Post by Aurelius Adalbern on Mar 5, 2020 7:00:25 GMT
Aurelius stood beside where Finn was perched and shedding his clothing, examining the markings of the pirate's exposed skin with curious eyes. More stories to be told, more tales that the warrior wanted to get lost in. When he realized he was staring, he looked out over the sea.
Inhaling the ocean air and grinning, the bear jumped from the stone wall and into the sand, running toward the waves and undressing all at once, leaving behind his sword and a trail of garments as he went. He ran into the waves until he was forced to wade, finally turning to throw up an arm in Finn's direction, trying to hurry his friend along, his other hand cupping the side of his mouth as he called.
Finn had barely finished folding up his shirt to set it with his coat when his friend took off towards the water at top speeds, throwing his clothes to the breeze like a toddler who refused to be confined by garments, the whole sight making the Pirate stop to watch the display with a great deal of amusement glittering in eyes that mirrored the rolling waves. "I suppose that's one way to do it," Finn chuckled before he was down to his bottom layer of garments, though he was not about to give an old passing woman a stroke by making for the water quite so- stark naked. "Hang on ya impatient, Grizzly," he laughed uproariously before following the footprints that were much bigger than his own to the warm edges of the water. It was a moment before he would step into the inviting waters entirely, relishing the foam that rolled in and tickled at his toes. It was a good day.
He took a few long strides backwards before taking off at full speed and into the crashing water that seemed to slam into him as if to dissuade his coming presence, but the wolf would not be deterred as he dove into the depths fully, swimming beneath the tide for a longer moment than most would deem okay to hold one's breath before leaping out of the waters and spewing a mouthful of salty sea against the bear's chest before breaking into fits of laughter. Ah, to be a fish.
"All Sins can be forgiven when somebody loves you"
Post by Aurelius Adalbern on Mar 5, 2020 7:30:12 GMT
It was a good day.
With his hands on his hips, Aurelius watched Finn approach the water's edge, a toothy grin stretched across his face. When the pirate dove beneath the onslaught of the waves, the warrior made a face of expected tomfoolery, turning about to see where his friend had gone off to.
A bellowing laugh erupted from Aur after Finn had attacked him, elated to see how cheerful the wolf was. This was definitely refreshing after the heavy conversation they shared inside of Calypso's.
"What are you, then? A sea warrior or a sea monster?" He slapped a hand into the water to splash Finn, tempted to pick the smaller man up and throw him farther out to sea.
For just a moment, Aurelius pondered on what they looked like from the streets overlooking the beach. He hadn't noticed anybody else out and enjoying the water like he and Finn.
The water was just the right mix of warm and cool, the sun reflecting off it and illuminating the tan skin of both men who stood within. Finn could feel the soft breeze against his bared chest, smell the salt filled air and hear the seagulls squawk overhead, searching for which fish was ripe for the picking. The laugh that came from the Pirate, who was dripping sea water from his dampened hair, was a tinkering and melodic sound filled with much needed mirth after the heaviness of the past few days. Even for a moment, it was good to not be lost in his thoughts and worries, freed from the burden he'd been feeling building upon his shoulders. He'd needed this moment of reprieve far more than he'd even known, raising an arm that did little to deflect the oncoming splashes of water thrown his way. "Perhaps I'm both?" His smile splitting his face as he shook his hair in much the same way a dog would try to shake free excess water from its fur, leaving the dark mess atop his head sticking out at odd, spiked angles. "Or, perhaps, my ancestors were secretly mer people and I truly am half fish!" Placing his hands to the side of his face to mime fins as he pursed his lips and opened and closed them like he were one of the ridiculous little scaly sea creatures, himself.
"Don't you think I'd look rather dashing with gills?" His pose reminiscent of a statue of Adonis in the way he placed his hands on his hips and jutted his chin towards the heavens, clearly reveling in a pent up need to delve into his more goofy and carefree nature. "No? Just me?"
"All Sins can be forgiven when somebody loves you"
Post by Aurelius Adalbern on Mar 5, 2020 8:04:53 GMT
Fascination glittered in the ice blue eyes of the Bear King as he watched Finn, completely drawn to the idea of the sea warrior actually being from the sea. He waded closer when the other man was posing like a statue, reaching out and playfully taking Finn by the chin to turn his head about as if he were inspecting him for gills or any other fishy bits.
