Dreaming Wide Awake [Felix, Invite]

[Deleted]

A Corridor to Darkness opens inside the bright ocean blue and the dark keybearer stumbles out of the corridor and face-plants onto the sand. Before the dark mermaid could recover, the corridor closes. Selena sits up and rubs the left side of her head where she felt a small bump growing. "That was one of the roughest trips through the corridor yet..." muttered the ex-dark angel as she finally notices that her legs were replaced with the black mermaid tail that marked her as a 'mermaid' due to the magic of this particular world, "Oh dear leviathan, not again..."

'Artemis' remembered her previous trip to this underwater world and shuddered. The dark keybearer darkly glares at the tail as she recalls of being unable to navigate well through the world due to a well-guarded fact about herself, that if known, it would be considered her weakness and likely be exploited if her enemies knew. Selena Wolfsong couldn't swim and it wasn't because she refused to learn. Before the dark angel had even encountered this world, she had already figured out that her wings had cursed her to being unable to swim with the reasoning that teaching her how to swim was like trying to teach a raven to swim in the ocean depths or a shark to fly in the highest of heavens. It had been just never meant to be.

In her previous trip to this world, a strange, cheery merman with a mullet had tried to teach her how to swim previously before a certain sea witch had interrupted the lesson. However, that happened a long time ago and she hasn't seen the merman or even anyone yet. 'Artemis' sighed and laid back down on the sand to stare up at the surface where the sky supposedly was. It was dark with pale lights dashing through the surface. Selena safely assumed it was night time in this particular world.

At least the sky seems the same...Sort of...And peaceful...[/color] mused the dark mermaid solemnly as she attempted to find the positive outlook of her situation, but then sighed out of irritation, ...And I'm pretty much stuck here until I figure out how to swim...So I guess I'll just lay here for a while...I doubt I'll be attacked here...Much less in this form...Gr... Before 'Artemis' knew it, she had fallen asleep on the sand.

[Felix]

So what does a freelancer do after he’s done his job on a world that just so happens to have transformed him into a Merman? The answer is obvious of course, swim around of course and that he did, for quite some time as the recent addition of the ability to breathe underwater one he wished to abuse. Not only could he breathe underwater but he could also see in it as clear as day, the saltwater in the vast ocean not stinging his cerulean optics in the least. It was a magnificent sight to behold, nothing like anything he had seen before that day. The vibrant coral reefs, the schools of varying fish, the sunken pirate ships along with all the treasures they held inside (something he regretted considering his current lack of pockets), among many other pleasing marvels. The only thing he wasn’t a fan of thus far was all the singing but all things considered he couldn’t blame the local patrons for doing it.
 
Not much else to do here aside from swim and after you’ve done that you got to think of something to keep you entertained,[/color] he mused as he began swimming backwards with his hands behind his back, looking up to the surface of the ocean, Although I don’t think I could ever get tired of this view,[/color] he added in his train of thought as the sun’s rays penetrated the water’s surface. They shined down below both on him and as far as they could on the rest of the seabed, reflecting off discarded trinkets and jewels. They sparkled brightly and with a smirk the freelancer rotated himself as he began swimming forward.
 
Heh if only I had someone to share the view with…[/color] he trailed off in his head as the image of a certain keybearer came to mind, one with a particular feisty demeanor, Bah snap out of it Felix it was a chance encounter it’s not going to happen again, she probably doesn’t even remember my name,[/color] he thought as he pressed his palm against his face, shaking his head. As he did so the two tiny Felix’s appeared, their forms now having changed to match the world although a halo and horns still ever present on the respective sides of good and bad.
 
You should really be more honest with your feelings you know,[/color] the angel/merman Felix chimed, the freelancer rolling his eyes at the comment with a small frown curved against his lips. The devil/octopus Felix on the other hand shrugged his shoulders and smirked as he crossed his arms.
 
Pfft that’s for lamers, stick with the Bachelor thing man lot more fun trust me. Just hit it and quit it that’s my philosophy,[/color] it noted, Felix shaking his head at the notion simply cause it wasn’t that easy. Were it any other girl, he’d probably be siding with the Bachelor thing but this one was different, a lot different. She was awkward, crude, hot-headed, blunt, and wait isn’t this the part where one lists good traits not bad ones? Well that would normally be the case but in this incident the freelancer actually enjoyed these flaws in character. They made her interesting to be around; she wasn’t like other girls he had met before that stringed together their personality according to what others wanted. No the vibe he got from her was that was just the way she was and she wouldn’t change that for anyone. She was strong, independent, kind, and mysterious, the type of girl that made you want to know more about her (at least for this red-head anyway). He wanted to learn more about her but he knew it was a bad idea and would most likely end terribly. Indeed, keybearers were nothing but trouble and while he thought differently of her, he sure as hell still believed the rest of them were a load of idots and hypocrites. Thus what the two sides of his conscious seemed to suggest didn’t help and was merely making things more complicated.
 
