Sleeping with the fishes (M-Joe & RikkaTag, 18+)

[RikkaTag]

Anger and betrayal flashed across the other merman's face as he looked back to his son. He didn't have to speak a word for the young shark to understand.

 

Erol shuddered and closed his eyes before wetting his lips. "Theo... I have to leave. I'm not sure for how long. But until I can see you again... know that I will be thinking of you." The shark took that moment to look back at the shifter and smiled. "Vanslic... I won't forget, Theo."

[M-jow]

Theo didn't get what was going on, but the anger showen on the other mer's face proofed his suspension.

Theo tried to smile back when Erol turned to him but with his stiffened expression it wasn't a big one and his eyes turned a bit saddened. Just when he finally had gotten use to having another person around.. and maybe even starting to like.. a lot

 

Theo shook his head to lossen up the mucels in his face so he could straighten his lips into a proper smile.

"Okay..." Theo bite his lip to keep the 'don't go' part from slipping out and swallowed the words. "I'll see you when you can then..."

[RikkaTag]

Erol dropped the smile and frowned as he sagged his shoulders. He hated the thought, but perhaps it was best. "I will come back. I swear it, Theo." He flicked his tail once before moving toward the waves and pushing out toward the depths. "I pick you for my mate!" His last words were shouted for all to hear before he disappeared in the waves. His father sent a scowl toward the shifter before he followed his son.

[M-jow]

Those words made Theo's heart jumpe in joy and beat just s bit faster. His cheeks turned to a light pink and his smile weird as his eyes focused only on Erol ignoring the other's scowl.

When Erol dived into the water Theo raced out until the water reached just above his hips.

"You better come back okay! I wouldn't allow you to disappear on me just like that" Theo shouted out with all his might, hoping that it would reache Erol's ears. There were no tears but his voice broke just a bit.

[RikkaTag]

Erol sighed as his father caught up to him immediately and began a long tireless lecture about their laws and why they were in place. His thoughts were elsewhere as he knew the words to come. It was half way home when a thought struck him. He stopped and turned to his father.

 

"Who is Vanslic, father?" The young shark gave his father a determined look, ready for the coming fight.

 

"Erol..." The older merman sighed as he halted but didn't turn to his son. "The only one who can answer questions about Vanslic and know it to be true would be the Webber. He is the one with the power to Web stories together."

 

"But father! I know there... wait.. what?" Erol frowned, not understanding his father for a moment. "You mean... the Weber who lives as a hermit and no one has seen for generations?"

 

"The very one. You must search for him on your own." The old man sighed and turned to his son. "You may not like what you find."

[M-jow]

Theo stayed a few minutes on the beach looking out over the sky blue ocean wacthing a few seagulls fishing, before he finally got up. He was a bit stiff and sore in his lower half, but it wasn’t anything that wouldn't heal by nightfall.

 

Theo sighed and slowly walked back ti the house where he took off his jeans and shirt before he let the shift roll over him. He could just as well explore the rest of the Island.

[RikkaTag]

Erol frowned at his father as he took in the man's words. He was giving aid... the young shark was sure he would be lectured and giving the closed lip response. Perhaps his father knew something about the land people that the other's didnt. That was the only thing that made sense to him. He smiled and shook his dad's hand. "Thank you, father."

 

The older shark shook his head, giving a blank response. "No one must know about this. No one. Go now."

 

Erol nodded before swimming away quickly. He needed to find the Webber and quickly. He wasn't sure what laid ahead, but he was sure there would be obstacles. There always were in the good stories.

 

---------------------

 

A little blue Jay landed on the windowsill of the shifter's home and watched him quietly. The bird ruffled it's feathers and shook out it's fluff. It was strangely attentive for a bird.

[M-jow]

Theo used his time fixing the house and make sure he had everything ready for when he would need it, but that also mean that he had a lot of free time on him hands.

Before moving out here in the middle of no-where, Theo had ideas about what he could do alone and away from judging eyes, now those things didn't bare the same ring to it and Theo found himself for the second time in his life lonsome but this wasn't like he had been back at the pack. There Theo had many people around both humans and shifters, but that had been a drifferent feeling.

