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Ys wasn't used to having the run of the land. In fact, she still wasn't really used to being on land at all, but she was working that. She had taken to going for long walks around campus, as it served the dual purpose of allowing her to get her "land legs" as well as explore the various buildings and other environs of the school. At the moment, she found herself on the edge of the lake by the monster dorms. Fresh water was not her first choice, since the sea was home, but it was water nonetheless, and she found it soothing to look upon.

At the moment, her thoughts weren't really on the gently lapping shoreline, but rather on speculations of the future. This placed seemed a pretty good fit so far, but she was a bit nervous about the upcoming prom. She didn't know many students yet, but was hoping it would be frightfully fun either way. She'd make a point of meeting more people there. The Deep One was so engrossed in her thoughts, she was unlikely to notice anyone else in the area unless they made a bit of a ruckus.

The water swept over the unwitting ghoul, soaking her well up her legs and onto her miniskirt. While the water actually felt rather refreshingly cool, it was still a surprise to be splashed at all! Shaken out of her ruminations, she stomped and splashed into the water until it was about thigh-deep, eyes narrowed as she cast about for the instigator. She had only encountered one true aquatic student so far and the mermaid just wasn't the sort to disappear instead of saying hello. So, who was out there instead? "I heard that!" she called over the lake, noting where the disturbance had been. Chances were that whoever was out there was nowhere near that spot anymore though.

Now, how to handle the next part. She considered her next move a moment and then abruptly backed out of the water while undoing various knobs and bobbles on her SCABA gear. Dumping the stuff on the shore, she dove into the lake to seek out her mysterious prankster. Teeth bared in a sharkish grin, she just couldn't suppress a low giggle as she struck out with powerful kicks to get into deeper water. "Thisss, will be interessting," she whispered into the murky water before listening carefully for sign or sound of whoever was out there.

It felt good to be back in the water. She immediately felt lighter again after being on land for most of the day. The cool water against her scaly skin was a simple delight. Here, she was truly in her element in more ways than one. As she relaxed more, she began to pick up something with her natural ability... A presence in the water. While she knew there was someone playing hide-and-seek out here, it was different to know that the other haunt was somewhere not too far off, but on the move. As she concentrated on her fishy ability, she slowly let herself slip deeper into the water while maintaining a semblance of aimless wandering.

The Deep One grinned to herself again, silently this time, as she admired the flickering colors and made guesses in the back of her mind at the identity of the inhabitant of the lake. Was she the hunter here, or the hunted? Hard to tell at the moment, so she decided that there was an equal chance at either. She shivered a bit as she tried to pick out the meaning of the signals she was getting from her lateral line ability. Little fish here and there, something that was probably only part fish, something bigger a ways off. With a powerful kick, she dove toward deeper, blacker waters of the lake. She always felt more at home the deeper she was, but would this other feel the same way? She didn't think it was her imagination that the presence felt a bit closer as she hurtled further down, past startled fish and other lake-dwelling Halloween wildlife.

"Ack, wha--" Opening her mouth again to talk was probably the worst possible move she could have made at that moment, as she learned by catching a frog directly to the face. She was so surprised that the amphibian had ample time to escape while she floundered in the turbulence caused by the rush of aquatic animals. Little had she known what would happen when she'd first noticed those other fish earlier! There were simply too many working against her own movement for her to avoid them with any degree of ease.

Behind the screen of smaller presences, she felt something much more substantial coming her way just before she saw it. What met her sight was unlike anything she had ever encountered or heard of before. Muscular yet graceful, and a mix of any number of creatures foreign to her experience, the boil struck her as perfectly strange and yet beautiful. She blinked owlishly as he easily slipped away, his words almost escaping her as well.

And then she gaped after him in a mixture of astonishment and indignation that was quickly replaced by an impishness more suitable to her cheery nature as she realized that the game was on. "What lurksss in the deep, yesss? I'll ssshow you what lurkssss in the deep!" Luckily for her, the easing of the onslaught of little creatures had slackened, or she might have ended up in another undignified frog encounter instead. Whatever this haunt actually was, she was a Deep One, and there was no one who knew the deep better! Nevermind that this was not exactly home turf for her, she struck off after him, alert to any sign of coming into his vicinity again. What would she do if she caught up? She simply wasn't sure just yet.