”Jeez I can’t even think with you two telling me what I should do just shut up already!” he shouted loudly, a couple passing crustaceans looking at him with a confused expression which he returned with an extend index finger and scowl, ”Yeah what are you guys looking at you wanna go?!” he challenged the crustaceans soon fleeing the scene as the freelancer sighed exasperated. He pushed the two sides of his conscious aside as he swam down rapidly and flipped in the water, cupping his hands behind his head as he laid down on the ocean floor. He grumbled lightly as he laid his head back in his cupped hands, opening his eyes to see that it was now nighttime, apparently his musings whilst swimming having taken a lot longer than he had thought. Either that or perhaps it had just been close to night time earlier when he caught those rays of light shining down on him, perhaps the last few before sunset. Whatever the case was, the stars were out and shining bright and while not easy to spot past the oceans surface, still a pleasant sight.
 
”Heh I’m not much of a star gazer but I got to say I’m rather impressed,” he noted to no one in particular. Regardless, the freelancer then decided to pick up his upper body, pulling his hands out from under his head as he positioned his elbows on the ocean floor to keep him up. In doing so, when his left hand had pressed down on the floor again he felt a different sensation from that of coarse sand against his skin but rather something soft and delicate. He looked to his left noticing the tail of a mermaid, his facial expression shifting into one of wonder upon seeing it. His eyes then traveled upward past the naval and the “fitting” apparel for a mermaid, a small smile curved against his lips.
 
Why hello there,” he started in a flirty tone until his eyes fell upon the face of the stranger, his jaw dropping at the sight, ”A-A-A-Artemis!?” he exclaimed as a red tint stained his cheeks as he pulled his hand back from hers and used his other to press it against his racing heart… well he certainly hadn’t expected that. Needless to say, the red-headed warrior was rather shocked at this coincidence, and even more shocked that his crush was lying at the bottom of the ocean half-naked. He averted his eyes as he gulped a lump down his throat as he clenched at his heart, grinning sheepishly.
 
”Err s-sorry about that, I didn’t see you t-there,” he noted as he kept his gaze averted at the moment unaware that the keybearer was actually sound asleep… or at least she had been earlier, certainly his sudden shriek could have changed that.
 
Smooth, what a player we got over here, stuttering on his words and not even looking at her cause she’s showing a little skin,[/color] the devil Felix remarked sarcastically, the freelancer mixing a pout and frown mentally, his cheeks a shade brighter at the mention of skin,
 
Oh be quiet you it’s the first girl he likes of course he’s a little inexperienced and shy about it![/color] the angel Felix said in a rather lackluster defense that only lead to more teasing,

I hate you both so much,[/color] he thought for the moment before turning back his gaze toward Artemis, whether she was still sleeping or in midst of some sort of response to the freelancer’s sudden arrival.

[Deleted]

As the lonely keybearer slept, she dreamed of a nightmare she had not dreamed in years, a decade in fact. Of a certain memory that had scarred her mind and heart when she was five. The warmth of one of the many rooms of a certain windmill that Selena had once declared her sanctuary becoming her prison as the young girl became surrounded by the group of men from the same village as her pointing the gun at her. But when he pulled the trigger, the scream wasn't hers because she didn't even open her mouth to make the motion to and it was the very thing that pulled her out of the very memory of a nightmare.

Brought back to reality, first thing the dark keybearer heard was the strangely girly scream that sounded close to her. Selena's keyblade was summoned to her right hand as she sat up in the blink of an eye and was about to aim a thwack [Over the head.] at the culprit that shrieked. Whoever he or she was, they were not getting away with seeing her trapped in this mermaid form, black tail adorned with silver vines similar to her black mark spreading to her collarbone and forearm plus the matching clam bra. She was not going to give them the chance to figure out her weakness, her inability to swim. This instinctive, violent reaction was the main reason why no one should try to wake her if Selena is asleep, especially if from a nightmare.

For a very brief moment, her eyes mirrored the hate and distrust that her would've been murderers from her memory had to a perfect match.

However, 'Artemis' stopped in mid-thwack, perhaps an inch or a centimeter, as she recognized the said culprit as the red hair was hard not to miss. She mentally cursed herself for her shaking grip as she slowly lowered the keyblade. The freelancer had been her ally in the battle with Stroud back at Kingdom Hearts and he had prevented her from taking a nasty fall at the clock tower in Twilight Town. The dark keybearer was still suspicious of him. For all she knew, he was attempting to gain her trust so he could betray her to some greater enemy later. That his side of the conversation at the clock tower could have all been a lie just so he could test the weak points of her Heart. Then again, she knew how to play that game when needed to.

