GAY AS HELL - sharky-and-fox

Looking at the dock in front of him, it was no wonder that he couldn't keep a girl for more than one date -- not even to save his life. Not that he really took girls to the dock, but, like, he still found himself here quite often. Well, okay. It wasn't that bad. Sure, the wood was chipped in some places, and the railings along the side were worn from the years of use and subsequent disuse. Barnacles grew up the supports, peeking above the rising tides. And sure, the footpaths worn into the wood were beginning to fade but even they left an indent that couldn't ever really be erased. Old rope snaked around worn metal holds for boats, frayed ends dangling above the water like the line had just been cut. Old marks scratched into wooden railings of love that once might have been projected to last for centuries. But just like the dock, those had been abandoned too. Sure, it had all that and more signs of wear on the aging wood. And yeah, maybe, just maybe. It looked like an abandoned dock. But hell, it was his own place. A safe hideaway from the business of humans. Someplace he could slip away too. Perhaps the only place that was really like a home to him. What a shitty home. An old dock at the end of a beach. An area no one went to anymore, the more touristic locations having taken over the scene and ripped away any sense of community this little area once had. He missed it. Living for centuries was a drag sometimes. Probably in part due to its lack of use, the dock was peaceful this evening. The sun hung low in the sky, the last dregs of sunlight reflecting off the waves and casting the beach in a soft orange glow. More than the beach, the light shone over Kaoru as well, the blonde slowly stepping down the length of the dock.

9:58 PM

The wood creaked softly beneath his feet as he padded down towards the end of the dock, the waves lapping at the supports of the dock and covering the sound of his footsteps. As he stepped forward, the human disguise he wore seemed to melt away. Soft sand-colored ears peeked through his blonde hair, flicking as they adjusted to the wind. Five tails swayed behind him, tips white with fluff as they swayed behind him. It was too easy to let himself sink into his real self out here, feeling as if he were wrapped in the waves and the warmth of the sun. Strangely not lonely despite being alone. If he was being honest, he was more lonely when he dragged girls onto the beach, laughing through flirtatious jokes and smiles exchanged. As long as he kept his human disguise up, the dates went well. They always smiled back. Still, they never stuck around. No one ever really stuck around. Kaoru sunk into a sitting position on the edge of the dock, wiggling off his shoes and setting them off to the side by him. As he settled into a comfortable position, his legs hung over the edge. The dock was old, and the water at this point nearly reached the wooden floor. His feet dangled off the edge, water lapping at his ankles as he looked out over the horizon, letting the soft breeze lull him into a sense of security. The kitsune leaned forward just slightly, fingers curling over the edge of the dock. He took a deep breath, eyes fluttering shut as he let himself be fully enveloped by the atmosphere here. Memories flooded his mind, and despite their positive background, he pushed them down, letting his mind clear for a little bit. His nails dug into the soft wood, the color coming off onto the edge of his nail as he kept himself steady.

9:58 PM

He let out his breath, slowly opening his eyes. A soft smile flickered on his lips, far from his usual cocky grin. He leaned back, hands moving from the edge to the dock itself, palm flat against the wood as he relaxed. His lips pursed, a slow almost nursery rhyme-esque tune slipping from his lips in a whistle, some old lullaby stuck in his head. No one was around to hear anyway, so he supposed it didn't matter all too much. Just something to keep his body busy while he relaxed, letting himself have this brief moment away from humanity.