 

Often Theo would just walk along the beach watching and wating for Erol's sliver white hair to suddenly break though the surface or every time Theo thought he heard a splash he would turn to look.

Theo had no idea why that curious shark had left or why it bothered his so much that he hadn't comed back yet. Not even shifting into his other form seemed to lighted his head with all of those constant thought of Erol.

 

As some days pasted Theo only became more restless and it pissed him off couse he wasn't use to feel such things.

He was becoming clumsy and had more than once by accident either cut or picked himself on things like rocks, plants or even his pocket knife. Or when hunting, Theo wouldn't suddenly loss his game for not concentrating on just that one thing.... Damn why did Erol suddenly haft to yell out mating! If this continued Theo would become some kind of zombie when Erol finally arrived.

[RikkaTag]

(Soooooorrrryyyy! I have rewritten this a hundred times and it just didn't seem right.)

 

The blue Jay continued to watch the shifter, sometimes even seemingly awaiting prey. After a few days, the blue Jay was gone. As suddenly as it had come. Only to be replaced by another creature. And soon another. Several days passed and now sat a lonesome bunny, just watching the strange man. The bunny started to follow the man closely.

 

---------

 

Erol continued his journey to find The Webber and after several days of travel, the shark came to a dead end. He had searched the reef thoroughly. It was as though the Webber had not existed. It was sitting on a clamshell, just debating the point of his travel, when he realized something. The Webber spun tales of old and of what was yet to come, but was never mentioned in either kind of tale. An unacknowledged character typically hides in plain sight. What better place than where you would least expect. His first thought was among his people, but that seemed too simple. So, he thought of the story unfolding. A side character hidden in plain sight...

 

It hit Erol like a shock of lightning and he took off for the surface. He needed to reach the shores and find Theo as soon as he could.

[M-jow]

Theo had started the get the feeling that something had been watching him for days, and couse of his high senses he couldn't seem to shake the feeling of even though he never saw anyone but his cat kept feeling as it something was shadowing him.

Another weird thing was that rabbit which seemed to follow Theo around, he hadn't seen any other rabbites while hunting either. It didn't smell like anything other than an animal but wild animals usally didn't follow people around. Then again Theo hadn't known about Erol before either, Erol had smelt great but the other merman had smelt of fish.

Trying out something Theo turned forwards the rabbit with his hands on his hips. "alright you, you have been following me since this morning and you are not being very district about it" Theo said as he watched the fuffy fur ball.

[RikkaTag]

The rabbit sat in silence a moment, just staring on at the shifter before suddenly hopping closer to Theo. "I haven't once been discreet. Not as the chipmunk. Nor as the stag. You almost had me that time, as well. If you weren't so distracted, you probably would have eaten me." The bunny seemed to sigh before shifting into a man, his red hair fell around his boyish face. Had on about as much clothes as you would expect an animal to wear. "You don't follow your instincts very well, do you, Theo?"

[M-jow]

Theo didn't seem all that surprised that rhe bunny spoke.

"Please I wouldn't chew on something that small" Theo rolled his eyes as the man shifted into his human form.

"I'm not used to using my instincts all that much... but why are you watching me?" He asked as he kindly avoid looking anywhere else than on the young man's face, the man wasn't ugly by any means, but Theo wasn't attractive to the guy that way.

 

But growing up with other shifter, seeing someone naked was at times just as natural as shifting.

"Who are you"

[RikkaTag]

"Me? Hm.. some call me the Webber. Other's have called me Vanslic. I've even been called a sea witch." Vanslic ran a hand through his hair and sighed as he eyed the shifter. "It seems you have been leading one of the flock astray. You must remind yourself, sometimes the sheep you seek are simply wolves in sheep clothing."

[M-jow]

"You are Vanslic" Theo said surprised, he had kind of imagine the sea witch to be a woman, not a good looking redheaded guy.

But as the witch continued to speak Theo's surprised expression turned to confuse wonder when he started to mention sheeps and wolves.

"Do you mean wolves in sheepclothing?... how do you know about Erol, did something happen to him?!" Theo started to worry though his expression didn't change much. It wasn't easy for him to lower his guard which might make him seem intimidating.

