The Reservoir (4) : The Destiny City Reservoir opened about two years ago and is an easy escape from the big city. It’s a five minute drive outside of the Eastern side of town and features clear water and sandy beaches--although, the sand here is notorious for squeaking when you step on it. It’s a hot spot for all fun summer activities, but it’s been in the news for mysterious reports of some strange, aquatic monster. Some accounts say they’ve spotted a twenty foot long, snake like creature capable of rearing a long neck high above the water. It’s hard to tell if the videos are doctored, but there are too many rumors to dismiss easily. Something strange might be lurking deep in the water. Or it’s just a hoax to get people out to the Reservoir!
But…Sometimes, people feel like something is grabbing their ankle, even if they are just wading in the shallow end. In the deeper parts of the water, it gets a little more intense: something has been said to grab onto ankles and pull. People have been warned about dangerous pranks, but so far no one has been caught. In the shallow end, anyone unfortunate enough to be targeted may feel themselves being knocked off their feet and tugged into the water; anyone in deep water may feel a firm grip on their ankle, tugging them lower and lower. Somehow, anyone it targets is freed--either by wriggling and fighting, or because someone intervenes and pulls the would-be victim up. No one has drowned in the lake. Yet. It's impossible to see who, or what, is doing this, but it usually gives up after one failed attempt. Usually.
While you may find yourself harassed by the supposed cryptid, or see something visibly odd in the distance, you cannot take any pictures of the creature. Who knows if you’re even being attacked by the cryptid–or just another youma?
Like a flower opening up to the morning sun, Marissa stretched her arms over her head once their spot on the beach had been claimed and the towels had been laid out. To keep any breeze from carrying them away, she set the cooler on the edge of one and the beach back on top of the other.
“Mmm, it feels so nice out!” More than anything, she wished she could drop the glamour and let the sun warm her scales. But with her tail, it’d be hard to convince anyone that she was here dressed in costume to go mermaiding in the reservoir… pity. “You know, I kind of wish I would have reserved a spot near one of the grills.” Her eyes wandered over to where she saw a small party cooking some hamburger patties and hot dogs. “Next time, maybe.”
Marissa beamed a smile in Winter’s direction as she buried her feet in the sand, which squeaked in protest but she ignored the sound. “Let me know when you start to get hungry. I brought everything to make roast beef sandwiches.” Double meat for his since she suspected he might not care to eat the cut fruit she packed as well.
“There’s also some shrimp I caught yesterday.” Where his preferred hunting grounds was the woods, hers was the sea which sometimes also came with small treasures caught between the rocks or small pearls if she cared to come home with a few clams. White Moon senshi and their knights could interrupt her patrol and take away whatever energy she had gathered in a night, but they’d have a tough time coming between her and a fresh-caught meal. Unless it was that Neptune knight who could breathe underwater as she could. So troublesome but was fortunately only a one-time occurrence.
Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2024 6:54 pm
It was nice to spend time outside of the Negaverse, but so much of their time aboveground was at night. Even things like grocery shopping could be done at night at 24/7 stores. They did make a conscience effort to spend time together out and about doing relaxing things. As much of a work-a-holic as he liked to be, being out was nice.
The beach was warm, and while the place was popular among people today, they had picked a nice enough spot not right in the middle of it all. Towels out, he sat on his own and took a long moment to enjoy the sun. It was hard to get sunshine like this anywhere else, and Winter just sat there with his eyes closed for a moment as he could feel the heat sink into his skin.
"It is nice out." He agreed, opening his eyes slowly to see Marissa in her swim suit. His own was nothing more than shorts. Glamor at least helped a lot with scars or else he would have looked a bit - much for the beach. Too many curious small children without filters would have come over if he wasn't under a disguise.
"Ohh, shrimp sounds good. We can get a grill next time." He said, looking off to the families crowded around the built-in grills that dotted the beach.
"Going to swim?"
