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 Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2015 6:16 pm
Dari's hand squished under Maia's unexpected grip and all of the ooze previously occupying the space ran up his arm and made his head feel a little funny. He looked down to the squished limb and then to Maia.
"A moment, if you please."
Toby's phone rang again and he picked up. "Ah. I see. Alright. Thanks." He hung up and turned to Dari. "If you guys could just go down the rise a little I'm going to take care of this." It wasn't only supernatural creatures that deserved their help, it was any creature. Seals didn't deserve to be skinned as a party game.
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2015 6:52 pm
Maia quickly let go of Dari's hand, letting out a string of apologies. She'd forgotten momentarily that Dari wasn't entirely solid. "What's he mean, take care of it?" she asked. Would Toby show some before unmentioned magical talent? Would he banish everyone off to some other realm?
She doubted it, however exciting that might have been, it didn't seem Toby's style.
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2015 7:08 pm
"It's alright," Dari assured her, "It doesn't hurt." He pressurized the hand properly and then offered it out to the selkie while he began further from the site of the beach. "I assume he's planning to get rid of the squatters."
Toby turned away from his companions and continued down the beach casually, striking up his best 'cop' body language while dressed casually. He pulled his badge from his pocket and flipped it open. The FBPI was smart enough to not mention what particular specialized branch he belonged to on the metal and so he was just some random FBI agent on the beach.
"Excuse me. I'm here to let you all know that you are currently trespassing on private property and to ask you to leave lest we be forced to take legal action."
There was just silence, a slew of shared glances.
"Alright, let me reword," Toby continued, tucking his badge away, "If you all don't leave, members of local law enforcement will arrive to fine you as much as four-thousand dollars or to cart you off to jail for a sentence at maximum of four months."
One young man began picking up to go and others began to follow. Toby stood around a while before the beach was cleared of trespassers and picked up his phone again. Of course trespassers were rarely fined excessively or jailed, but the law was the law.
He dialed the police's non-emergency line and began his sob story. He and his girlfriend were moving, but all of these stupid kids had come onto their beach and didn't listen. Could they please keep an eye out? As with nearly any agency confronted with a person who could afford a beachfront home, the police agreed. He was just hanging up with them when he found Dari and Maia again. He smiled.
"If they come back, they're the police's."
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2015 7:20 pm
Maia studied Toby, once he found them. "You got rid of them just like that?" she asked, impressed. She didn't think he'd done any magic, but he seemed to have succeeded all the same. "So it'll be safe to pack up later?" she asked, glancing towards her house.
"Lets go rent a boat," she added, pointing a ways down the beach. She'd never actually been on a boat, it'd be a new experience!
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2015 7:28 pm
"Well, they're gone for now. We'll find out tonight if it was enough," Toby said. Once again he tucked away his phone and continued down the beach with his partner and his most recent client. Stranger things had been known to happen in his line of work.
When they reached the area, Toby was asked for a boating license.
"Do you have one?" Dari asked.
"Are you kidding? I'm from New England."
Of course Dari did not mention how he had offered the clerk a form of payment while Toby fumbled around. There was another short, silent conversation to follow and within half an hour they were out amongst the waves, just sitting. Toby was lounging and Dari sitting on seat and peering into the water.
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2015 7:50 pm
Maia didn't pay much attention to the transaction, taking in the seagulls that were flying over head. This was the longest she'd ever been in human form, and looking at the sky, she wondered if it'd get easier from here on out. She did seem to attune her attention to the waves once she was on the boat. She quickly left her seat and made for the front of the boat, sitting as close to the water as was safely possible.
She wasn't sure she could swim in human form. And an orca still might smell the seal on her and think it'd found a tasty meal. Still, she hung her feet over the edge.
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2015 7:59 pm
Initially Toby had been worried about the selkie traipsing to the front of the boat, but if she was going to trust them to move her out and fly her to another state he might as well offer her the same consideration. He had her pelt anyway and they could easily dive in and recapture her. At least he hoped so. The other option was some poor kid finding a bloated corpse on the beach in a few days.
Luckily, she just sat. Of course a selkie would enjoy the water, and a boat was nice and safe for all of them. Dari reached down and put his fingers in the water, which caused him to look sort of like a puffy black shadow rather than anything with a skin.
