[Varian will honestly take any of those options at this point. He's going to keep clinging. He wasn't a terrible swimmer, once upon a time- he grew up in a coastal kingdom, after all. But after losing the leg he's not really got the practice in to adjust. It's not like Deerington had many places to swim to do that.
It's making him wholly reliant on Melius to get him out of this, and he doesn't like feeling this helpless- but he does brighten at the light- he tries to say "hey, it's light" but just a whole lot of bubbles come out of his mouth.
[It's one last push. One longer push. Tail snaking through the water, even going to kick his feet for more propulsion. He's got to get Varian out of here. That's the most important thing. There's no real telling how long the potion is going to hold out - he'd know if he had time to take better measurements. Or had an actual bottle to put the potion in.]
[But then - the cave seems to disappear, falls away around them. The surface in sight, finally.]
[The water breathing has been an exceptionally strange experience. Varian is struggling to put it in a logical, reasonable way of thinking. Like breathing normally? But not???
He sees the surface and is glad for it, even more so as he feels a weird tightness in his chest. Like he's actually starting to have difficulty in breathing. He glances upwards, desperation slipping into his expression. Boy, he'd rather not drown day one, please. ]
[Nope! Not happening. Not today, buddy. Not while he's here!]
[He kicks even harder, his whole body wiggling in that serpentine stroke. It's close. Close enough to... yeah. This is happening. He's grabbing Varian and shoving him forward to the surface.]
[After all, Melius doesn't actually need to come up for air.]
[Varian definitely wasn't expecting that move, but he is glad for it. As soon as his head breaks the surface of the water, he sucks in a lungful of blessed air. He starts coughing out water almost immediately, but hey, he's alive and that's what's important.
[Oh, welp, he's just gonna be raised higher okay. He lets out a short, panicked yelp, before turning his head to try and look around, his hands gripping onto Melius' a little tightly just in case. This is fine. He squints into the distance- catching sight of some lights bobbing away.]
[And back down Varian goes. Right onto the lizardy shoulders. Easier to keep him above the water, and Melius can do his crocodile swim thing. He doesn't need the air, after all.]
[He just has to keep up the momentum in the waves... until they can get to the pier. And hope it's a pier.]
[Welp, sure, this is one heck of a way to get through the water. He's going to stay on his nice, safe perch as Melius does his cool Argonian swimming thing. Thankfully, they do manage to get to a pier, Varian reaching down to pat Meliu's shoulder to get his attention.]
[Oh thank Akatosh. Weird, he'd think, later, he still thinks about the dragon deity - still swears internally by him. Is that weird? Is that like swearing by your uncle?]
[He grabs onto the pier, slowly dragging himself - and Varian - up out of the ocean. Safely out of the water.]
[It's a tiny bit weird, Buddy, he's not gonna lie.
Varian's just gonna...lie on his back on the pier, staring up at the sky, taking a few solid deep breaths. Well. Neither of them are dead so that's got to be a bonus, right? He's just gonna...blindly reach out to pat Meli on the arm.]
We did, thanks to you. I really owe you one, Buddy.
[Yep. Laying on the ground. It's going to happen now. Nothing else to do - sure, being the Dragonborn means you have to be in decent shape by default, but man, he just basically swam a marathon there.]
Hhhhah. Hahah.
[He's so tired even laughing feels like an enormous effort.]
[He swam a marathon, dragging his one-legged friend around. He deserves a good break! Varian returns the laugh, just...flopped for a second, before carefully pulling himself up on his elbows to take a gander at their surroundings.]
...I think there's a hot dog stand over there. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I know it wasn't that.
[He blinks down when Melius points that out and...ah. Right. Yes. The...lack of clothes. Varian awkwardly shifts his leg to try and regain some dignity- which isn't easy when you only have one of the damn things, and he sure can't do anything much to hide the scars littering his torso.]
Right...right. Um. We should...try to find some clothes. Yeah.
[Okay. Time to take stock... humans are really embarrassed being naked. Technically, he should be too. But you uh. You learn some anatomy lessons early on, being the only Argonian in the household. So, therefore, he has less to be worried about if he wanders around right now.]
Um. Hold on. You... can stay here - there!
[It's a pier. There's bound to be barrels and buckets around. He points at one such hiding place.]
[Sorry, Meli, not only are humans easily embarrassed, but this is a human teenager, the embarrassment scale is off the charts, really. He looks the way Melius is pointing and nods, grateful for a place to hide away for a bit.]
Uh- yeah, yeah! That works really well. Thanks. I...I'd appreciate that.
[Several more nods. And then... the lizard just kind of takes off.]
[He ends up running into some of the Wakers. Eventually. Who are kind enough to offer robes enough for himself and his hiding friend. Unfortunately, he really doesn't linger long enough for their explanations, booking it back to Varian.]
[And promptly forgetting which barrel or box his alchemist friend is in.]
[You're the very best, Meli. Varian is just gonna stay with his barrels, hoping no stranger comes too close to him. Or worse- someone he actually knows! That would be mortifying!!
Thankfully, Melius is here to save the day!! He brightens considerably as Melius shows up again, robes in hand, reaching out to take one off him to put on. It's probably ridiculous big on him, little as he is, but it's better than being naked. ]
[... NO SHIT, SIR.] Um. People walking on the beach. There's - there's a lot of them.