The tides were gentle at this time of day. Waters cooling down to a pleasantly warm temperature, perfectly well to rest his muscles after a day of endless swimming. He assumed the charm of this little area came from its lack of humans. It’s been abandoned for some time now, at least ever since Madara had showed up to this side of the coast, which was a considerable amount of time. After being chased out of his old herd, he searched for a new home, one that preferably would be far away from thriving human civilizations. And although this wasn’t the most optimal place to sleep (he’s never rested there — too dangerous) something about the atmosphere kept drawing him back. Maybe it was the hollowness of the place. He wasn’t drawn to humans, on the contrary, he found them quite troublesome. Filthy, cruel and loud. They littered the waters, slaughtered his kind for amusement, personal gains or their useless trophies. Nothing good came from them, the rotting docks were a good example of that. However, what caught Madara’s attention was not a human. He knows that now, as at first, he thought it was another human bringing their spouse(?) to the ocean. Why he’d bring them to such a gloomy place was beyond his comprehension. Then again, he didn’t give two shits about humans or their unusual activities. What buzzled him more though, is the fact that he never returned with the same human twice. He either came alone, or with a new face. He knew his eyesight wouldn’t fail him, even if he was watching from afar. But, when he returned alone he looked different. Fluffy tails surrounding his back, accompanied with a matching pair of ears. His knowledge on land creatures wasn’t the most limited thanks to his upbringing, but he never thought he’d actually lay eyes upon a real kitsune.

10:00 PM

Today was one of those days, he was alone, sitting idly on the edge of the dock with his feet submerged in water. Just as before, he observes from a distance, resting his upper half upon a stack well out of any human’s sight. And, you see, curiosity got the better of him. Kistunes were supposed to be smart, right? So you can’t blame him for having a little itch to test that out. He wanted to get closer, maybe approach him. And if that ends up being the last thing he ever does? Then oh well. Curiosity killed the cat. Or the tiger. The tiger shark. With caution and maintaining a decent distance from the surface, he approaches the old dock slowly, gliding through the waters with dexterity, until he’s face to face with a steep wall of sandstone. At that point, he begins ascending towards the surface, the shadow of the dock clear in the golden hues of the sun. The silhouette of the kitsune’s limps was clearer, a still target for him to capture. With slow precision, he reaches out —careful as to not cause too many waves to form and blow his cover— and takes hold of his ankles, hard enough to keep him in his grasp, but not enough to scare him with his claws. If he was feeling a bit more playful, he would’ve sunken his teeth into his ankle.

The sudden contact against his ankle was enough to jolt him from his peaceful state, whistle dying quickly in his throat as his breath hitched. His teetn clenched together quickly, any calm expression on his face disappearing in a heartbeat and being replaced by something that was a mix between pure confusion and fear. Sharp claws seemed to grow from his hands, scratching into the softer surface of the wood. His claws didn't make a sound, but were purely there to ground him, keeping himself from being pulled off. Kaoru had never had an issue with the ocean. Rather, it had always been kind to him. Even when the rest of the world showed its cruel side, he'd always felt comforted by the beach and its waters. He didn't mess with the creatures lying below the surface, and they didn't mess with him. He tried to actively avoid messing with the ocean, really. She was a merciless force of nature, and he respected that. He cleaned up after humans that had thrown trash into the sand, and plucked litter from the tides, as if the ocean were asking him to. So naturally, something grabbing his ankles in his one safe spot was nothing short of surprising. Perhaps his luck had run out? Or maybe... maybe he'd finally been cornered. Foxes were predators, sure, but they weren't apex. He had never been the top of the food chain, but foxes didn't live in the ocean. He shouldn't have to deal with any natural predators here. So if the scent of a fox hadn't drawn the creature in -- What had...? In an attempt to slip out of the creature's grip (wait -- sea creatures didn't have hands?) he tried to scramble back onto the dock, kicking his legs a bit in an effort to get them out of whatever was holding them... They weren't tentacles, and were very clearly a pair of hands. Was there a human under the dock, then? No, that'd be stupid. He couldn't imagine why any human would be in this area in the first place.

