She is honestly surprised by the smile that he greets her with. Maybe he doesn’t remember her. Because that seems the only explanation for the friendly smile and kind words that he gives her. She’d been anything but personable in the Threshold that day, and she’d been trying to do better ever since. Somewhere, even graceless Syrena felt a bit ashamed for her behavior that day, unintentional though it had been. Sometimes she feels like a child here, always fumbling for the right words, wondering what in her magic had made a song so easy and without it, made words so impossible.

Bit by bit, she was learning to mimic, learning to at least feign like she cared as people talked about the weather. She did care, at least, when conversations of consequence came up. She liked talking about history and the Gods, found that she enjoyed learning the stories of Helovia. This much, she could do. Collect stories and tell them over and over. Stories didn’t require that she think of the right words – they had their own words already for her to simply repeat.

He doesn’t seem upset by her intrusion, but rather worried he’s encroached on her personal space. She shakes her head slightly, tossing her mane and the charm that hangs there against her neck. “No, it’s not. I simply happened to be wandering though.” She tries to add something that maybe sounds like reassurance to her voice, though even she knows it falls flat. Mostly, her voice is as it always is – beautiful and without emotion. So much like her, though she does not feel beautiful.

Truthfully, she doesn’t even know if someone calls this clearing home. She doesn’t know much about the other residents of the Falls. She knows where her pool is, and no one ever bothers her there. That has always been enough for her. But it’s never even crossed her mind that she mind be stumbling about in someone else’s personal space. Ah, Syrena, will you ever learn? she thinks silently, but says nothing. Instead, he mentions the object that he’s been staring at, and poking now and again. “What is it?” she asks instead, turning the topic of conversation, vaguely curious what about the hunk of metal has him so intrigued.


les words "chat chat"

Syrena

let the water take me