trying and making a fool of himself he simply turns his head in a way that enables him to rub the end of his snout against Ienzo's leg in a subtle nod with a content hum. He's still with him, but he's in a bit of...

Well.

He's feeling pretty damn good right now and he needs a minute or two for his brain to restart.

[truescholar]

The brush against his leg tickles, prompting Ienzo to chuckle again. Demyx is fine, more than fine it seems, but apparently beyond words...well that's certainly a first. Ienzo doesn't push him though, and simply resumes stroking the Mer's fins, small smile on his face.

He's not sure why, but his mind is buzzing. But not in the way it did when he'd achieved results from an experiment...even if he'd been curious; playing with Demyx's lures...showing him affection, genuine affection... That wasn't an experiment to Ienzo.

His mind thinks, turns his feelings over...decides what he's feeling now is probably connected to the fact the places Demyx is pressed up against him are tingling pleasantly. Then it remembers.

Ienzo swallows; only one other time in his life bore any similarity to what was happening now: And that was the crush he'd had on someone in his neighbourhood during his teenage years.

Ienzo peered down at the Mer in his lap, face dusting pink in realization...it, would certainly explain other things too. Visiting the beach so much even though he honestly found the sun and wind irritating. Being frustrated when the weather was too rough for him to make the trip safely. Wanting to spend time with the Mer even though he had nothing of real value to ask...

Wanting to listen to everything Demyx had to say, even if it wasn't about anything useful or important at all.

A small part of him wondered if the fact Demyx was a Mer should be a concern to him in any way. Any Way whatsoever but. Ienzo honestly felt none, no matter how long he thought about it. Even after they eventually parted ways that day.

Even long afterwards, as Ienzo made more trips to visit Demyx at the beach. That fact was no concern at all. All Ienzo was sure of and decided to focus on:

He enjoyed spending time with Demyx, very much so...And he still had no idea where this would lead him.

[synchroswim]

The more Ienzo stopped by to visit, the more Demyx started to notice certain things about him. Certain things that he'd never quite noticed when watching other humans in all his years living in this body of water.

He'd freely admit that humans could be attractive - even he knows the stories that mankind tells about his - and he's well aware that certain members of his species willingly seek humans out for a little fun. He'd even heard rumors about some using magic to conceal their true nature and actually live with them as if they were human too, but...

He had no desire to be human.

Ienzo, though... He didn't know when it started, but he found himself wanting Ienzo to stay longer than he already did. Staying until the sun went down had been fine at first, and even watching him camp out for a night had been mildly entertaining but Demyx wasn't as foolish as he liked to act. He knew humans were fragile, so over time he'd sought out the little spot on the beach he'd stumbled across months before meeting the other man.

Every time Ienzo left for the day or simply couldn't make it, he'd made himself busy trying to fix it. Of course that was easier said and done when he didn't quite understand how it all worked, but eventually he'd made it presentable. With this, maybe he could convince the human to stay longer than a day. Maybe even days.

And of course every day he'd meet up with him between then and now, Demyx did his best to find various odds and ends to try enticing him to stay longer, or at the very least stop by more often. Odd looking shells, old trinkets that had fallen overboard from humans in the past, and even chunks of rocks with traces of past life etched into them. He may not know much about Ienzo's whole gig as a scientist, but humans seemed to like strange, old things so it felt like the safest bet. They had entire buildings dedicated to that sort of thing, after all.

Today, though...

Today was going to be the real test - he had to show him what he'd been working on, and if that went well... He'd have to try his luck, wouldn't he?

It's why he stands up to his full height when he catches Ienzo's scent in the air in the hopes of spotting him along the trail that leads to the beach - their beach. It may be easier to run around on all fours like a wild animal, but he could still walk and behave somewhat civilized - this was important. Now if he could get the knot of anxiety out of his gut, he'd be set.

"Ienzo! Down here!"