They're picking up squid.
[He jerks his head toward the beach, where said Wakers are patrolling. One of them gently lifts a squid, examines it, and then urges it back into the water.]
[Varian leans on the barrel to peer over in the direction Melius gestured. Huh.]
...Weren't we squids? Are- are we supposed to be here? They weren't aggressive to you, were they?
[That's said in a tone that they would regret it if they had been. Because obviously, this 5'2 one-legged child is perfectly willing to fight someone to protect a six-foot lizard man. ]
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countryclub2021-08-09 05:25 pm
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It's making him wholly reliant on Melius to get him out of this, and he doesn't like feeling this helpless- but he does brighten at the light- he tries to say "hey, it's light" but just a whole lot of bubbles come out of his mouth.
...Oh, right. Water. ]
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[It's one last push. One longer push. Tail snaking through the water, even going to kick his feet for more propulsion. He's got to get Varian out of here. That's the most important thing. There's no real telling how long the potion is going to hold out - he'd know if he had time to take better measurements. Or had an actual bottle to put the potion in.]
[But then - the cave seems to disappear, falls away around them. The surface in sight, finally.]
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He sees the surface and is glad for it, even more so as he feels a weird tightness in his chest. Like he's actually starting to have difficulty in breathing. He glances upwards, desperation slipping into his expression. Boy, he'd rather not drown day one, please. ]
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[He kicks even harder, his whole body wiggling in that serpentine stroke. It's close. Close enough to... yeah. This is happening. He's grabbing Varian and shoving him forward to the surface.]
[After all, Melius doesn't actually need to come up for air.]
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Thanks, buddy!]
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Alive?
[Buddy... you're talking.]
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I'm ooooookay. Definitely alive.
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[He kind of glances around. Everywhere. Trying to see if there's any land in sight.]
[On second though, he holds Varian up a little more.]
See anything?
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[Oh, welp, he's just gonna be raised higher okay. He lets out a short, panicked yelp, before turning his head to try and look around, his hands gripping onto Melius' a little tightly just in case. This is fine. He squints into the distance- catching sight of some lights bobbing away.]
I think I can see a pier that way?
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[And back down Varian goes. Right onto the lizardy shoulders. Easier to keep him above the water, and Melius can do his crocodile swim thing. He doesn't need the air, after all.]
[He just has to keep up the momentum in the waves... until they can get to the pier. And hope it's a pier.]
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Okay! Well, I think we made it to dry land!
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[He grabs onto the pier, slowly dragging himself - and Varian - up out of the ocean. Safely out of the water.]
[And then promptly flops facedown on the pier.]
... made it.
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Varian's just gonna...lie on his back on the pier, staring up at the sky, taking a few solid deep breaths. Well. Neither of them are dead so that's got to be a bonus, right? He's just gonna...blindly reach out to pat Meli on the arm.]
We did, thanks to you. I really owe you one, Buddy.
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We... did it. Go us...
[Don't mind him if he just lays here a while longer.]
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Doot-doot-dooo, we're winners.
[They are winners who are gonna just...lay on the ground for a little bit. It's fine.]
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Hhhhah. Hahah.
[He's so tired even laughing feels like an enormous effort.]
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...I think there's a hot dog stand over there. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I know it wasn't that.
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[He says, popping his head up. And looking around, finally.]
... Varian? [A pause. Hesitant. Suddenly unsure again.] Um. I um.
Clothes.
[Y'both are naked.]
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[He blinks down when Melius points that out and...ah. Right. Yes. The...lack of clothes. Varian awkwardly shifts his leg to try and regain some dignity- which isn't easy when you only have one of the damn things, and he sure can't do anything much to hide the scars littering his torso.]
Right...right. Um. We should...try to find some clothes. Yeah.
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Um. Hold on. You... can stay here - there!
[It's a pier. There's bound to be barrels and buckets around. He points at one such hiding place.]
I'm - I can go. Look for something. Okay?
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Uh- yeah, yeah! That works really well. Thanks. I...I'd appreciate that.
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[He ends up running into some of the Wakers. Eventually. Who are kind enough to offer robes enough for himself and his hiding friend. Unfortunately, he really doesn't linger long enough for their explanations, booking it back to Varian.]
[And promptly forgetting which barrel or box his alchemist friend is in.]
... um. I have - I have robes!
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Thankfully, Melius is here to save the day!! He brightens considerably as Melius shows up again, robes in hand, reaching out to take one off him to put on. It's probably ridiculous big on him, little as he is, but it's better than being naked. ]
This is great, thanks! Where'd you get them from?
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[... NO SHIT, SIR.] Um. People walking on the beach. There's - there's a lot of them.
They're picking up squid.
[He jerks his head toward the beach, where said Wakers are patrolling. One of them gently lifts a squid, examines it, and then urges it back into the water.]
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[Varian leans on the barrel to peer over in the direction Melius gestured. Huh.]
...Weren't we squids? Are- are we supposed to be here? They weren't aggressive to you, were they?
[That's said in a tone that they would regret it if they had been. Because obviously, this 5'2 one-legged child is perfectly willing to fight someone to protect a six-foot lizard man. ]
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