WELCOME

[Naje Ode]

Naje was caught off guard by Coco's innocent question. What an odd girl. A million responses died on her lips as she tried to pick just one. She found that she could not hold Coco's gaze and merely looked down. Her eyes caught the small blades lying next to her shoes, and her old habits began to resurface. Naje picked up the knife and began to balance the tip of the blade on her index finger.

"What if I was bad?" Naje finally answered as she flicked the knife up in the air and caught it in a fluid practiced movement. "What if I took advantage of you? I mean, what if I just decided not to give the clothes back? How do you even know I will?" Naje questioned Coco in an accusatory tone. She didn't know why, but Coco's naivete was upsetting her in a way she couldn't recall. She wasn't quite sure if this was a good or a bad thing. The closest thing that Naje could figure was that pesky little emotion called jealousy. Of course, that arose even more questions in her mind, making her head throb. Realizing that the knife in her hand might be perceived threatening with her words, she dropped it. She lingered on it for a moment longer, as though the answers would come from the small weapon. Her fingers pushed through her hair again and she tried once more to look at Coco.

"What kind of place are you from, Coco? How often are you even around human beings?"

[Coco Gryphon]

Coco watched the emotions play across Naje's face, her own was pleasantly blank. It was her own cover up, you could suppose. The questions asked of her were odd to her, why would you say your bad? Why steal? Take advantage of? She may be what some called shelter, but she knew of dishonesty. It was just a way of life. She'd tilt her head as she lost Naje's gaze and then start folding the towel in her lap, fingertips smoothing the edges.

She'd shift in the spot on the rock she sat, her dark hair drying in inky waves about her face in a pretty manner, full lips pursed a moment before answering, "You do not have to give me back the clothes. They are material things." Her fingertips would lift, shooing off that one, "It doesn't matter, I can earn enough to get another one if I want one, or I can make one, whatever, if you like it, have it." And those pursed lips would roll into a light smile as she leaned back on her hands again, toes flicking the water.

"What do you mean, around human beings?" Her brow furrowed at that, for no one had explained to her why she was here, well, why she was chosen to be here, other than she was supposedly in danger. Which meant her Uncle was, and thus, she'd switch places to make sure he was safe if she had too. "I"m from the Cabin by the Green Wood, near the village, of course I am around humans who isn't? Well.. the pixies and satyrs are not..but that is their own fault, they hide when company calls." With this, she pouted a bit, but the pout was not long lasting as she smiled, remembering when she tried to coax them out to meet the villagers that visited. It never worked, she had no idea why, they came to see her and Uncle.

A slight roll of her shoulders again as she looked to Naje, "What about you? Are you around humans? Where are you from?" Coco's amber gaze was watching the flicking of the knife, not taking offense. If Naje wanted to harm her, she would of done so a long time ago, or not tried drowning first. She'd tilt her head as she looked at the girl before turning her gaze back to the lovely Lagoon.

[Hermes]

Hermes made no move as he sensed his
daughter fall. He automatically assumed the nymph would retrieve her. They
all had a certain need to do such things.He stood on his rock and watch the
scene. It was actually rather nice - touching to watch.

The two returned and he continued to watch, The spoke, of what he didn't
hear, but he nodded, grinning knowingly at his daughter as she greeted him.
After a few moments, the nymph spoke about him. "I am being helpful," his
godly voice sang. "I'm trying to be as nice as possible about explaining all of
this news but it's difficult..." He faded, his thoughts drifting back to how he
could tell her. This news was pretty old by now, all the talk of war and
danger...but the poor girl was still ignorant. And her uncle...he probably
wouldn't make it. He wasn't sure if he had the heart to tell her this, though.
Hermes had always had a soft spot for the nymphs.

And soon, Coco was gone. Back at her new home, getting towels for Naje.
Hermes looked at her curiously. They had only met once, when he had
decided to claim her. He smiled at her lightly and giggled lightly at how
nervous she seemed. "Good thing you didn't tell her you can't swim," he said
with a grin. He knelt down and gently lifted her onto the rock with him. "I think
she would have laughed you right out of here." He sat down beside her. "Her
uncle is one of Poseidon's workers," he said gently. "He probably isn't going to
make it here..." He faded out again. "You do know about the war?" he asked suddenly.

Before she could answer, Coco returned with clothes and a towel for her.
Hermes nodded in thanks to her himself and laughed lightly as she went back
swimming. Naje had trouble apologizing. Acting, for all intents and purposes,
sane. Just like all of his children. By the gods, if his twins had ever said sorry
in their lives...well he'd be damned to Hades.

It amused him how they got along alright though, and he decided to
continue listening to their conversation rather than interrupting
it with bad news and ruining their moods.

[Naje Ode]

Naje spared a glance back at Hermes. The man who claimed to be her father was an odd one, but she had come to the conclusion a while ago that everybody in this new place was a total whack job. Naje felt a twinge of guilt at the news of Coco's uncle. Naje could never remember pitying another person as much as she did now. She realized that she dreaded seeing a person like Coco lose her innocent smile and selfishly resolved to do everything she could to protect it. Her fingers smoothed over the daggers again and a tiny part inside of her died as she realized she would never gather up the pride to ask Coco to teach her to swim so that she may retrieve the rest of her weapons.

"Humans...So you're not?" Naje asked, blatantly staring at coco now. While Naje would admit that she had only seen beautiful women like Coco in posters and in magazines, she looked completely human. The way she acted was another story.

"Satyrs and pixies...hehe.." she muttered as she tried to imagine such creatures. The idea of things hiding from humans were very odd and somewhat frightening to her, but she supposed that if Coco could handle it then so could she.

"I'm from Chicago, that's a place where there's millions of humans in a very small space. Even though it gets rough where I'm from, there's some nice things too. Like the music." Naje explained to Coco, a small smile crossing her face as she recalled her favorite club where she hustled so many people at pool and darts. "There's also lots of water, but nobody swims in it. It's dirty, not like this." Naje said, gesturing out towards the lagoon.

"But war...there's always a war somewhere, right?" she asked Hermes. A light went on in her head, and her mouth suddenly went very dry. "Is that why you started recruiting people here? There is one in this place too, right?"

[Coco Gryphon]

From her rest spot on the rock and Hermes' knee, she'd listen and smile gently, her face was use to the smiling strain and it never seemed to phase her. Her head would wobble on the knee a moment, her brow furrowing at the question of her being human or not..not what? "Not what? What am I not?" She'd blink again as she lifted her dark head from Hermes' leg to look at him and then to Naje.

She could tell tales on the Satyrs, the cheeky bunch she knew. Naje went on to explain Chicago and she'd nod a little, eyes wide with that dark lace of lashes, "Music is nice.." But then she went on to speak of dirty water, which made her look baffled again and then war..Right! She had a knack of forgetting the bad when the good presented itself.

"My Uncle! I need to go get him now, yes?" She turned that doe eyed gaze on them both, she was a very pretty girl, the sweet pout on her full pink lips did nothing but aid in that, 'please help me save my Uncle' campaign she had going on.

[Naje Ode]

"Your uncle?" Naje repeated, her mind replaying what Hermes told her. Naje swallowed a lump in her throat and averted Cocos gaze again. She could only smile slightly in response at Coco's pathetic attempt to recruit her into finding the man.

"Alright Cookie? What do you want me to do?" she asked while simultaneously bestowing the young woman with a new nickname and taking her bait. Naje hoped that it didn't involve swimming. She was still too embarrased to ask the woman how it was done, and she didn't feel like getting wet again either.

Naje also regretted leaving the poor young woman alone. She shifted uncomfortably as she waited for the young womans answer.