10:00 PM

Kaoru was unable to get out of the creatures grasp properly, but kept his nails dug into the wood to keep himself somewhat steady so he wouldn't be pulled clean off the edge of the dock. He yanked his legs up one more time, in an attempt to get the creature to let go -- or at the very least, above water so that way it would show itself and he had a better idea of what he was working with past 'vague creature grabbing him in the water'. "Let me go-" His voice held a little bit of panic to it, but he tried to swallow that down, trying to make his words sound confident despite the very clear fear in his tone. God -- sometimes he wished he'd taken the time to work on his strength. Even if he knew the look wasn't what most girls he was after were looking for. "Jeez- What are you?!"

The resistance was expected —if not wanted— only causing a wide grin to spread across his lips as he secured his grip on the startled Kitsune. There was just something about leaving your prey in the most desperate of positions that brought him a satisfying rush that cannot be replicated. Madara could almost smell the adrenaline running through his veins, the panic in his voice being the perfect chorus to the beat of his racing heart, which the shark could feel through his skin. Doesn’t he know thrashing around like this is only wasting his energy? Well, he couldn’t blame him for doing so, after all, the kitsune didn’t know what he was up against.. Yet. Turning swiftly, he dives forward and away from the old dock, dragging his hands back into the waters with great force, which causes the body he’s clinging to, to trail after him into the lukewarm salty ocean. Upon watching the kitsune’s body delve into the water, and with clear vision on his flailing form past the oxygen bubbles desperately pushing from underneath his body to resurface, he finally releases his grip, leaving him to struggle aimlessly against the calm currant. Madara pushes himself away from the blond to avoid getting caught in his little squabble with the waters, content with only watching him for now.

Although Kaoru hadn't exactly been expecting to hit the water, it certainly wasn't out of the question for whatever creature had such a strong grip on it. He felt his grip on the dock slipping from him, and in that brief moment he sucked in a breath just before he hit the water. He certainly couldn't hold his breath forever, but he managed to keep his breath held as he was dragged further into the water, occasionally letting out a stream of air from his nose as he fought to keep himself alright. He struggled against the grip, trying to twist out of his hands. He leaned as best as he could to bat at his grip, and finally that grip loosened on his ankles and he had a moment. He took that moment graciously, quick to turn his head and try and identify which way was up. He managed, pushing up through the water and breaking the surface. He gasped for air as he did so, keeping himself afloat above the waves. He reached up to push his hair out of his face, focusing on evening out his breath. He twisted in the water again to try and spot just what had grabbed him, slowly beginning to push his way back to the dock. He grumbled under his breath, looking a little more than frustrated. He wasn't expecting to get wet today. "God -- what are you?" He mumbled, scanning the waters around him as he moved.

watching the bang of panic flash across the kitsune’s face was a little more entertaining than it should have been. Maybe it has something to do with the folklore and general air surrounding them, bringing him a sense of satisfaction to see him this disheveled. Out of petty, he lets the blonde resurface, tail swishing swiftly to push him under his floating body to hide back under the dock. With a big grin, he watches him head towards the wooden ledge of the dock. The idea of pulling on his legs a second time crosses his mind, but he manages to push it aside. For now. Once he’s close enough, Madara would drift forward slowly. He had all the advantages here, his good eyesight, the shadow that had been casted by the dock, his speed, you name it! This fox had it coming. With one strong push of his tail, he lunges towards the blonde, basically emerging out of the shadow of the dock to drag him under the water surface a second time, latching his clawed hands onto his upper arms to keep him from moving (not that he could outspeed Madara) with his mouth wide open, showcasing rows of razor sharp teeth and the bloodlust of a man eating creature. Playful as ever, he shuts his jaw mere inches away from the kitsune’s face. Laughter bubbles out of him, barely audible through the density of water. What a dick.

