001

[plasticasshole]

Who: Connor + Open!
When: During the full moons
Where: Around the city
What: Connor gets his Merrow tail... at the most inconvenient of times
Warnings: None so far!

[Connor is just walking back to his cottage when his legs stop working and he falls in the street. At first he's just confused- he doesn't just fall-, but then he realises he can't get back up. A little panicked, because this isn't normal, the LED on Connor's head flashes red as his legs begin to fuse together and form a bright orange and blue tail.

Why here? He isn't wet. He drags himself forward a few feet; he lives quite a bit further away, but what else can he do? Luckily someone seems to be coming his way. He sits up, hoping it's not someone who dislikes monsters.]

Can you help me?

[He gestures helplessly to his tail.]

Comments

[plasticasshole]

I've never heard it, no.

[He wonders if Justine really could give him his legs back though, even if only briefly. He looks over at her hopefully, though he's also cautious.]

Have you done anything like that before?

[He's guessing the answer is no, and he's not sure he wants to be her first try. Who knows how that could end up.]

[ishisstrength]

There are many different versions of the story. [She begins in a soft voice.

Justine is planning to get to his question but she wants him to understand what she's talking about first. Luckily, her voice is soothing and sweet, pleasant enough to listen too while she explains.] It's about a young mermaid, who is trying to find where she belongs.

That's when she discovers the world above the water. Where there is dancing and tools unlike anything that's under the ocean. She falls in love with man. Some say it's a prince but other versions of the story are unclear about that. She saves him from a ship wreck but all he remembers of her is her voice. The little mermaid goes to the sea witch to ask for legs but it comes at a price. Her voice.

This is where the story changes depending on who you ask. The little mermaid finds her prince but in order to keep her legs, he has to fall in love with her. Some give this story a happy ending but the oldest version isn't happy. She doesn't live happily ever after with her prince.

He marries another young woman and heartbroken, the little mermaid turns to seafoam.

[Justine runs her fingers lightly down her thigh as she stretches her legs a little further into the water. It's a little cold but it feels good.]

I don't know how to give you legs but I can ask those at the Coven and maybe there is a little mermaid story here as well. Even stories come from some shred of truth. [It might take time but Justine thinks that it's worth it to at least try.

Her lips twitch into a warm smile.] And I won't demand a price. [Not like the sea witch anyway.]

[plasticasshole]

[Connor smiles slightly as he remembers the only thing anyone has ever said about his voice.]

I don't think anyone would want my voice, at least. It's apparently... weird.

[Luckily Hank never gave him any kind of complex about his "goofy" appearance. Still, he gives Justine an appreciative look.]

Thank you. For telling me the story, and for asking at the Coven for me. I hope my story has a happier end than turning into seafoam.

[ishisstrength]

[She glances down at the waves, momentarily bashful in the silence after so much talking.]

It isn't that weird. I like it. [It is unusual but unique. Justine isn't sure if she's heard or met anyone quite like Connor, it's refreshing.] Though, I'm not sure how much weight my opinion carries.

[Justine meets his gaze with a brief smile.]

We'll figure something out. If not us, I do know a very stubborn wizard who likes to help people. [She pauses then, the tip of her fingers lightly running across her lower lip.] Would you still like to learn how to massage legs?

[plasticasshole]

Your opinion matters a lot to me.

[She's his friend, and he thinks very highly of his friends.]

I would, yes.

[He shifts to turn himself towards her slightly, as much as his tail allows.]

Where should I start?

[ishisstrength]

[Justine is too practical to think very highly of herself. She tries her best but sometimes her best doesn't amount for very much.] Thank you for saying so. [She isn't used to having friends and honestly finds it hard to believe.]

We'll start with the muscles. The calf and the forearms are always tighter and if you press too hard or in the wrong places you can hurt someone.

[She slides closer and curls one leg to her chest, her fingers gently brushing against her calf.]

This muscle here. [Justine takes his hand and trails it along the smooth skin of her calf.] You want to trail along the sides and roll your palm around the back of the calf. It'll loosen the muscle but not so much that you won't be able to stand.

[She knows way to much about the human body for a high school drop out.]

[plasticasshole]

[He finds that as she guides his hand to her calf that he feels almost... bashful. He's not blind to the fact that Justine is very pretty, and despite this being innocent it still feels pretty personal; more than just massaging her back did. Still, he's good at hiding it, and he does as instructed, keeping the motion light so he doesn't hurt her.]

Like this?

[He looks at her expectantly, waiting for further instruction. He wants to do it right. She did carry him all this way, after all.]

[ishisstrength]

A little harder. [Her fingers hover over his as she attempts to emulate the pressure that works for most people.] Yeah, like that. [Justine glances up at him, her lips tugging into a warm smile.]

Always push towards the heart. It helps with circulation and will prevent cramps.

[Her finders lightly glide his too her knees and towards her thigh.]

