Excitement explodes through their bond. They have no words yet, but even from this distance, Syrena can feel her bonded thrill at the sight of the green conure. Syrena imagines Thea’s thoughts go something like Friend. Friend friend friend. Woo! Friend. She’s dreading the day that Thea can actually talk. Already the onslaught of happy emotions is quite enough. And the general prodding to make Syrena more social. It’s not really working.

Thea trills in greeting, flitting about the green conure with glee. Inspecting and talking as she can, trying to convey the question of we are friends? in every way a bird knows how. When Ampere says hello, Thea is even more thrilled, trilling again and taking off, circling around and making sure to keep her new friend close while leading Ampere and Kygo to Syrena.

If only Ampere could feel Thea’s emotions, she might realize that Syrena is forcing nothing. That their bond often works in reverse, Syrena trailing along behind Thea doing whatever the rougarou wants. That when Syrena does ask for help, Thea is happy to oblige, glad to make friends or visit old one and to force her bonded to stop being such a big sad sack.

Ampere is the first to find them, and Syrena’s about to reply with pleasantries when Volterra also appears, so she waits. Thea shrinks a little at the sight of the dragon. She’d known it was there, but she’d kept busy with Kygo and felt safe in numbers. Not that the little kingfisher couldn’t just decide to be a hydra or whatever and go after the dragon, but that was definitely not in Thea’s nature. Which was sort of hilarious, when three out of her four (favored, because she still picked others from time to time) forms were pretty deadly.

“Ampere, Volterra,” she says, nodding to each finally. Thea keeps trying to play with Kygo if he will, and though she wonders if she should try to make Thea behave while they meet, she doesn’t. Syrena can’t quite bring herself to deny Thea anything, and the girl is definitely spoiled. “Warm, perhaps, in an understatement,” she says, trying at humor. Her always slightly damp seal-gray skin is well suited to this weather, at least, but still, she mostly just feels like a fish out of water.

“I was hoping to speak with you both about your plans for the crafters. What would you like us to do?” She’s keenly aware that Zero still isn’t here, and she hates it, wishing he’d come and just take over and tell her what to do. But apparently, at least for now, it would fall to her. But maybe he’d show up soon, and she can’t help but hope for it. But she needs something to do, marching orders and all that, so she dives in.


les words "chat chat"

Syrena

let the water take me