A (evidently false) sense of security curled into his gut, and as the creature hadn't pounced on him again, he felt more than comfortable as he moved to swim back to the dock. He wrung his hair out first, giving himself a moment before he scaled back up the wooden support of the dock. What he hadn't been expecting was to be pulled under again. The kitsune hadn't prepared this time, and so the breath he took in was brief and barely there, and certainly wouldn't sustain him as much as last time. That wasn't the issue here, though. What was the issue, however, was the fact that he had been dragged under. His eyes had instinctively shut, and he forced them open just in time to watch a set of teeth near him. He squeaked. Well, he'd deny it if you ask him, but it was a choked out noise of fear as the water bubbled around him, desperately trying to wriggle out of the grip of the... person. He could figure out who they were (and why their teeth were so sharp) later. Once the... person laughed, Kaoru could relax a bit, but he still looked rather annoyed. He let out a huff of air, trying to get out of his grasp. He looked up towards the surface, trying to kick a bit so he could push up towards it and actually breathe. "Let me go-" His words were muffled into the water, and he was certain they weren't heard, but he could at least try.

10:03 PM

@ZΔK he can't see well in water plus he was shocked so he cannot see the tail yet hehe :3

Madara had his laugh about the combination of sounds and startled faces the kitsune had shown him. It was quite the show! He really should be having people pay for this kind of entertainment, especially with how weak and fragile he seemed. After letting his laughing fit fizz out, he can finally attend to the blonde’s needs. Even though he had good hearing, it was hard to make out human words under water, as their language was not meant to transfer well through it. However, he could still somewhat read his lips, and the only logical reason to begin with was pushing him up to the surface. And so, he wraps his arms around Kaoru’s waist. And with a swift fling of his tail, he pushes them towards the furnace, making sure the kitsune’s head had made it out before he detaches himself from him to peek his head out as well. With another laugh, he pushes his own wet sticky hair out of his face, clawed hands brushing through his locks. “You suck at swimming.”

2:20 AM

@soft screaming

Kaoru sucked in a sharp breath as he broke the surface of the water, quick to scramble back away from whoever had dragged him down. He shook his head now that he was above the water, trying to shake off the water on his ears and his hair. His ears flicked a bit, and he reached up to brush some extra hair out of his face. "I wasn't expecting to be pulled in!" He's quick to try and defend himself, eyes darting over the features of the person in front of him. His eyes ended up drifting down, and Kaoru tensed up at the sight of the tail. He was quick to back up a bit more, looking between the tail and the person. The.. person? Not a person. Mermaid? Maybe? He shouldn't have been shocked (he was a kitsune, after all) but he'd never actually seen a mercreature before. He'd have written them off as a myth if he didn't exist too. "You're... not human." He paused, anger crossing his face. "I'm not a mermaid or whatever! Of course you think I suck at swimming." He scoffed, rolling his eyes as he made his way back to the dock so he could actually scale the support this time and sit on the edge. He scowled as he tried to shake out his tail and his hair, a little annoyed at how the wet clothes stuck to him. (edited)

8:16 AM

@ZΔK

Madara watches his fluffy ears flick with a curious look, accompanied by a toothy grin. He resists the temptation to reach out and touch them. Creatures under the ocean rarely had this sort of fluffy texture, so you can’t blame him for being a little amused by it. “You should be more careful! This area is… off limits, no~? Don’t you know it’s dangerous here?” This interaction wasn’t a waste after all! This kitsune had shattered all expectations and the image of a wise, know-it-all being in his mind. Which he wasn’t complaining about, he’s a shark. Watching people break was basically his duty, and breaking them was his calling. “Neither are you! And *I’m not a mermaid.” he seemed a bit offended by his conclusion. Well, he guesses it can’t be helped. Sharks were much more aggressive and usually caused their own end when captured. He returns to his cheerful attitude quickly, cocking his head with a smug look as a small chuckle slipped past him. “Haven’t you heard of a shark terrorizing the area?” With that, he ducks his head, disappearing beneath the thin surface of the water hastily out of the blonde’s sight. He was a predator too, right? Surely he’d love to see the fear that comes from playing the other role.