"Felix?" Her voice was incredulous. Of all the people, acquaintance or enemy, that she knew, it had to be him. Selena vaguely noticed his tinting cheeks and the fact that he apologized for something she barely comprehended because she was too focused on the question she was about to ask very bluntly. "What are you doing here?" Somehow, the dark keybearer doubted that Felix was here for a chat and her grip on her keyblade tightened. She was thankful that her long hair could provide the armor that her absent cloak could not.

[Felix]

After his rather loud shriek (which by the way was totally manly) and the stirring of a certain dark-haired keybearer, the freelancer instinctively closed his eyes preparing himself for a thwack. While he wasn’t sure why, he kind of pegged the keybearer for someone who wouldn’t hesitate to attack someone that suddenly woke her up, possibly just out of reaction. Thus, when he noticed the lack of an immediate concussion he was a tad surprised and opened up his eyes slowly to see what was going on. When they had opened up for just a moment and although it was for but a second, the red-headed warrior saw something in the dark keybearer’s eyes that scared even him. If looks could kill, that glare would have certainly done the job but thankfully enough it seemed as if it wasn’t intended to do so. No, the glare soon disappeared as the female keybearer lowered her weapon and was followed by a question. The question was rather simple, what was the freelancer doing in this world, what was his purpose? While the question itself was simple, answering it was a bit more of a chore than one would think.
 
Damn what to say, I did come here on a job that’s true but I can’t go exactly telling her that. I appreciate my client’s privacy and while said client won’t be figuring it out anytime soon if I talk about it, being a blabbermouth about it just doesn’t sit right in my stomach. On the other hand, if I don’t think of something to say she probably will hit me with that keyblade and I’d rather not have any concussions today, I’ve reached my quota for the week,[/color] he thought, briefly remembering an encounter he had earlier in the week, one that hadn’t gone all too smooth, Ah well I suppose I don’t have to give her all the details right? I suppose I can trust her just a little she did help me out back at the clock tower, probably more than she actually knows,[/color] the freelancer finished in his mind. He took a deep breath as he fell back to the sea floor, cupping his hand behind his head as he stared up to the ocean’s surface.
 
”Ah well I’m here on business is all, just had retrieve something for a client of mine and since I finished the job earlier than expected I’ve been checking out the scenery a little,” he started, lifting his body back up to look over to her, a warm smile curved against his lips, ”the addition of gills kind of makes you want to check out what’s down here ne? Without having to worry about getting air you can take your time and really appreciate what the sea has to offer from coral reefs to pirate ships. And, oddly enough, I have yet to see many if any Heartless down here, seems like they’re not the biggest fans of saltwater so it’s kind of peaceful… well minus the occasional song and dance the locals break into, the freelancer spieled, a snicker escaping his lips with his eyes closed briefly. They would open up once more, showing the same happy-go-lucky look the freelancer normally had. He wasn’t going to lie, it was pleasant to have someone he knew down here with him and while he hadn’t asked yet he figured there was a chance he could get her to explore the sea with him a bit. More importantly though, now that the thought crossed his mind, he had to wonder what she was doing here as much like her he figured she hadn’t stopped by to chat with him specifically.
 
”That aside what about you, how come you’re here? Just traveling aimlessly or did you come to employ my services as the #1 pillow of Radiant Gardens again?” he asked, his tone showing that the last bit was a joke as he winked at her and stuck his tongue out playfully, ”Because if that’s the case then I’m afraid I’ll have to charge you this time! I can’t let you get too many freebies otherwise my other customers may think I’m giving you special treatment y’know,” he continued, his eyes closing as he nodded to himself as if he was actually being serious but his tone showed he certainly wasn’t.
 
Whatever the case is I just hope she can take a joke,[/i] the freelancer thought as he snickered for a second, although if she got embarrassed or mad about it I suppose that’d be just as entertaining,[/i] he mused as he waited for both a reaction and an answer to the question.

[Deleted]

'As Artemis' awaited his answer, the dark keybearer cautiously observed Felix's body language. Her mind was fully alert as she still did not know whether the freelancer was an enemy or a potential ally. By the time he found his answer though, Artemis had completely lowered her keyblade and dismissed it. His answer was acceptable and she knew that underwater was unsuitable for her fighting style.

"Is that so..." Her voice was still incredulous. Despite nearly giving Felix a heart attack, she wasn't sorry for almost giving him a concussion. He should have known better than to wake up a demon with the appearance of an angel [or mermaid in this case]. He should consider himself lucky that I managed to stop myself from hurting him or worse... When Felix mentioned that the locals sang and danced, Selena found herself raising a brow as she had not met any of them and if what he just said was true, she didn't want to.

Right next to swimming of her list of what she cannot and will not do even for munny, singing and dancing were not her expertise.

Based on her previous two encounters with Felix, Selena was not aware of the affect she had on the freelancer and did not know him well enough to notice the subtle change in his demeanor. As far as the dark keybearer knew, he had always been 'happy-go-lucky' with the exception being of what had happened back at the tower when she caught him in his melancholy mood and back at the fight with Stroud where he had been serious. Selena likely knew him less than he knew her.

