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Who: Paris, and whoever!
When: The month of May
Where: At the harbor, at the tavern, and in the shopping district in general
What: Beginning of transformation, trying to settle in
Warnings: Someone being waaay too happy about having gills. Otherwise nothing for now.

a - An ocean away

Even though he's lost his powers and therefore the more tangible connection to the ocean, Paris still spends much of this time by the water. Part of this is for Aeto's benefit- she can walk on land and survive there for sometime, but she is a ray and needs to be in the water often enough that she doesn't dry out. The Harbor district is not as nice as the Haven or the area around there, but that almost makes it feel more like home. The smell of the water mixed with the various sounds (and scents) of sailors is familiar, and in a way, comforting.

He's been feeling kind of off since shortly after he got here, and after going to talk with some people at the Haven he's a little hopeful about why that might be. He slips into the water as Aeto swims around, hopefully far enough away from the boats and general other business that they won't be a bother. He takes a deep breath, feeling over his neck and the subtle change in sensation he's noticed there before vanishing under the waves.

He's down there for a little while, enough that bystanders might begin to get worried, before he breaks the surface again with a bright, joyous smile on his face. "I can breathe again!" he says, sounding estatic and relieved.

b - Hard day's night

Even though this new revelation makes him much happier, he can't just stay in the water all day like he would like; he did sign up to work at the tavern, and he doesn't want to disappoint anyone by not showing up. Having used the gills now, they are slightly more obvious, flared out slightly on his neck.

There are people who don't want anything to do with him as a result, some of the patrons more likely to be harsh with him, but he doesn't seem to let it bother him and just continues on with his work.

c - Making my way

Paris doesn't mind the tavern, but he doesn't think he wants to stay there forever- and besides, he was only hired on for the month and he doesn't know if they would want to or have the funds to keep him around afterwards. So he's wandering through the shopping district with Aeto, not looking for things to buy so much as what skills might be needed. He is well aware that many of the things he's used to are either obsolete here or have never existed at all, so his hopes aren't high.

That is, until he catches the scent of freshly baked bread. He follows it until he finds a bakery, and he lingers outside, looking in wistfully. "Do you... think they'd need more people?" he asks, if someone stops by him as he just takes in the smells.

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Oh. Oh geez. "I-I'm sorry. That sounds.... uncomfortable." Sure. That's the word he'll use.

Her next comment actually distracts him more, though. "You don't?" How... she must not have grown up near the water, but that still feels so strange to him. He's spent most of his life in the water, he's pretty sure.

Justine didn't mind now that she had something suitable to wear and she didn't mind not being clothed. What she disliked was the robes that the Coven had insisted upon giving her.

She gently shakes her head. "I don't." Justine grew up in Chicago, it had lakes but nothing that you would ever want to swim in. Chicago even today was an industrialized city. "Is that really so surprising?" Her smile grew a fraction of an inch. "Maybe you can teach me one day." When she found underwear or a bathing suit for her to swim in. Justine wasn't against skinny dipping but she didn't think Paris could handle it.

Not yet, no. ~~Maybe someday he'd be able to deal. He'd probably actually enjoy it once he got over the embarrassment.~~

He gives her a little smile. "Sure... if you'd want to. I've never tried to teach anyone before though." He doesn't think it would be that hard, given how often he does it and how good he is at it, but it might be hard to know where to start, "Are you... doing ok here?" He sort asked before, but he means more... specifically, he guesses. He's doing quite well with his new transformation, but... he knows some people were worried about the idea.

"As long as you don't let me drown." She smiled, letting him know that she was joking. Justine liked learning new things and she'd always wanted to know how to swim. "I'll have to find a swim suit." If they have such things here.

Her smile faltered.

Justine wasn't good at directly lying about anything and she didn't try. "I'm surviving." It was the best she could manage. At times her thoughts were too chaotic but she wasn't alone, not entirely, and she was sure that she'd find a helpful drug somewhere in this strange world.

"It's the best I can do right now."

It was complicated.

"I wouldn't." She might mean it as a joke, but... for certain people that's been a valid concern when it comes to Paris. (He won't ask what a swimsuit is, for now. Too much to learn...)

Her answer makes him more worried, and he watches her with a small frown. "Is... something wrong?" he asks carefully, because he's not sure he should ask. She might want him to help, and he's not sure he could.

Justine's expression sobers as she gently shakes her head from side to side. It wasn't sad. Not to her. Not anymore. But, it was unsettling and she's still finding her footing with the people here. Monsters, magic and Victorian wonders might be common here but that wasn't the same. Her past was darker than any fairy tale.

"It's nothing new." It was sweet of him to worry. "I'll be alright."

It wasn't a promise but Justine was going to keep trying her best. "Distractions help." She continued, her expression lightening some. "And you and your friend are a pleasant distraction."