2:32 AM

@soft screaming

"Off limits?" Kaoru echoes, still focused on brushing through the fur in his tails. He shakes them out again, scrunching up his nose as he feels the effects salt water had on his fur. Ugh how annoying. He'd have to use a hair mask to try and get this right. Not to mention that with five tails, that was just a p- "Mershark. Fine. Whatever." He grumbles, pushing his hair back off of his shoulders as he looks down at him. "As far as I know, this area is fine. I've been coming here for-" Oh. Confusion crossed his face as he watched the shark dive below the water. His fingers curled over the edge of the dock, and he peeked down, trying to find him in the murky water. "Huh?" He groaned, rolling his eyes and sitting back onto the dock. Whatever. He could wait. He wasn't scared of some stupid shark. ...Even if his heartrate did pick up and he found himself worrying about being dragged back beneath the surface. "This isn't funny you know."

8:10 PM

@ZΔK

To be fair, Madara dove under water because his hair was pretty annoying, and the flow of water helped him push it back and tie it easily before he resurfaced again. He peeks his head out of the water surface, staring up at the kitsune with a sharp grin. “I think it’s funny! Yooou’re… a.. cat?” He didn't know the proper terminology for most land creatures, but that one didn’t feel right. He hummed, clinging to the edge of the doc with his claws. He pulls himself up, resting his elbows on the wood as he gives the kitsune another look over. “Ah! Fox!” That felt right. The end of his tail swishes around in the water, though it’s barely visible. “You hide here too, right? Or do you hunt? It’s impressive how the scent of blood doesn’t cling to you! How do you do that?”

1:20 AM

@soft screaming sorry short

The cat comment made him scrunch up his nose a bit, and although he knew that the shark probably didn't know better, it was still enough to get under his skin. Sure. He looked like one, but he sure as hell wasn't a feline. He shifted back on the dock a bit as the shark tugged himself up, and he crossed his legs underneath him so he had a bit more stability (and hopefully less to grab in the way of limbs). He was still combing through his hair with his fingers, trying to work out the saltwater before it dried completely. "Yeah, fox." He mumbled, eyeing the creature cautiously. "I'm a Kitsune. No I don't hunt? I live like a human most of the time." He leaned forward the tiniest bit, as if he were looking him over. "So you hide here? Or do you just come over here to drag unsuspecting foxes into the water~?"

11:49 AM

@ZΔK

Madara shifts as Kaoru does, cautious, though he doesn’t let it reach his features, keeping a big smile on his face as he carefully observes the kitsune’s every move. “Kitsu… ne.” he repeats thoughtfully, memorizing the word. “But you show up with humans! Then they never return. I wouldn’t say this is a good hunting spot for you. Humans never come here willingly, so you must be eating them!” That would be the only logical explanation, right? He reaches out, running his hand through one of the kitsune’s tails. Shuffling back as the blond leaned closer, Madara pushes himself off the dock and into the water. Why is he looking at him? “I don’t hide here. It’s tooo dangerous. And too open. Not too many fish either.” he resorts to eyeing him from the surface of the water.

3:41 PM

@soft screaming

Interesting. He hadn’t been expecting the shark to shy away from his gaze. He wasn’t a particularly dangerous predator, particularly not to a creature the size of this shark, so he had to wonder what the shark was moving away from. Kaoru leaned back into his normal position, once more letting his legs dangle into the water. Perhaps he was being too trusting to think that the shark wouldn’t pull him down again. But a man (fox) could try, right? “Wait-“ Kaoru’s eyes widened, and he sat up quickly as he processed the question. “No I’m not eating them! I bring chicks here on dates. It’s calm and pretty-“ His tail flicked, shaking off the water that the shark had dripped onto his tail. “Holy shit - I don’t eat humans! Gross. I eat like. Fish. And fruit. Do you eat humans???”