When Felix winked and stuck his tongue out at her after he threw the question back at her, Artemis resisted the violent urge to smack him upside the head, but managed to keep her tone neutral. "Traveling and I wasn't planning to." However, an idea for 'payback' quickly came to mind and a subtle smirk soon formed on her face. "So as the #1 Pillow of Radiant Garden, you've allowed how many people to sleep on you?" Oh yes, payback was utter bliss and better yet, it should teach Felix to be careful of what he said around her. She will twist it for her own amusement.

[Felix]

With a slight shift in the shoulders, a small frown curved against the freelancer’s lips as the winged keybearer began her answer, assuring him that she wasn’t here to employ him as a pillow.

Awww and here I was hoping… he began to muse, his eyes taking in her current attire (or lack thereof) once more and his eyes rolling as a tint of red appeared on his cheeks. Soon enough though Artemis continued her speech, now posing a question to the freelancer in regards to how many he allowed to use his “#1 Pillow” services. This got quite a quick reaction out of the freelancer, the red-head looking flustered toward her as he waved his hands in front of him frantically.

”Err i-it’s not like I just let a-anyone do that!” he blurted out his cheeks beat red as he looked away for a moment, rather embarrassed as he pressed his index fingers together coyly, ”y-y-you were my first client in that regard I-I swear!” he finished breathing a sigh of defeat having the feeling that she had twisted around his words intentionally.

”Heh she got you hook, line, and sinker there bro,” a voice came from Felix’ right shoulder, the freelancer groaning mentally knowing that with his return that also meant…

”I normally don’t agree with that scoundrel over there but she did get you pretty good that time, another voice added from his left shoulder. Soon enough faces were put to said voices, the Angel and Devil Felix having returned from being flung about so wildly much to the red-head’s chagrin. Needless to say, their routine of giving him advice on how to deal with the situation began once more, neither of them giving him a word in edgewise. Also needless to say, this back-and-forth was giving him a headache rather quickly and without warning he would suddenly ball his fists as he stretched his arms above his head with a great force. The result of this action was sending the two flying once more, this time hopefully for good. As he did so he would attempt to play it off by laying back on the ocean floor looking at the surface and the moonlight that seemed to barely break through. It was at this point the freelancer snickered again, glancing over toward Artemis.

“So umm… what do you like to do when you’re not running around fighting Heartless and stuff?” the freelancer started, a sheepish grin curving against his lips as he chuckled nervously, ”sorry I’m just a bit curious is all and I figured since we seem to have crossed paths again perhaps we should get to know each other a bit. After all, as the saying goes, nothing happens twice but if it does then it’s sure to happen a third time… or something like that anyway, I’m not much of a philosopher,” he finished, snickering lightly at the end at his inability to quote that proverb properly despite having seen it many times. Regardless, he would then throw his upper body forward, grinning a tad as he placed his hands behind himself to support his weight.

”That being said my question is, what does Artemis do on a day off?”

[Deleted]

The reaction that the dark keybearer had expected from the freelancer for her question about his pillow service was quite amusing, almost cute even, to her. So amusing that when Felix had turned away for that brief moment, she had covered her mouth with her hand to restrain herself from laughing before crossing her arms across her chest. 'Artemis' hoped that this would teach him to be careful what to say in front of her otherwise she will find amusement in embarrassing them. "Suuuure." answered Artemis, the smug smirk had reappeared as he sighed in defeat. Victory was hers.

However before the flustered Felix had glanced away, Selena did catch his eyes wander and mentally sighed. I hate this form...I hate water...And I hate this world...This world can go burn in a black hole for all I care... mentally ranted the dark mermaid as she fought the urge to smack her palm across her face. Instead, she closed her eyes and let out the inevitable sigh.

At the sound of the snicker, her eyes narrowed at Felix's grin. My day off? wondered the dark keybearer then frowns as he didn't seem to remember what he was quoting correctly, though it seemed quite familiar to her, "I believe that saying was 'Everything that happens once can never happen again. But everything that happens twice will surely happen a third time.'" 'Artemis' remembered reading it somewhere, but couldn't remember exactly where although she was leaning toward either Hollow Bastion's library or the one back on her home world.

"I don't get days off." answered 'Artemis' in a matter-of-fact tone. The dark keybearer had fought the Heartless ever since she had been able to wield her keyblade and the Heartless didn't seem to have a choice whether to pop up whether she was searching for them or not. When Selena wasn't fighting Heartless, she was searching for her home world, even on her birthday. The concept of a having day off was completely foreign to her.

[Felix]

After having been corrected on the quote he tried to bring up, the freelancer pouted as he crossed his arms, pretending to be annoyed that he didn’t get it.