"Alas, I have only caught myself a man," he cooed, feigning a look of disappointment. "I was told the sea on this side of the world would be swimming with beautiful mermaids, not childish pirates."
He was like a child himself, though, unable to bridle the glee that showed on his face. Back home, he loved to play with the children of his clan - they were so spirited and lively, their eyes colored with dreams.
Finn's eyes are the color of the ocean. What dreams swirl within his eyes?
"I was met with a monster of a vessel out at sea," Aurelius continued, adding drama to his voice. "A fierce creature, indeed! Commanded by a guppy," he teased, giving Finn's cheek a single pat.
"Aw, but at least I'm prettier than any mermaid you'd see out there," Finn teased in kind, batting his eyelashes like a sea-maiden trying lure in a sailor, only to be met with the guppy comment and he let out a shrill exclamation, clutching at his chest as if Aurelius had hurled a spear formed from words through the air and it had pierced the Pirate right through the heart, slumping forward to hang from the Bear's shoulders, unable to resist feeling at the hardened muscles that lurked beneath the Foreigner's skin. Well hello, Captain tight-bod. Still he hung from the man, his free hand clutching at the metaphorical weapon protruding from his flesh as he sunk to the water's surface and then beneath it, his arm still dangling in the air and clinging to the large man as all that remained on the surface of the waves was wafting strands of brunette hair making way for the torrents of bubbles that blew from the Wolf's mock drowning mumbles. With a gasp for air he broke free of the waters once more, exhaling, "I'm dead," before diving back beneath for a period of time and emerging once more, "You killed me!" His hand released the Bear King's shoulder to smack his palm against the rippling chest of the Warlord from Yhavastus and a third time the ridiculous Pirate came up for air. "All your fault. Hope y'feel good about yerself!" Unable to hide his chuckle before he fully sunk beneath the waves his hand now slowly dragging down Aurelius's torso as if the Wolf were searching for a life raft to grab hold of and seemingly finding none only for the appendage to follow its owner's trek down beneath the tide and he stayed there, sunk under the water and floating limply as if he were the corpse of a man drowned at sea. He was motionless a good while before his arm popped the surface again and pointed at his own limp form, then at Aurelius, as if to say 'This. All your fault' all over again without the use of any words.
"All Sins can be forgiven when somebody loves you"
Post by Aurelius Adalbern on Mar 5, 2020 8:42:43 GMT
Aurelius rolled his eyes at Finn's claim, though he did not speak his disagreement, because he did not disagree. His jaw was set tight as the other man clung to him, and his hands were back on his hips as he watched the drama unfold like an unamused parent.
Ridiculous.
Adorable.
Chills ran up the Bear King's spine as Finn's hand slid down his abdomen, his mind muddled from the touch that he couldn't tell was playful or taunting or something else completely. He frowned at the dramatic heap begging for attention, both eyebrows raised in consideration, his body tense from Finn's daring touchiness.
Bending down, Aurelius wrapped his arms around the lithe waist of the pirate, hauling him up and out of the water to be carried over his shoulder like a hunter's prey, wading farther away from the shore.
"Go and tell them yourself! Don't be fawning for my attention, Pup!"
With little effort, he swung Finn around, cradled him to get momentum, and threw him into the water with a grunt and a laugh.
Strong arms lifted the Wolf Captain from that sea's embrace, water spewing out from his lips as he was hoisted over his friend's shoulder so easily it was as if he weighed nothing. He knew Aurelius was strong, anyone with eyes could suss that much out, but to be carried around as if you were lighter than a bird was a surprise to the Pirate, indeed, as he took the moment to gather the wrong idea from the position he was currently being touted about in. "Well hello there," Finn crooned with a wiggle of his eyebrows, surely about to say something far more flirtatious than even that, when the Bear spoke and it dawned on Finn just what was about to happen. Only managing to get out a clipped, "Wait- Hold on just a--" but his sentence was cut short as, for a brief few minutes, he finally knew what sensation a bird must feel only for gravity to reclaim its bounty and remind the Pirate that wolves would never fly. A loud splash flew up in his wake, puffing his cheeks as his limbs flailed beneath the water's surface. Alright, he supposed he'd earned that. Well played, Aur. Well played.