He always seemed to be just out of reach. Ys clawed at the water in mild annoyance. How to catch him? She could tell he was always just a bit ahead, but could never seem to gain on him, no matter how she pushed herself at swimming through the murk.

"Cocky leetle fisssh, aren't you?" she teased, treading water for a moment while she considered how else she might get a better look at this boil. There were definitely a few decidedly un-fishy things about him, but she still didn't know how to categorize him. In any case, he was a match for her in swimming, so she probably wasn't going to catch him that way. If a jibe or two didn't lure him out, then at least she'd feel better for having needled him just a tad. Despite the minor irritation at being bested in the water, she was still having fun.

She caught a glimpse of him jetting by again, still deeper than her. She didn't know her way around this particular body of water yet, but she set out toward the shore in search of slightly less open water. As the bottom become incrementally shallower, she found what she was looking for in the form of a miniature forest of vegetation where the lake bed was just barely touched by daylight. Ys immediately eeled her way in among the lush water weeds that populated the floor and waited, letting the motion of the water move her in concert with the waving plants.

Ys watched carefully from her camouflaged hiding place, relaxed by the gentle rocking motion of the water. It was nothing compared to a nice, strong tide, but it was still pleasant. The various fronds and leaves drifted about in lazy patterns all about her. They weren't terribly different from the seaweeds and corals she was more accustomed to encountering. She could get used to this.

Her eyes narrowed with satisfaction as she caught sight of the boil as he neared the little lake garden. What exactly was he? It was hard to get a complete picture of him from the little glimpses she was allowed between the various bits of flora, and she was still at a loss as to the names of the various creatures that comprised his current form. There was the anthropomorphic basis all students shared on campus grounds. But there were paws, and a decidedly aquatic set of scales and fins.

She suppressed a grin as she drifted nearer. He was so close that she needn't have consulted her own abilities at this point. Instead, she could see more and more detail as he got just... close... enough--- Darting upward, she caught his foot paw in an iron grip of long, bony fingers and braced herself for his reaction all in one swift movement. "The hunter issss hunted!" she shouted gleefully, finally allowing herself a burbling laugh now that she had broken cover.

Ys clung on determinedly throughout the whole episode, letting her body stay limp to move with him as he thrashed about. She finally loosed her grip as he slowed down, chuckling good-naturedly at his commentary. Letting go completely at his grumbling insistence, she drew alongside him to flash a toothy smile his way.

She studied his face now that she could get a good look at him, noting that the ears were indeed that of some land creature. She took her time responding, amused at his obvious impatience and taking just a little pleasure in prolonging it. "My name issss Ys, I am a new sssstudent here," she declared at last, "I am a Deep One, from the ssssea." She gave him an inquiring look, unsure of how to ask without giving offense, "What isss your name and what ssssort of monssster are you?"

Well, he seemed like a monster, at least. It would be awkward if she called, say, a demon by the wrong name. He seemed far too fun to be one of those aristocratic folk, though he did have a touch of the haughtiness. She kept her musings silent for the moment, waiting for his reply before making further guesses about him.

"Dekana," she repeated carefully, "A name I can sssay," she commented with a short laugh accompanied by bubbles. It wasn't self-pity in her voice, but instead a touch of relief. "Doesss it mean sssomething?" She barely paused before she was on to the next question, her curiosity hurtling ahead, "Misssshibizzsshiw meansss..." she cocked her head at him, eyes narrowed a bit, "I ssstill do not know exxactly what that isss, but you have sssome landwalker traitsss," she declared, reaching out to touch his ear playfully.

"You would like the ssssea if you like thisss placcce," she nodded knowingly, completely sure in her assessment. "It isss much bigger, the water tassstesss better. Lotsss more fissssh," she gape grinned, the expression absolutely sharkish. "Where do your sssort come from?" She still had no idea what the antlers were about, she had never seen such a thing before. The closest thing were some of the odder gleanings others had brought back from the colder waters of the north. She didn't mention this just yet though, feeling as though she was far out talking the laconic boil.