4:46 PM

@ZΔK

The blond was in fact putting too much trust in Madara, as soon as his ankles were submerged in water, the shark would grab onto one of them curiously. He doesn’t pull or tug, only pressing his thumb against his bone before he releases him. How weird, it looked so fragile for something that was supposed to carry your entire weight, it was oddly warm too… Well, that could be because he’s still alive. Madara’s used to tearing through tissue and bone without a second thought, it felt strange to hold a functioning limp with blood still running through it. “Pretty?” he repeats, confused, and for a second he questions if his definition of ‘pretty’ was correct. “It’s not calm! Any human who sinks into these waters never rises to the surface again~” un affected by the obvious recoil, he offers the Kitsune a big smile, he laughs as if it was a funny matter. “Of course I do! They’re tasty~”

2:39 AM

@soft screaming

Kaoru's gaze flicked down to his ankle, confusion flickering over his expression once more. It was almost half-amused, a soft chuckle escaping him as he felt the press into his ankle. He did tug his ankle back slightly, letting his legs drift back a little into the water and hide a bit under the dock, like he was a little kid again and couldn't sit still i his chair. "Hm? Nah, it's pretty. No trash out here, no litter, no humans fucking things up." One of his ears flicked a bit, shaking off some loose water. His tails seemed to sway loosely behind him, soaking in what little was left of the evening sun. "It's not like I take chicks into the water. We just walk and chat and maybe make out. Easy." He shrugs his shoulders, and does shy away a bit at the bright grin he receives, but he forces himself to sit right back up. "And I don't eat humans. Most things don't." He shook his head. "Don't you have other things to eat? Thought most sharks didn't go after humans."

7:40 PM

@ZΔK

Curious, he cocks his head to the side as he watches the kitsune squirm in place. Were his hands too cold? Or was he terrified under that cool and collected front he presented? Madara pokes his ankle again. “Exactly! So why are you dragging humans back here! They will just ruin the spot, y’know~?” He sizes the blond up one last time before deciding that it’s safer to stay underwater. Not that this guy could do anything to hurt him, it looked like he’d run away the moment Madara leaped at him again. “I know you don’t. I can tell from miles away, and both you would’ve been rotting skeletons at the bottom of this ocean~” He’s seemingly unphased by his own harsh threats, simply smiling away as if it was some normal conversation. Humming at his comment, Madara’s head sways to the other side. “Most sharks don’t, but I’m a mershark, tiger shark, and a cannibal. So everything is fair game to me~”

11:31 PM

@soft screaming

Ah. Wonderful. So not only was this mershark an aggressive sort of shark (already annoying on its own), on top of that he was a cannibal. For a Kitsune, he really had some shit luck sometimes, huh? He kicked at the water a bit at the poke, splashing some towards Madara in some childish attempt at getting back at him for dragging him under the water earlier. He couldn't do much else about it, but he'd be damned if he didn't at least do something to sate his annoyance. "Yeah, yeah. I bring 'em here cause the spot's pretty. Most don't even like the beach, so they don't come back. Those that do are decent enough not to leave their shit everywhere. Or, y'know, are scared off by the sharks terrorizing this stretch of beach." Kaoru had never had an issue with sharks here before today, but he'd thank any of his luck for that one. He wasn't too keen on giving up this spot. "Been bringing girls here since I was just startin' to ask em out~ I'm not gonna stop now." He'd ignore the cannibal comment for now. Ish. Not his business, really.

4:41 PM

@ZΔK

Splashing the underwater creature with water in “an attempt to ward him off? Not only was he unlucky for a kitsune, but he was pretty stupid too. Were all land creatures like this? Madara could only laugh at his pitiful attempts at intimidating him. Hey, at least he fought back and he’s willing to give that to him. However, that doesn’t mean that he’d take an ounce of mercy on him. “Are you challenging me? I’ve been nice enough to let you stay and bring your meals along, but I won’t take anything from a cocky bastard. You’re dead meat if you come around here with another human again~” To affirm his threat, Madara digs his claws into Kaoru’s ankle. Not enough to spill blood, as that would entice him and possibly be the end of this kitsune’s shirt life, but certainly enough to linger.

12:49 AM

@soft screaming