milliways_bar | (no subject)

She might notice a golden-scaled mermaid sitting on a rock. She's combing out her long, damp hair with a look on her face that suggests she's almost sent herself into a trance by doing so.

When she turns her head, she does notice the mermaid. With a slight grin, she makes her way over.

"Morning, Naraht."

Ooops! You nearly startled her off her rock there, Sara. Naraht manages to catch herself, and smiles back. There's a faint hint of a blush on her cheeks. "Good morning, Sara," she says. "So I'm not the only one enjoying the water today I see."

"Might as well while it lasts -- Scottish winters are notoriously cold from what I understand." Her head tilts, a concerned expression on her face.

"Obviously, Barry told me what happened to you. How're you holding up?"

Naraht seems very busy untangling the comb from where it's caught in her hair.

"Well...remember how I spoke to you the last time something like this happened? I asked you about human female sex drive and courting customs?"

She nods, taking a seat on a nearby rock. "I do -- is it worse as a mermaid?"

Naraht coils up her tail so that she can wrap her arms around it the way a human would hug her knees. "Well...I'm not sure if it's actually worse or if I was just so mentally messed up when I was a human that I didn't notice it. I've been doing some reading and it seems that depression can kill a human's sex drive pretty effectively."

She nods slowly. "I can vouch for that from personal experience. So, your sex drive is kicking in. Is it solely heterosexual, or is anyone looking good?"

Normally, she'd apologize for crudeness but she expects Naraht would appreciate bluntness more.

"So far...I'm only affected by males." She looks Sara over to check.

"Yes, just males."

An impish smile spreads across her face. "Or else you're not my type."

She snorts a laugh. "That's oddly comforting."

And an impish smile comes over her face. "Did you find Barry attractive?"

This isn't a faint hint of a blush now. This is a five-alarm fire blush. Naraht turns away.

"Yes, I did," she says in a small voice. "I'm sorry about that."

"Hey," she says softly, putting a hand on one of her shoulders, "it's all right. I'm not jealous, nor am I threatened. Barry was flattered, to be honest."

"Thanks," Naraht says, looking up shyly. "I just...well, it's impossible for my kind to form that kind of bond, but I'd hate to mess it up for you."

She frowns. "At least it's normally impossible for us to form that kind of bond. Which is a good thing. Being a Mother would be hard enough without that added on to the end of the cycle."

"If he or I became jealous each time someone of the opposite sex spoke to us, that would speak more of the lack of trust we would have in each other," she says quietly. "I trust him and he trusts me. Without that, we could never make a relationship work."

She nods slowly. "I'd imagine so, given what you've told me about the Mother."

Naraht nods. "It would be hard enough just knowing your hatchmates will be dead after the mating," she says. "I can't imagine what it would be like if she formed that bond with every male. She would probably go mad with grief."

A moment of silence before Naraht shakes herself free from that thought. "Anyway, whether it's stronger or just more noticible to me this time, it's there...and it's getting harder not to act on it."

She thinks for a few minutes before quietly asking, "Have you tried masturbation?"

Naraht shakes her head. "Not yet. Ray...he suggested that as well."

She chuckles. "Intellectually, it seems like the perfect solution. But that new bit of me that likes humanoid males doesn't seem to be too happy with the idea."

She laughs. "Well--not all humanoid males are all they're cracked up to be. And masturbation will at least help you avoid becoming entangled in a relationship you may not truly want."

[ooc: AFK--lunch]

"Yes...the relationship route," she says. "That's what Guppy suggested. Find someone I like who would be willing to have a strictly short-term relationship with me. I'm...well, it sounds nice, but I have no idea how to go about it."

She eyes the comb in her hand, then drags it through her hair again. "Not to mention that the people I know well enough that to possibly try that with are already in very happy relationships."

"That is a possibility, yes, though frankly I wouldn't know how to go about it either. I was never adept at the 'friends-with-benefits' side to dating."

"Damn," she mutters. "Well, until I figure that part out...do you have any advice for how to keep things under control?"

She remembers something Peter said. "And also how to tell if a man is a 'creep' in disguise. Apparently...one that I had dinner with a few nights ago was one. I didn't realize it at the time. I just felt very uncomfortable about the way the convesation was going but...I excused myself as quickly as I could."