[RikkaTag]

"You speak as though confused but speak of my flock as though confident in your knowledge." The red head began to pace as he looked the other over. "In the time since I began watching you, you have been restless. Distracted. All the while, poor little fish has been searching the reef for me." Vanslic chuckled as he looked toward the see and shook his head. "He is finally coming to you for help and you are too busy sassing a god."

 

Erol swam to the shore and pulled himself into the sand. He hadn't planned this far ahead. The shifter could be anywhere on the island and the Webber was most likely aware of the shark's search. He was the Webber after all.

[M-jow]

Theo didn't get the entirely of what the other meant but tried to look back at the sea just as the god did, and though the trees Theo saw some movement of something pull itself up on land.

Theo's heart started to beat faster and a smile spread on his face as he set off and ran forwards the beach.

"Erol!" Theo yelled just as he pasted the line of trees. He was so happy to see the shark again that he almost forgot the god behind him as he ran though the sand to meet Erol as fast as Theo's lege could carry him. Inside his head a small voice slowly grow louder saying 'Thank god, he came back!'

[RikkaTag]

Vanslic watched a moment longer with a smirk before disappearing, leaving only a red feather in his place. He had so much planned for these two straying sheep.

 

Theo was a sight for sore eyes as Erol looked up from the dry sand. His body felt hot, but he was too happy to care. He pulled himself up to sit and grinned ear to ear. "Theo! I was worried I wouldn't find you."

[M-jow]

"like you don't know where I live" Theo return the shark's smile with his own as he went down on his knees beside Erol gently touching the shark's cheek. The touch felt way to warm which made Theo's face turn over in a worried frown.

"You are burning!" Theo said before he leaned in to place his own forhead against Erol's.

[RikkaTag]

Erol closed his eyes and sighed before grasping Theo's arm. "I am fine... Its probably just the whole fish out of water thing." The shark chuckled and leaned against the shifter. He felt luck was possibly on his side this time. "Can we get in some water? At least my tail?"

[M-jow]

"Sure don't dry up on my account" Theo giggled and got back up to help pull Erol back in the water, he didn't care if his shorts got soaken in the end it helped to cool him down too.

"Oh" Theo suddenly remember the god at turned back to look back to where he had last seen the redhead only so see that he wasn't there.

"I was talking with the witch just now... but he is gone" Theo said as his eyes scanned the beach before looking back down at the shark.

[RikkaTag]

Erol frowned at the mention of the witch, thought the relief of the water felt good on his heated skin. "The witch? Vanslic was here?" The shark swore as he tried looking about as well. Here he wasted time searching the reef for the Webber and the witch was on land. "What did the Vanslic say?! Is there a way to fix this?!"

[M-jow]

Theo bite his bottom lip and looked down for a moment. He hadn't gotten to ask that, Theo's head slowly fild up with shame before he sighed and look back up.

 

"I.. Didn't ask.. but he was talking about wolf in sheep clothing and I think he already knew we were looking for ways to find him" Theo wanted to hit himself really hard, why hadn't he asked?!

"I only thought about getting to you when he told me you were back.."

[RikkaTag]

Erol relaxed his shoulders and smiled as he reached out to Theo. The other shifter was such a charmer. Who would be upset for that reasoning? "Its okay. We may have another lead as well. We can find him again. My people have this thing called the Webber. He knows all the past present and future tales of our people. He is the one who webs our stories together. Intertwines our lives." The shark sighed and brushed hair back from his face. "I can't find him in the ocean. The only place he could be is here. We have to find him."

[M-jow]

Theo sighed relieved when Erol didn't get mad at him but he still felt so very stupid. That when he noticed the word Webber the shark was talking about and that only added to Theo's guilty mind.

"That guy told me he was the sea witch, a god and the Webber.." Theo replied very quite just so his words could be heard over the sound of the water.

"He said that he had been watching us both, but I only started notice it not so long ago"

[RikkaTag]

"Vanslic... is the Webber..." Erol sat there, trying to absorb the other's words. His father knew about the Webber when other's hadn't, but refused to speak of it. Now the Webber has revealed himself. The shark wasn't sure what was going on. He turned back to Theo and frowned. "What did he look like?"