“Bah I totally knew that I was just testing you was all,” he said matter-of-factly although with his serious expression soon melting into a mischievous grin, it was obvious that he was joking. Regardless, Artemis then continued with just a few more words, noting that something like a day-off wasn’t her thing. A small frown curved against the freelancer’s lips as he scratched the back of his head, a bit embarrassed that he stepped on what seemed like a landmine of a discussion topic.

“Ah, I see… s-sorry,” he trailed off, his tone losing a little bit of its normal luster and bravado. It was at that point a bit of an awkward silence was created, the freelancer trying to figure out what was the best thing to say after this. Being sorry was one thing but it wouldn’t change the fact that he had made the mistake after all. Thus his mind began to scramble, trying to decide what to say and what to do, not wanting this encounter to end awkwardly cause his big-mouth.

Or perhaps I’m taking this a bit too seriously, he began thinking, taking in a deep breath, She probably didn’t take any offense to it, not like I could have known but as the #1 Gentleman of Radiant Gardens I must rectify my mistake! he declared mentally, also know titling himself the #1 Gentleman of Radiant Gardens. Regardless, after just a moment of deliberation, the freelancer would stand up (or rather swim up) a confident look back on his face, his signature smirk curved against his lips.

”Well if that’s the case then how bout we make today your first day off? he started, turning his head to look over to her, a bit of a grin forming on his face, ”Everyone needs a bit of R&R after all so why not? Fighting Heartless and doing whatever else you may do I’m sure is exhausting as I doubt if it weren’t, you wouldn’t have fallen asleep on me at the clock tower last time,” he noted, taking a short pause as he snickered lightly. After recovering from a small fit of laughter the freelancer put his hands on his hips, a toothy grin gracing his facial features.

”That being said and if you would allow me the honor, I’d like to show you around this place. Not sure how you feel about an underwater adventure but we might as well enjoy ourselves while we’re here. Plus I found a lot of interesting things earlier and it’d be a shame if no one but me got to see them ne?” he explained, now extending his right hand toward the keybearer, his grin fading away as it transformed into a warm smile, ”so whadda ya say Artemis? Mind accompanying the #1 Pillow of Radiant Gardens on nothing more but his word a whim?” he asked, winking at her for added emphasis.

[Deleted]

When the freelancer pouted and joked that he was just testing her, 'Artemis' simply shrugged it off. The dark keybearer was going to play along for now since she simply had no idea why he would test [much less talk to] her. Her brows furrowed at the sight of the grin. I just corrected him. Shouldn't he be mad? She wondered and tilted her head to the side a bit as Felix apologized for something that wasn't fault. He's definitely one of the strangest I've met so far...

"Don't apologize for something you didn't know." answered the dark mermaid, her voice colder than she had intended it to be. He had been right about her not taking any offense to it. The thought of a day off was even stranger. The dark keybearer raised a brow when the freelancer swam up with his confident stride and an expression that she believed that he wasn't up to anything good. He's up to something...

'Artemis' scowled when he declared that today would be her day off and pointed out that she wouldn't have passed out at the clock tower in Twilight Town if she had gotten some rest. He has a point...Doesn't mean I'll take the advice but he has a point... mused the dark mermaid with a sigh just as Felix snickered before offering his proposition of showing her around this underwater world that the dark mermaid was growing to hate very, very much.

She massaged her forehead as she thought about it. The dark keybearer was not familiar with this world and if she should take his offer, the freelancer would discover her inability to swim. If 'Artemis' refused, she may have to explain why she wouldn't take the offer, but who was to say that she won't tell the truth? Frowning, the dark mermaid glanced at Felix as she contemplated her decision. Somehow after years of practice, she was finding it difficult to lie to his face, but shoved the impending feelings of guilt to the dark corners of the back of her mind.

"No thank you. I'm busy." Refusing to take Felix's outstretched hand, 'Artemis' awkwardly tried to swim up only to fall back, face down, onto the sand and likely giving away her weakness. As the dark mermaid sat back up, she growled under her breath in frustration as she hadn't meant to fall down like that. He made it look too easy...

[Felix]

With his hand outstretched and ready to be grasped, the freelancer couldn’t help but feel a little bit dejected when his offer was so blatantly refused. While he didn’t let it show, it certainly felt like a pin shot through his heart when those words came out the dark-haired keybearer’s lips. Was he coming onto strong? Was he not being assertive enough? Did his breath smell? Was there something on his face? This and a whole bunch of other questions went through the freelancer’s head rather quickly until he saw a rather embarrassing scene. Indeed, as Artemis attempted to get up herself, presumably to swim somewhere the freelancer wasn’t, she awkwardly fell over, her face planted in the sand. He could hear her growl at the blunder as she sat back up, her facial expression showing her discomfort with the situation. A mischievous smile curved against the freelancer’s lips, one that he quickly covered with his hands, holding back the urge to laugh.
 