Toby meanwhile addressed the woman at the bow.
"See anything interesting?"
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2015 8:20 pm
Maia turned back to look at Toby at his question. She had almost forgotten he was there, she'd been so fixated on the water. "Come up and see," she invited. She turned Her attention back to the waves. Would a seal come up? They didn't normally like boats, did they? She'd heard horror stories about how boats had grazed over sea creatures, injuring them. But this one wasn't moving, and they were far enough away from the beach that they'd be safe from any crazy cameramen party.
"Its beautiful out today," She said. The water was calm and the sky was clear, and though the sea breeze was tangling her hair, she thought it was perfect.
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2015 8:28 pm
Toby considered her offer a moment knowing it was not necessarily the safest place to sit, but shortly he did come up and sidle beside her, shoes off. It really was a beautiful day, and he observed their surroundings a few moments before responding with a nod.
"It is," he agreed. "Are you feeling alright?"
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2015 8:37 pm
"Don't worry. If you fall in, I'll save you. If a shark doesn't get you first. Or a killer whale. But mostly you're safe." Maia smirked at Toby. She was teasing him, the likelihood of one of those creatures being directly under their boat was about five percent.
"I'm alright," she said, gazing out to the water. "Just thinking." The seals would manage without a Selkie, they had before. They had good instincts, they knew what to stay away from. "You? Stressed?"
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2015 9:02 pm
Toby chuckled. Sure, as if something was going to appear to eat him specifically.
"I can swim," he reassured her and watched her face as she focused back out onto the horizon. It had to be hard, to know that you were leaving the home you'd always known. He knew it was hard. He and Dari could only try their best to keep her spirits up. He smiled and shook his head.
"No, not any more, now that the kelpie's taken-care-of." 'Alright' seemed like the right word for her. She wasn't happy, she was distant, but at least she wasn't weeping.
It was always a pleasure to be able to talk about work outside of work as well. There were so few places it was appropriate, but out here without anyone else, they were safe.
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2015 9:10 pm
"Swimming wouldn't help you much if a shark was determined to make you his lunch." Maia looked at him for a moment. "We were going to swim yesterday. The water isn't any warmer today, though. Still, if the beach in front of my house is empty, I'd like to."
"He wasn't so bad," she said. "Little mouthy. But I think most of that was just talk. Humans that age seem to do that too. Talk in that obnoxious way."
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2015 9:14 pm
"No, but in that case neither would a tasty seal-lady," Toby offered, trying to keep the mood lightly. "It's warmer during the day, at least. We can still go before it gets dark."
"I'll swim with you," Dari offered. Obviously he could overhear the conversation even if he wasn't actively listening. Toby told him when he needed time alone with someone, or else expressed it with his eyes. Dari never minded. It was always for a good reason. As of now, he was still welcome.
"Oh, yes. That's teenagers across the board. I'm pretty sure it was all talk, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating. I'm glad we could help, though. I'm glad he didn't try to drown anyone."
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2015 11:05 pm
"No, I wouldn't go in. You'd be on your own." As fond as she'd become of Toby over the last twenty four hours, she was pretty sure she didn't want to die. And an encounter with a shark would mean instant death for her, she was sure of it. "A little bit," She agreed. But was it warm enough for him? Probably not. Humans had such thin skin.
She looked over her shoulder at Dari. "Really?" she asked. "It'll be fun!"
"He was really sickly looking. I think the food you provided will do him much more good than anything he could've caught in the lake." She had been glad the kelpie had agreed so quickly. "Do you miss your home, Toby?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2015 11:03 am
Toby laughed openly. Ah, the honesty on this one. It was something to be admired. He couldn't really blame her, though. Fighting a shark was like fighting a semi truck. You really weren't going to win, even with help.
Dari nodded, coming up to the front of the boat himself and leaning over to be closer to the pair. "Of course. I said I would." He didn't have to worry about temperature, after all.
"I think so too," Toby added to the talk of the kelpie. If he hadn't been starving, that would likely have ended with a very wet partner and a very angry hell-horse. Then there was a pause as she asked him a question. His brow furrowed. Huh?
"What do you mean?"
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