Shanyume
MoonKitsune
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Shanyume
Anxious Friend
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Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2024 8:50 pm
Marissa hummed, her gaze wandering across the growing crowd of people from the high school kids playing beach volleyball to the kid crying because their ice cream fell from the cone they were holding before settling in the space between them where sunlight reflected off the water’s surface.
“I’d like to for a short while, maybe,” she replied, settling on the towel beside him she rummaged through the bag for the unused bottle of sunscreen she just bought. Glamour or not, Marissa was not unaware of how pale she was, and although she was a half-youma, her skin could still burn, at least where there were no scales to protect it. “Perhaps see what trinkets or treasures I can find.”
A great many things fall from people’s pockets never to be recovered; a ring, a broken necklace, an earring, or a watch. In previous years she also found a few star charms which were fun to collect; one of which was attached to his house key.
“I’d ask if you’d join me but,” Marissa paused a few seconds to apply the sunscreen to her face. “But those rumors about a monster in the reservoir are true. The year this place opened, I felt it grab ahold of me and pull me under,” she chuckled at the irony that she’d been picked, the only one there that could not be drowned. “The next year I watched it pull a child under and I tried then to chase after it.”
“Twice it illuded me,” she shrugged, annoyed but by no means defeated.
“It’s not a monster that can be tracked easily, but I promise you I’ve tried.” Even gone as far as to sit at the bottom of the reservoir and wait for it to make a move. But after several long hours passed, even she had conceded for the time being. “Which is why…” she set the sunscreen aside and wiped the excess on her hands off onto her towel before laying down beside Winter, though propped up on her elbows so they were more eye level.
“Why I’d like to ask you- oh Master of the Hunt,” she let the title linger in the air a moment, her eyes alight with humor befitting someone who was about to be up to no good. “What advice might you give to help me catch my prey?” She leaned her side against his and kissed his shoulder affectionately, would have probably nipped him instead but this was not the place to let her more feral antics have fun.
"It has no aura to be tracked, no tracks to follow, moves quicker than I can, and can be felt but not seen." Sounded more of a riddle to be solved than something truly living, but she had caught a glimpse of it in the distance and knew it to be real.
MoonKitsune
Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2024 3:45 pm
He couldn't help but smile to her teasing praise, adorning him with a title to tease and humor him. It did the trick to put him in a good mood, and he leaned over her purposely close to take the bottle of sun screen. Flicking the cap, he poured some into his hands and gestured for her to turn about so he could apply some to his back. It was the few times he could experience normal human hands, and he did enjoy the moments for the easier dexterity. While Marissa had gotten used to his claws, there were times he wished he didn't have to focus as much on being gentle with her.
"I don't hunt in water. That's a different game. But, if it's anything like any thing else, I might know why it's elluding you."
To which he leaned over from behind her back to whisper into her ear. "Predators can figure out predators." He said, and kissed her neck.
Leaning back, he resumed his sunblock massage upon the small bit of skin at her neck and then the arms just for added protection. With her swimsuit it wasn't all that necessary but he did like a easy excuse to be intimate in public a little while still socially acceptable. "Predator's don't like to be hunted, and if they notice they are being stalked, they're going to hide or try and gain distance. You need to be a bit more foolish. Pretend to be prey. Flap about poorly in the water as if you are a bad swimmer. Look easy. Make noise. Struggle."
He went to take some of the sunblock again and worked on his own arms and shoulders.
"Or I can be bait. I'm not a ideal swimmer. I can get by, but I'm not very skilled at it." Basic at best.
"It might not have a aura or tracks, but if it has a head, maybe we can hang it up at home." To which he smiled at her. Trophies were always nice.
Like a flower opening up to the morning sun, Marissa stretched her arms over her head once their spot on the beach had been claimed and the towels had been laid out. To keep any breeze from carrying them away, she set the cooler on the edge of one and the beach back on top of the other. 