Ah so she can’t swim yet huh?[/i] he began to think in his head, his smile losing its mischievous luster and going back to the more sincere and warm one he had on earlier, Knowing her she probably wouldn’t have even asked for help either… what am I going to do with you Artemis?[/i] he mused as he let out a small breath, sitting down next to her. Glancing over to her, the freelancer cupped his hands behind his head as he grinned at her and began speaking once more.
 
”Heh you know you could have just told me you haven’t learned how to swim with the tail yet, he started, dropping his hands back to the sand to support his weight as he leaned back on his arms, ”That aside if you want I could teach you how to swim around here. It took me a while to get it but I’m sure if you give it a shot you can get the hang of it eventually. Not sure I’ll be the best teacher but if you’re willing to try I’ll be sure to do my best. Then once you get it down I can show you around and hopefully you can enjoy your day-off a little,” the freelancer explained as his right hand went to his chin in thought soon after. His eyes narrowed for a moment before opening back up, his facial expression showing that he just had an epiphany of sorts as he snapped his fingers and pointed toward Artemis.
 
”And even though it’s a day-off you’ll be learning how to swim which’ll be mighty useful in case you ever have to fight a Heartless underwater. As the saying goes, two birds with one stone ne? he asked, his face inching a bit closer with an excited expression before being pulled back as it changed into a more uneasy expression, his index finger scratching his cheek ”Hehe well it’ll only apply to this world when you have a mermaid tail but you’re better safe than sorry right? he added, nodding to himself as he crossed his arms a stern expression on his face. He would then rise from his seated position once more and extend his right hand, grinning brightly with a tilted head.
 
”That being said just take my hand and I’ll be sure to teach you how to swim better than an Olympic in no time at all, he declared, his voice full of confidence perhaps even more so than usual, ”And I won’t be taking no for an answer young lady,” he finished, his tone a tad more serious as well as his facial expression. He then used his free hand to wave a finger at Artemis as if scolding her like a child. Sooner rather than later though, his face cracked as he chuckled lightly, his normal smile returning as he waited for Artemis’ hand… or lack thereof,
 
Here’s hoping it’s the former,[/i]

[Deleted]

Embarrassment was an understatement. The emotions that were threatening to push her over the edge were stuck at a notch between rage and frustration. There was now sand in her hair, face and once she gets off this world, in her boots also. It bothered her that she had made such a blunder in front of a potential enemy and in turn, revealed her weakness.

‘Artemis’ glanced over her shoulder and darkly glared at the freelancer who was covering his mouth to keep himself from laughing. The action had her hair briefly flowing away from her wingless back and revealed the black rose and the spreading thorn vines Mark in between her shoulder blades. Before the mermaid knew it, Felix had sat down next to her and with his hands held behind his head like that, Felix briefly reminded her of someone she once knew. This caused her cold eyes to soften a bit.

Suddenly, ‘Artemis’ found the sand much more interesting and stared down at it as Felix brought up her lack of ability to swim and once again brought up his offer to teach her. She only glanced up at him at the mention of her “day-off” and narrowed her silver eyes at him, or rather specifically the finger pointed at her. He really thinks that today is my day off even when I told him that I don’t do days off?[/i] wondered ‘Artemis’ as he continued to rant but even she had to reluctantly agree that this ‘swimming’ ability will become mighty useful for underwater-type Heartless.

Her otherwise neutral expression went blank then confused as he mentioned that after his teaching that Artemis will swim better than an ‘Olympic’. Is an Olympic a type of fish…? wondered the mermaid as she tilted her head to the right, and furrowed her brow in thought. There was a small cloud of steam coming out of the top of her head from thinking so hard and was only brought back to earth when Felix stated that he won’t take no for an answer. She looked up to see his hand outstretched to her and thankfully didn’t hear the edge in his otherwise serious tone. ‘Artemis sighed. ”I guess I can’t say no to this offer can I?”[/i] answered the dark mermaid as she accepted and took his hand.

[Felix]

As the skin on her hand touched his, a small red tint covered the freelancer’s cheeks, still not completely used to the keybearer’s touch. It was rather unnoticeable unless one was looking for it but none the less the freelancer tried to play it off as he helped her up, looking away as if to scope out the area ahead of them. With his free hand he put it above his eyes as if blocking the sun with it, narrowing his eyes as he pretended to look around. He wasn’t just stalling for time for that reason alone, he was also pondering how exactly to go about teaching her how to swim. While he had gotten the hang of it himself, it wasn’t like the freelancer had a teaching degree or ever helped anyone like this before. Despite his wealth of experience, no job had ever called upon him to teach someone how to swim or even teach them anything. He had been a hero, a villain, a spy, a general, a mercenary, a Kabuki actor, a dragon slayer, a musician, and many other professions except a damn tutor.
 