This part is easier, same pressure.

[She doesn't notice that he's embarrassed. They'd met in the baths and while this is more intimate, she's wearing clothes this time.]

[plasticasshole]

[His shyness starts to fade the more he works, at least. He gets into trying to do it perfectly. Every so often he glances up to get Justine's approval, or advice.]

Is this making your legs feel better?

[He hopes so. She worked hard to get him here. If he'd been left in the street, he feels like it wouldn't have been good for him.]

[ishisstrength]

[She guides him, lightly touching the tips of her fingers to his hand in silent instruction.] You're still a natural. [She leans against his side and closes her eyes when he knows enough to continue without her constant supervision.]

Mmm- [Justine hums softly.] It is. Thank you.

[It isn't making her want to walk any time soon but it feels good.]

Do you want to know a secret? [Her eyes open and she watches as the waves crash against the rocks.] I never learned how to swim.

[plasticasshole]

[Connor seems surprised at that, looking down at the waves too as he continues to work his hands.]

Do you want to learn?

[He gives her an earnest sort of look.]

I could help you. I wouldn't let anything happen to you, don't worry.

[ishisstrength]

Maybe.

[Paris made it seem like she should learn but the task is daunting now that she's sitting in front of the ocean.

After a pause she gently shakes her head.] I've asked to much of you already. [Justine doesn't feel comfortable owning people. In her world, that has a way of backfiring horribly.]

[plasticasshole]

Don't think of it as asking something of me. Think of it as... a friend helping a friend.

[What if Justine fell into the water one day? Connor wouldn't want her to drown.]

[ishisstrength]

[She huffs a soft breath and then smiles.]

I'm not used to having friends Connor. I'm not sure I know how to do it.

[plasticasshole]

[Connor gives her a gentle smile back.]

I'm not used to having friends, either.

[He feels like he should tell Justine what he is, since he's already told several other people. She's going to find out one way or another. It's just easier to tell strangers, because he doesn't mind too much if it puts strangers off him. It just means he doesn't have to waste his time trying to befriend them.

He's already fond of Justine, though. He hopes knowing the truth about him doesn't make her dislike him.]

Can I tell you a secret of my own?

[ishisstrength]

[She lifts her chin and briefly meets Connors gaze before nodding her head.]

Yeah. I'd like that.

[plasticasshole]

[Connor thinks of how to word what he wants to say.]

I'm... not human. I never have been, even before- [He gestures to his tail.] ...Do you know what an android is?

[If she knows, then he won't have to explain it. But he's sure she'll be able to tell what he's getting at.]

[ishisstrength]

[Her eyes trail down his frame towards his tail before once again rising to meet his gaze.]

I do. [Justine knows androids from works of fiction though she's been trying to keep her nerdiness hidden.] You're telling me that you're an android. [She pauses thoughtfully.] With a tail? I imagine that makes this all more uncomfortable.

[She pauses briefly and shakes her head.]

You aren't the first non-human I've met, even in my world, but you are the first android. [It doesn't bother her.]

[plasticasshole]

[He's visibly relieved when it doesn't bother her, and she doesn't seem to immediately think less of him.]

It is uncomfortable, yes. And I'm not used to that. I've never felt pain before, but with this tail... I think I felt it earlier, when I scraped my tail over the rocks.

[He moves the tail, watching it shimmer.]

What other kinds of non-humans have you met?

[ishisstrength]

[It's complicated but Justine attempts to simplify it.]

Before I arrived here, I was in the care of the Raith family. I worked for them, in a way. They were White Court vampires but instead of feeding on blood like the vampires here or the Red Court, they fed off of psychic energy, passion, sex. [Which is why Justine is very comfortable sitting half naked on a rocky shore.]

Not just them. My world has many monsters though being human doesn't stop someone from also being a monster.

[plasticasshole]

We don't have any monsters back home, as such. We just have humans and androids. I'm an advanced prototype, designed to assist police.

Are there any monsters here that you recognise from home, besides vampires?

[He's curious about her world now.]

[ishisstrength]

Yes but not all of them look human. Harpies are actually a type of fairy. I believe that they're affiliated with the summer court but I'm not sure. [She knows more about this world than she does her own.]

I've met a dragon once. It was at a Halloween ball.

[plasticasshole]

Your world has dragons but not androids?

[That seems strange to Connor, but maybe that's just because he comes from a place where there are millions of androids. He swings his tail lightly in the water, feeling the urge to go under the waves for a moment, but he stays where he is for now.]

[ishisstrength]

Odd, isn't it?

[She smiles a little.]

Most of the world turns a blind eye to the supernatural. The year is 2004.

[plasticasshole]

It's 2038 where I'm from. That's not too far from your time.

[At least, not compared to some of the people he's met here. He slides into the water finally, letting himself go under for a moment before resurfacing and sweeping his hair back into place.]

Sorry. I felt too dry.