But two could play this game and a prank war was not something one wanted to enter into with a childish Pirate who'd never known rules in all his life. He'd found out a long time ago, that learning to hold one's breath for extended periods of time was a much needed trait when you lived at the behest of the ocean. After the first ship he'd ever been on had tried to drag him down with it when it had sunk and he'd near about drown, he'd been honing the skill to be able to utilize it in the future. Finn had been able to hold his breath long enough to swim from one side of The Wolfsbane to the other, width wise of course, he was no superhuman who could drain his lungs long enough to make it the full length, but still. That was a good four or five minutes of being able to hold his breath. If not longer. He could use that. Refusing to allow himself to resurface for air as he wafted his arms through the water to fight his body's natural ability to float upwards. One should never hurl Pirates if they were not prepared to worry when they did not re-emerge. Touche, Aurelius.
"All Sins can be forgiven when somebody loves you"
Post by Aurelius Adalbern on Mar 5, 2020 15:07:30 GMT
With a clap and dusting gesture of his hands and a jut of his chin, Aurelius waited for Pup to break the waves with even more dramatic theatrics than before, in which he figured he'd just tackle the punk at that point.
But when Finn did not resurface after what felt like a minute or two, a tingle of panic numbed Aurelius, his heart thumping like a war drum in his chest. His eyes darted across the surface of the constantly shifting water as he waded out to where he had thrown the pirate. Did he hit his head? Did his mermaid mistresses drag him farther away from land? Maybe a shark nabbed him, or he dissolved into foam?
Another minute. No sign of that mischievous wolf. "Pup? Pup!"
Stopping where he was, Aur dunked himself under, opening his eyes against the sting of the salt water and turning about to see if he could spot his friend he murdered.
Finn's eyes were shut to halt the salt water from abrasively assaulting them, but he could feel the disruptions in the tide, the movement as the presence of his friend moving nearer to search for his missing friend who was smiling like an imp beneath the Sea's surface. He could feel the light headedness of oxygen loss circling his brain, but he knew how to power through the sensation as he carefully moved to the backside of Aurelius, his feet planted firmly in the sand as he crouched against it and pushed off like a Dolphin breaching for air. The Wolf sailed upwards and tackled the Bear from behind, easily hanging from the massive man's neck and hooking his legs around the King's waist to hold tightly to him as if he'd become a limpet and Aur the ship it clung to. "I Captain this Bear-ship, now!" The animated Pirate exclaimed, solely supporting himself with his legs as he straightened his body to the air and flung his arm forward like a Captain commanding the direction of his ship to its crew. "Avast ye land lubbers," his voice donning the accent of a stereotypical pirate. "This Sea is ours, for the Mighty Bear Vessel commands it so! Arrrr!" Flinging a salute from the top of his head that splattered water from his soaked frame through the air.
"Didja think I drowned?" He finally mellowed enough to lean over Aur's shoulder, resting his arms against the broad muscles that lay there to prop his head on his arms, his face directly beside the Warlord's now and meeting his gaze with a wicked one of his own. Payback was a bitch...and so was Finn.
"All Sins can be forgiven when somebody loves you"
Post by Aurelius Adalbern on Mar 6, 2020 4:45:41 GMT
The wave of fear crashed and ebbed, leaving behind a great sense of relief for Aurelius to bask in, laughing as Finn caught him from behind. His hands moved to grasp at the pirate's ankles in an attempt to keep both of them balanced, taken by the vexatious playfulness of his friend. When Finn bent to give him that wicked stare, Aur returned the look, his wet hair clinging to his face.
"You would be the one fish in the sea that would drown, wouldn't you?"
Shifting his weight, the Bear caught the Wolf by the insides of his knees, beginning to march against the waves further out.
"I doubt a guppy can handle a bear."
Immediately after that claim, the sand beneath his feet gave way to nothingness, and both men dropped into the water in a less than graceful manner. When Aurelius resurfaced, dragging Finn along with him, he spat the salty water from his mouth, giving Finn a Don't-You-Dare-Say-Anything look.