That’s certainly going to make things difficult,[/i] he complained mentally. As he did so though, the inner parts of his conscious decided to rear their ugly heads again, both giving the freelancer (unwanted) advice on how to deal with the situation.
 
You should totally pretend to slip on something and have her fall on you! Also stop hitting me like that you jerk![/i] the devil Felix chimed, the angel one crossing his arms in an X in protest.
 
[/i]No she’s just started trusting you, doing something like that is wrong anyway! You have to take this seriously and teach her how to swim! My suggestion is you take both her hands and place yourself in front of her. That way she can feel safe and slowly get used to moving the tail around and eventually you can let go and see if she can handle it on her own,[/color][/i] the angel suggested, both the freelancer and the devil Felix looking over to him incredulously. Angel Felix raised an eyebrow to this, tilting his head as both the freelancer and the devil replied.
 
”Since when do you give sensible advice?”
”Since when do you give sensible advice?” the same words escaped both their mouths, both shooting a sideways glare at the other. Ignoring it for the time being, the freelancer merely shook his head as he decided to go with the angel’s idea and looked back to Artemis. He grinned brightly as he kept the grip on her hand firm and swam in front of her, grabbing the other one as well. His cheeks threatened to turn red once again but with a bit of willpower the freelancer had managed to keep the blood rushing to his face.
 
”Alright let’s start slowly, I need you to get perpendicular to me as if you’re lying on your stomach. Once you do that, I’m going to slowly start swimming back and I want you to just get used to moving your tail around for now. I’ll keep a hold of your hands so you needn’t worry about falling on your face again hehe,” he teased and assuming Artemis followed his instructions he would slowly begin swimming backwards, keeping a firm grip on her hands, ”Don’t worry I won’t let you go,” he would assure her in a soft tone, knowing that she probably still thought of him as a potential enemy… and if anything she was right.
 
I really hope that never ends up being the case… otherwise I’m not sure what I’d do,[/i] he mused, some rather morbid thoughts distracting him from his current task. While he still kept his grip firm and swam backward, he was slowly moving off the track that he had originally planned. What would the result of this deviation be?
 
OOC: Have fun saying what happens, tried to give you a bit more to work with then just reacting to Felix’s actions :3!

[Deleted]

Trust was like diamond, it was such a hard thing to gain and yet like glass, it is so completely fragile that if thrown on the ground, it would shatter. This case is especially true for Selena "Artemis" Wolfsong as she had a Heart comparable to steel and ice, hard and cold. It didn't come easy for her and in the past, did prove that earning her trust was just as hard as fighting a Bahamut or maybe just as improbable as defeating the Dark Dragon. The other way around is just the same; this dark keybearer had a hard time earning their trust in return. For example, she was sure that she had destroyed any chance of becoming allies with Terra by Knocking out Riku at the Keyblade Graveyard.

'Artemis' blinked as he helped her up from the ground and patiently waited for her "instructor's" first words of advice. As the dark keybearer waited, she quietly observed him. Despite his attempt to look away, 'Artemis' thought she had seen his face turn into a light shade of red and couldn't be sure because his hand had blocked full view of his face. The mermaid could only mentally shrug it off. It was likely a trick of the sunlight that must be reflecting on the water's surface above them plus his own vibrant red hair.

The keybearer remained quiet and had kept her expression neutral until the freelancer blurted out his seemingly out of context question. She raised a brow. "I'm sorry?" asked 'Artemis', unsure of what she just heard and could only shake her head just as the freelancer grabbed her other hand, You either just imagined it or he's bloody schizophrenic. Frowning, the dark keybearer followed the freelancer's instructions and struggled to stay perpendicular to Felix as she tries to grow used to moving her own mermaid tail. It was as if gravity was less effective here.

The mention of her previous face plant to the sand caused her to wince then scowl at Felix before she almost forgetting to move. 'Artemis' was already missing her legs and her wings. They were better than the water! Why couldn't she have landed in a tree and deal with broken twigs and leaves in her hair or something? But no, the dark keybearer landed in the 'Water World' with a potential enemy that she swore hated those who wielded the key. That tone he just used now was to encourage her to let down her guard and once she does, Felix will murder her. She tensed up at that train of thought.

Just let him teach you to swim so you can navigate this world better...You can trust him for that long can't you?

[Felix]

Whilst Artemis seemed to do her best to follow the teacher’s instructions and attempt to get used to moving her tail around, said teacher’s thoughts were wandering. They hardly knew each other and yet here he was trying to teach her how to swim when in Mermaid form. He didn’t stand to gain anything out of it; in fact it wouldn’t surprise him if right now she thought this was all just an elaborate ruse. They were like oil and vinegar, they didn’t mix well together and even if shaken up to force them to mix, the two would just separate once again. So why was the freelancer trying so hard? Why didn’t he just say it was all just a charade so he could turn away and walk (or swim as the case may be)?
 