"...Alright." Paris is pretty sure that's meant to get him to stop asking, and so he will. He doesn't really know how to navigate these kinds of conversations. Or... most conversations, really. He doesn't have a lot of practice.

He gives her a little smile when she implies he is helping anyway, though, and Aeto picks that moment to dart back up out of the water, flapping her wings and splashing a little. It is very cute. "Are you, um. Why did you come out here?"

Justine's palm rises in response to the splashes of water. None truly reach her but she can't help but shrink away. Wet leather wasn't pleasant to remove. When her hand dropped she was smiling and that dark shadow to her demeanor had faded to the edge of her lovely dark eyes.

"I was exploring and I wanted to see the water. I wasn't sure if it was a sea or a lake." She hadn't come to the water with an expectations, merely to see what was there. "I don't mean to interrupt. I can continue onward."

Paris shakes his head. "No, it's-- ok. I mean. It's nice to... see you?"

He immediately regrets both the words and the awkward way they stumble out of his mouth, and he seriously considers just sinking under the water to hide.

A soft warm laugh escaped from Justine's lips. "It's nice to see you too." She shifted and leaned forward on her palms. "You can relax now. We aren't naked in a bath anymore." Her voice was light, sweet and kind but she couldn't help but tease him a little bit.

Compared to their first meeting, this was a significantly more comfortable meeting where paris was quite literally in his element. She wondered if he was always this way but didn't feel compelled to ask.

"If I'm interrupting I can go or if you mind, I could beg you for the start of our swimming lessons?" Justine wasn't sure if she could learn without being in the water but perhaps they could plan when and where he might be able to teach her.

Sorry, Justine, but Paris hardly ever truly relaxes around people. He's not used to conversation, even less used to kinder overtures, and entirely unaccustomed to friendship. He'll calm down eventually, probably, but... it'll take a bit of work.

Still, he'll try, and he nods, sinking under the water enough that he can breathe through the gills to try and calm himself. "You're not. Interrupting." He would have to be doing something to interrupt, he thinks. "But-- yeah. We could start. Um. How do you want to...?"

"I'm not sure." She glanced down the pier before letting her gaze linger around the surrounding area. This is a nice section of ocean with the city towering behind them. It stretched out for awhile past the town as well, forming stretches of beaches. Justine wondered if the ocean was very deep or if there was a more shallow area where she could learn.

"We might have to find another spot." Justine didn't think that Paris would be able to hold her up while she tried to get her barrings. "Someplace where we can stand? I'm not sure. Swimming seems... difficult."

Justine's dark eyes met his gaze with a shy smile. "I'm not sure if I'll be able to learn though I am comfortable in water."

Paris nods. "Mm. There's got to be somewhere with a beach, or something that's shallower..." The risk of drowning is a real one, after all. And he doesn't want her to drown.

But her second statement has him shaking his head, oddly confident for him. "I'm sure you'll be able to. We'll figure it out."

Justine smiles but there is a wistful edge to the expression that almost makes it seem sad. "I'm glad that you already have faint in me." She didn't have that much faith in herself.

"How about you take a look and see what you can find." Since he's already swimming. "And I will work on finding something to swim in." That wasn't leather.

It was starting to look like they were forming a plan.

Paris nods, giving her a small smile. "Mm. Should I look and tell you if I find something later?" Since it doesn't sound like she's going to follow while he does... which makes sense.

"Yeah. How about we meet back here in a week?" That felt like it'd be enough time. "Same time and you can show me what you found."

Paris nods. "Mm. Alright. I'll.... talk to you know?" He actually sounds a tiny bit hopeful there.

Justine's smile widened by a small fraction. "Yeah."

Over all, she liked Paris. He was sweet and interesting without being alarming in any way. Justine didn't exactly trust him but she didn't trust anyone. It was just how she was.

"You can also contact me on this." She lifted her wrist to show the odd devices here. She was still figuring out how it worked but over all Justine understood that it was a phone.

To be fair... Paris felt pretty similarly. She was very nice and seemed to actually want to talk to him, but trust is... hard. Very hard.

"Oh-- r-right. I'm still figuring those out..." He doesn't have any experience with anything like them, after all.

"We can figure it out together." Her fingers ran through her hair as the sun began its decent from the apex of the sky.

"Have you eaten lunch yet?" She assumed that he didn't eat raw fish despite having gills. "I was thinking of getting something. If you'd like to join me?" Justine wasn't sure if he was ready to get out of the water yet. "Aeto too, of course."

Indeed, Paris does look to Aeto first; really she could spend her entire life in the water and be totally happy, so he wants to make sure. She trills at him and starts leading the way to shore- she does like being in the water, but he really needs to learn how to talk to his own species.

He looks back at Justine and gives her a little nod. "I... yes. That would be nice."

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