She shrugs a bit. "If someone is sexually appealing, but you're certain it isn't reciprocated--think of something or someone you don't find appealing. Or I can go to Vegas and visit the Good Vibrations store and pick up a waterproof vibrator for you."

It's probably testimony to her years in Vegas that such doesn't even make her blush anymore.

"As for creeps," her eyes narrow, "trust your gut instincts. If you're uncomfortable, remove yourself from the situation."

Sara might not be blushing but Naraht is red all the way to her ears. "Well...maybe. If I can't get up the courage to ask Bar for one myself."

She nods at the advice about creeps. "Okay. I just hope my other instincts aren't screaming too loud for me to hear my gut. I suppose at this point, I should bolt at the first sign...just in case."

Suddenly, Naraht looks up at Sara with a mischevious glint in her eye. She carefully lays her comb aside. "I suppose I really should get back in the water. I dry out so easily, you know."

And what do you know, Sara's now back a few yards. She doesn't have brothers for nothing, y'know.

"Have fun--I'm going to see if Barry's in the bar."

Naraht pouts.

"Okay. And thanks, Sara."

She dives off the rock, but, at the last moment brings her tail swinging down, creating a splash that's so big it just manages to reach Sara.

"Gaaah!" Most who know Sara would never believe such a girlish shriek could come from her.

A single hand breaks the surface to wave before vanishing once more.

Helen waves at Sara from her rock.

"Hey!" Sara waves back, a grin on her face. "Haven't seen you in a while. How are you, Helen?"

Helen grins. "I'm alright. How about you?"

"I'm all right for the most part. You know how it is around here."

"Crazy? I know all about that." She smiles. "So, how are you and Barry?" She frowns. "You are still together, right?"

"Oh yes." She grins. "And we're fine. I never thought I'd find someone like him. You were seeing...gosh, I've forgotten his name." She probably sounds chagrined.

Helen grins back. "That's wonderful. Guppy. And yes, I am still seeing him. In fact, the kitten is his." She smiles brightly.

"Guppy, yes, that's his name. I'm afraid I still haven't met him. Too many people to keep track of." She grins at the kitten, scritching behind its ears.

Helen smiles. "It's fine. I haven't met many here." She pets the kitten too, who purrs. "I'll introduce you at some point, if you want. Anyway, what else have you been up to?"

She sighs a bit. "Well...avoiding certain people. Finding out that the man I used to love is going to wed a god. And keeping two I call my brothers from killing one another." She laughs a bit. "I came here initially to have a vacation. And find myself busier here than back home."

Helen's eyes widen. "Wait, what? Who is wedding a god? and who are your brothers?" She smiles. "I understand about being busier than back home, although I suppose for me, it would not be hard..."

"There is a god here, known as Jack. The green man, the god of fertility and the green forests, from what my time would refer to as Celtic mythology. My former supervisor, Grissom, is marrying him." She sighs. "And I did love him--and I know he loved me. But...it wasn't in the cards. And obviously I've moved on."

"As for my brothers," her voice lightens, "a set of twins here, Connor and Murphy. Utter rascals, too protective for their own good. Love them to death."

"Oh..." Helen thinks. "I have not met Jack...or Grissom." She smiles. "You've found someone incredible, though, Sara. You have moved on."

She smiles. "I have not met Connor or Murphy. But I bet they are very nice..."

She smiles. "Grissom is a good man, a very good man. If ever you need help for anything, he would. Not because you're my friend, but because that is what he does."

She grins. "They're nice but...unusual, in some ways. But they're decent men as well."

Helen grins. "I will look forward to meeting them all, I guess." She pets the kitten, leaning back to gaze at the sky. "It's beautiful today." she comments.

"You can later next month," she says as the thought occurs. "I'll be celebrating my birthday and you're certainly invited."

She smiles, watching the kitten bat towards Helen's hair.

Helen smiles widely. "Oh! Thank you! I will do my best to be there!" She gently brushes her hair back with her hand and skritches the kitten behind the ears.

"I'll send out invitations when the time gets closer, but I'd be glad to have you there," she smiles.

Helen grins. "I'll be glad to be there!" She scoops up the cat. "Anyway, enjoy the weather. I have to go check on Melina." She smiles and slides off the rock.