[truescholar]

There's a decent breeze today and it's toying incessantly with the strands of Ienzo's fringe. However, seeing Demyx waiting for him, perking up (both figuratively and literally?) as he catches his presence was enough to quell any irritation he may have felt about the wind.

"I see you," he called with a wave, smile slipping into place as he approaches down the last leg of the trail "I brought you something. Some 'stinky fish' as you've so aptly named it," Ienzo continues as he draws closer, producing a medium sized jar from an over sized pocket in his coat. It contained fermented mackerel (much to the chagrin of everyone back home).

Ienzo slows to a stop, tilting his head back to look up at Demyx's face.

"Nice to see you, Demyx" he adds in a softer tone

[synchroswim]

The fish that Ienzo brought was better than anything he could catch on his own - fresh was always good, but there was something about the stink from the ones that humans prepared that made it that much better. He understood that not all humans seemed to enjoy it, but in Demyx's eyes that meant there was more for him.

When he takes the jar between his clawed hands, he realizes that he should've brought the worn cloth 'bag' he'd been using to collect objects deep underwater, but he hadn't been expecting it. It's a pleasant surprise of course, and while under normal circumstances he'd have plopped his butt down and pried the jar open to go to town on it, he knew he had to be on his Best Behavior. So he taps his claws against the side instead and flashes the best grin he can muster.

Maybe it's a little toothy, but at least Demyx tries his best.

"Y-Yeah?"

The end of his tail drags in the sand behind him and his gills perk up for a moment before they relax. If he could blush? Boy, he'd probably be doing it right about now.

"That, um... Me too. E-Especially 'cause there's something I wanna show you today."

[truescholar]

At one time the toothy smile might've been frightening, or Ienzo would've read it as a sign of aggression. Not anymore though, they'd spent enough time together for Ienzo to have learnt a lot of his emotional tells.

Though... the way Demyx's gills move now is something he hasn't seen before, and its enough to make him tilt his head curiously.

"Oh?" Ienzo's feels flattered then, because Demyx had been making a lot of effort to bring him things recently. The fossils especially had been a welcome addition to his collection back home. Now he wanted to show him something?

It added an odd bundle of nerves to Ienzo's chest; a weird blend of shyness and ...hope? Ienzo would be hard pressed to explain why, but would admit it was due in part to his intense fondness for the Mer. Demyx bringing him things, having thought about him even while they weren't together...it was nice, really nice. And helped Ienzo stave off the hard pellet of reality wedged at the back of his mind: They wouldn't ever be more than friends. Because how could that even work?

Ienzo swallowed, interrupting the line of thought before it lead him somewhere despondent. Bringing himself back to Demyx.

"That sounds fine to me-are we swimming or walking?" Given the wind he wasn't that keen to take a dip (he'd come prepared, wetsuits for spending time near Mers seemed like a given) but, he'd happily follow Demyx to wherever he wanted to take him.

[synchroswim]

"I'm okay with either or. It's not crazy far, but you can hitch a ride on my back if you get tired. Sand isn't the easiest thing to walk on."

Or at least Demyx assumes it isn't, with how much he's heard people talk. For him, it's easy enough when he can drop down to all fours or plod into the water. He even goes as far as to crouch down so he can sit back on his haunches, still cradling the jar gently between his claws.

"I promise there'll be a chance to rest though. Cross my heart."

[truescholar]

Ienzo nods, then fleetingly wonders if he should've waited to give Demyx the gift since they'll be going somewhere. Though the image of him walking with the jar in his mouth is, endearingly comical and he'd be lying if he said didn't want to see it. Still he'd happily put the jar back in his bag if Demyx asked.

"It's alright, I trust you," he answers, and he means it. Ienzo pauses a moment, stooping down to tug his shoes off. He's learnt over time its easier walking in sand without them.

"I might take you up on a lift if I get tired, but hopefully it won't come to that," he adds, with a teasing lilt. He straightens up, tucking his shoes into his bag.

"Lead the way," he says with a smile.