The Pirate couldn't resist the laugh that rumbled his abdomen at the Bear's prodding jokes, pushing his hand against the side of the man's head to give him a playful, little shove. "But I didn't drown," he noted rather victoriously, "Perhaps I'm more fish than you know." He curled his fingers and gave them an ominous wiggle in the face of his friend as the man held to him to begin wading deeper out to tide. "Ah yes. Avast villains! The S.S. GUPPY reporting for dut--" Water filled his mouth as they sunk beneath the tide, sputtering and coughing it back up when he was pulled up by his sunken Bear vessel and he found his feet seeking out the ground to stand upon, spitting the overabundance of harsh salts from his lungs. That had not been quite as much fun. He had to admit.
"It appears my vessel was not as seaworthy as I had previously hoped." Shooting the King an arched eyebrow and a playful grin that blatantly disregarded all of Aurelius's emboldened warning signs to 'keep quiet' about the matter. "Ayyy," still donning the ridiculous 'Pirate Voice',"T'would seem me ship had far too much booty aboard!" Giving the larger man a firm smack to his hindquarters in indication of just what kind of 'booty' he was referring to.
"All Sins can be forgiven when somebody loves you"
Post by Aurelius Adalbern on Mar 6, 2020 5:47:05 GMT
Aurelius spat as he trudged through the water back toward shore, jabbing an accusing finger at Finn as he went. "You steered your vessel into the maw of the unfathomable beast," he protested, his other hand combing hair from his face. Despite his nearly choking to death, the Bear wore a wide and toothy grin, unable to suppress the laughter that just seemed to be endless with this wild wolf-pirate. "I do not believe that bears are meant for the sea."
The slap on his bottom ceased his wading, and he turned to face Finn, both eyebrows raised in a mixed look of confusion and pugnacity. "Oh, still looking for a fight, are we? Want me to throw you around some more, skinny wolf?" His lips curled into a smirk, his fingers flexing at his sides.
While awaiting Finn's decision to advance or retreat, Aurelius took a moment to take in the view - his friend looked as though he belonged there, standing amongst the waves, the sea stretched out behind him, the glittering line separating blue sea from blue sky. The Bear King found the scene to be hauntingly beautiful, his posture relaxing slightly as he took it in.
"Excuse me, sir," Finn gasped, "I am the best Captain to ever sail these seven seas!" Clearly not lacking for self confidence when it came to his own sailing prowess as he acted quite offended by the suggestion that their tumble could possibly have anything, remotely, to do with his skills at steering his ships. Clearly there was nothing wrong with the Captain, then it must be the vessel that was lacking.
Skinny wolf. He couldn't help but snort at that one, but he knew when he could not win a fight. He might have were-strength, but he suspected even if Aur did not have the same power coursing through his blood it would've only put himself barely on an equal level with the towering castle of a man who was broader than even a freighter vessel. However, couple that with the same powers coursing through Aur's blood as Finn's own and the Pirate knew when he was completely and utterly outmatched, his hands splaying wide in a gesture of surrender. "I give, I give," moving his raised hands in a placating manner, though his grin spoke volumes towards his desire to try and tackle the Bear just to see if he could, but he recalled how easily he'd lifted and thrown the Wolf and decided better of it. Damn. "I know when a fight's lost before it's even begun and I have no desire to try to fly again." Lowering his hands to pat Aurelius on his arm. He wondered how much smaller standing besides the Colossus of a man must make him appear. A Bear in the streets and the sheets, wasn't he? Coughing to cover up the iniquitous thoughts that had danced through his mind. He really, could not help himself, could he?
"All Sins can be forgiven when somebody loves you"
Post by Aurelius Adalbern on Mar 6, 2020 6:43:08 GMT
"Ah, what a pity! And you were so full of gusto before!" Aurelius threw his hands up, shaking his head in disappointment. "You know, Pup - it is possible that I outmatch you in strength, but I am certain you are much swifter than I. Don't give up so easily," he taunted, throwing an arm around Finn's shoulders and pulling him along toward the shore. "Just ask me and I will go easy on you." A snicker escaped his lips as he shook the other man.
Shooting a sideways glance down at Finn, Aurelius wondered if something was on the pirate's mind. The warrior honestly expected an unfaltering attack, either through jest or wrestling. Maybe it was the unexpected dunk he forced them into.