Herd meeting. Not that she’s surprised. It’s a thing that happens, and a thing she goes to dutifully, though not necessarily willingly. Thea is far more excited than she is, but the excitement from Thea is somewhat infectious. It drives Syrena’s feet forward with a bit more speed than they might otherwise muster. At least Volterra waited until evening to call them, when it’s no longer brutally hot.

Thea quite literally puts on her best dress, switching to the hydra form she seems to be growing to like. The creature is gray like her bonded, but her eyes stay purple and the fins that line her back are purple as well. She slithers along the ground, part snake but largely just a collection of moving heads. There’s some terrifying about the ten sets of purple eyes that watch the surroundings with interest, though Syrena knows it’s just excitement that moves those eyes so quickly. Thea likes to take everything, and everyone, in.

She settles herself on the outskirts of the group, never one to come too close for fear of accidentally bumping someone else. Besides, she hardly knows anyone here, and she definitely doesn’t know the faces that have gathered other than their Sultan. And it’s not like she’s going to be standing next to him. Thea is anxious next to her, trying to convince her bonded move closer, but Syrena gives her a look that settles the hydra into sulky silence.

She listens to the announcements with some interest, knowing they are important, even if she only kind of cares. It’s a shame Thea doesn’t understand what everyone else is saying, because then she could just let Thea relay the important messages to her. Though her interest perks when he mentions Kaos. She still wonders what the God is up to, wonders what he will promise the citizens in Helovia. Wonders what he can give her. She does not seek answers for the same reason most in Helovia do, but she doesn’t need to tell them that yet. It’s nice to have an excuse to go searching.

Then her name is called, and her ears flick forward, surprised. Her name? And @Zekle. It feels weirdly like home in that moment, crafting with him again. Not that she’d done some in the Falls, but his name had come up and they would have, if their home still stood as such. Her blue eyes try to find him in the crowd, wondering if it felt both wrong and right to him as it does to her. She tries to keep track of the other promotions, but the names mean nothing to her. Even the Sultana’s, but she, at least, speaks next, adding a face to the name.

The Sultana has her own announcements, and Syrena manages to pay enough attention to catch the important bits, particularly regarding her own new role here. She nods at the command to keep the forge’s busy, and makes a note to find Ampere and Volterra after this meeting about what they would like worked on most. She’s too new to know just where to start anyway, but she wants something to do, some purpose other than wallowing around. Even if the work will be hard…and sweaty.

When there’s an appropriate pause in the conversation, she finally says, “I won’t let the Throat down. Just tell me where you’d like me to begin.” And then she falls silent, letting the meeting roll on around her.


les words "chat chat"

Syrena

let the water take me