Even if I am crushing on her… I’ve crushed on a lot of girls before her and I’ve never tried this hard,[/i] he began to think, his gaze turning away as they continued backwards and his facial expression noted he was in deep thought, I never would have opened up to anyone else either, it’s too risky in this business and could easily get me or my family killed. Yet I told her quite a bit on the clock tower the other day even if I was completely out of it. And to make matters worse she’s a keybearer; she wields the same weapon that the bastards that screwed over my father and…[/i] he trailed off in his own thoughts, not wanting to think back to the story his father had told him long ago. He sighed lightly as he brought his gaze back to Artemis, trying to get his mind back on the task at hand. As he did so and was about to part his lips to ask his student how she was faring, the freelancer’s head bumped into a protruding rock formation. He bit his tongue thanks to this lapse in attention; the freelancer’s face contorting in pain as he let out a small groan of pain.
 
”Otuch,” he stated, his recent bit on the tongue impairing his ability to speak a tad, ”I btit my tongue,” he also noted as the grip on Artemis’ hands remained firm. Indeed, the freelancer was a man of his word and wouldn’t be letting go until the normally winged keybearer got used to swimming here. Regardless, the freelancer shook his head tried his best to ignore the pain as he smiled sheepishly, a little embarrassed at his blunder.
 
”Sorry I got a little distracted by something I saw while we were swimming,” he lied terribly, not able to look her in the eyes as it escaped his lips. Whether she would notice or not he wasn’t sure but either way it wasn’t something he wished to speak of. It was a sad story and the freelancer was tired of being down in the dumps. He already had enough to think about with just his mother, he didn’t need to remember and tell his father’s story too. Plus, it sure as hell wouldn’t put the keybearer any more at ease around him, his father’s past part of the reason he despised keybearers. Regardless, he would then try to change the subject as he turned with her to another direction, looking back this time to avoid repeating his earlier blunder as he swam back.
 
”So how you doing so far? Starting to get the hang of it or do you still need me to hold your hands?” he started, widening his eyes as the statement came out of his mouth. He looked back to her, his face already flustered as he quickly thought the worst of how he worded that statement.
 
”T-That’s not to say I mind t-though we can do this as long as you need! W-We’ll proceed at whatever pace works for you no need to rush things I’m enjoying this thus far! Err well swimming with you anyway not the holding hands err wait I mean I like that too err I mean-…” he would continue, trying to explain himself in his flustered state (although it probably just made him look like an idiot).
 
I really got to figure out why she makes me so damn nervous... I can’t even speak a sentence without tripping on my own words around this girl,[/i]

[Deleted]

The longer that the dark keybearer remained in this world, the more that she hated it. Artemis had a difficult time adjusting to her mermaid form since if the freelancer had not been holding her hands the whole time, she would have fallen back down to the sand multiple times. It would seem that the dark keybearer simply just wasn't cut out to be a mermaid. To top off her frustration, she didn't know why he would even try to help her learn how to swim.

Felix hated, or at least highly disliked, keybearers...Didn't he?[/i] wondered 'Artemis' as her mind dwells on the events of Twilight Town. From her view, the freelancer hadn't seem to be the type who would murder in cold blood. When she had passed out from lack of rest, he didn't take advantage of that and push her off the tower when anyone else would've. From that line of thinking, her mind shifted to a certain Remnant back in Traverse Town and his double-bladed sword drenched in the blood of an unfortunate woman who had been safer where she was hiding. She involuntarily shuddered and her mind snapped back to reality just as Felix bumped his head.

'Artemis' briefly noted that Felix had been true to his word about not letting go of her hands and apologized that he was distracted. Distracted? During her train of thought, the dark mermaid had failed to notice that his mind had apparently been also somewhere else, but something about his lack of eye contact with her told a different story and she didn't know what.

The question caught her off guard as the dark keybearer glanced at Felix again. "Erm...Okay as a keybearer who used to have wings and is now adjusting to a mermaid tail can be..." muttered 'Artemis' quietly as the freelancer become flustered and try to recover, He's just embarrassing himself now...[/i] The mermaid resisted the urge to facepalm and instead, lets go of the freelancer's right hand to reach under his jaw and closed it before pulling it away.

"You can shut up now." answered the dark keybearer as she resisted to hold back the insult that her mind threatened to form with her already sharp tongue. She had noticed that something [or someone] was making him not act like himself. 'Artemis' did remember the part of his rambling back at Twilight Town that she had accidentally overheard and wondered if the situation with his mother had something to do with it.

"We could continue the some other time if you want." suggested 'Artemis' calmly as she absentmindedly let go of his hands and without realizing it, swam backward with her arms crossed over her chest. "It's sort of obvious that your mind's not completely in it." The dark mermaid hadn't known that she was trying too hard on how to swim with the tail at the beginning and that plus the frustration with herself had affected her. However, she was and is still completely clueless about it.