❀ Episode 14 ❀ [Dictated/Action]

[therealrisette]

[Dictated]

[There's some audible splashing as the journal opens, not to mention the pages getting a little wet. Eventually, the splashing stops, and is followed by a very upset Rise.]

This is not okay!!! Change me back right now!

[There's a moment of silence, and then an extremely annoyed sigh. It's not like she honestly thought that'd work, but it'd be really nice if it had.

Belatedly realizing that her journal is lying open next to the pool, Rise swims a little closer to address it on purpose. Accidentally dripping even more water on the pages in the process.]

Hey... can anyone hear me? It's Rise! I'm... kind of stuck, and-

[Suddenly, she shrieks, and another loud splash can be heard. Someone hasn't quite mastered the art of mermaiding quite yet...]

Stupid castle... how am I supposed to get out of here?!

[Action - Swimming pool]

[If anyone happened to be anywhere near the swimming pool, they might have seen Rise's torso flailing out of the water. Rise's very nearly naked torso. Covered only by a rather skimpy iridescent pink seashell bikini top. Not that that's too incredibly obvious right away, from how much trouble she's having staying above water.

And then, when she leans on the edge of the pool to talk to her journal, a matching pink fish tail splashes idly behind her. Until she loses her balance somehow and splashes right back into the water.

She'll just go on embarrassing herself like that for a few minutes until she sort of gets the hang of having fins instead of legs. At which point, she'll either float lazily around the pool or lean over the edge and sigh dramatically. Either way, she looks incredibly annoyed at her predicament. Don't let that scare you off, though. She'd appreciate any company she can get here... or help in finding a way out.]

Comments

Dictated

[sugarwaffo]

Rise?! Oh thank goodness, you're still around!

[Sugar had only just woken up to find her missing, so she hasn't made too much of a mess of their room.]

Where are you?

Dictated

[therealrisette]

Oh! Sugar-chan...

[Crap! She doesn't want to make her worry...]

Yeah, I'm still here! I'm just... in the pool...

[And she can't get out.]

Dictated

[sugarwaffo]

Oh! Why didn't you tell me you wanted to swim?

Dictated

[therealrisette]

[This is why Rise needs to get over the weirdness factor and just tell people what happened.]

It's not that I wanted to... the castle just... put me here.

[Then, with a deep breath and a frustrated sigh, she finally just explains.]

I... think I'm supposed to be a mermaid.

Dictated

[sugarwaffo]

A... [pause] A what?

Dictated

[therealrisette]

[Has she really...?]

You don't know what a mermaid is?

They're like... kind of half fish. So I, um... have a tail now...

[With another sigh and unintentional splash, causing little droplets of water to appear on the journal pages again, she adds:]

I wish I could have just been a fairy again!

[Be careful what you wish for, Rise. You might get it one day.]

Dictated

[sugarwaffo]

Oooh! Can I see?

[Sugar giggles.]

Of course, you'd rather be a fairy again. Fairies are the best!

[And she's not biased in the least, oh no.]

Dictated

[princelyspirit]

Whoa! Calm down, alright? Or at least, tell us what the castle did you!

Dictated 4evs~

[therealrisette]

[Strangely, hearing Utena's voice is actually comforting, even now. Might have something to do with having recently spent a week as actual siblings... of a sort. It was actually kind of nice while it lasted.]

I'm...

[God, it feels so weird to just say it! Even in a place like this, saying that you've been turned into a mermaid just sounds crazy the first time you find yourself thinking it.]

... kinda trapped in the pool? It's... weird...

[Just... maybe give her another second to process this.]

Dicated -> Action!

[princelyspirit]

Okay, okay, I'll be right down, all right? Just give me a moment-

[And she slams the book shut, before rushing to the pool. Once she's close enough she'll give Rise a wave. So far, everything seems normal enough - it appears that she has yet to notice the tail]

[therealrisette]

[Normal aside from Rise probably looking topless, the way she's leaning over the edge of the pool? But hey, Rise wears some pretty skimpy bikinis, so that probably does seem totally normal.

It's when she pulls back a bit to sheepishly return the wave that Utena might get her first hint that something's weird. Namely, the iridescent pink seashell top. Her hair being down and soaking wet is probably kind of strange, too, but understandable given she's in the pool.]

Utena-neechan......

[She looks and sounds pretty worried. And she's not quite sure where to start on explaining this.]

[princelyspirit]

[Okay, she knows that Rise isn't the shy or bashful type, and as far as Utena knows, she's never had any problems with the water, either. Utena tries to give her a comforting smile and, ignoring her strange top, walks over to the edge of the pool]

It's okay, I'm here now. Just-

[...wait a second. She glances away from Rise, staring at the water. Was...was that a fin she just saw?!]

[therealrisette]

[It certainly was! And Rise's having a hard enough time keeping her torso above water without suddenly panicking over what Utena may or may not have just seen.

Unfortunately, the reflexive flick of her tail topples what balance she has, and she splashes face-first in the water with a surprised shriek. What follows is a lot of flailing of human arms and the pink fish tail Rise has recently acquired, before she finally manages to right herself again.]

I...

[This time, she doesn't even bother hiding her fins, allowing the tail to splash lazily behind her. At least now, it's probably obvious why she's worried.]

I just... I don't know what to do! I don't wanna be stuck here...!

[forsometimenow]

Rise, what's the matter?

[therealrisette]

... Stupid castle changed me again.

[And she sounds supremely annoyed by it. Never mind that she's not really providing any new information to clarify exactly why...]

[forsometimenow]

Oh, man. Into what?

[therealrisette]

I, uh...

I think I'm a mermaid.

[Even after everything that's happened. Saying that out loud just sounds weird.]

[forsometimenow]

... seriously?!

[therealrisette]

Yeah! The castle put me in the pool and everything...

I can still wish for stuff, but... I can't get out...

latest of late tags - action

[freeslider]

[Wade is on her way through the lobby when she hears the sound of splashing and shouting and edges cautiously into the room]

Hello?

[therealrisette]

Mo-!

[Whoops! She... almost called Wade "Mom" (or "Mommy") again. After letting the castle mess with her head in that Stepford place to fit in better, it just became habit!

At least she manages to right herself, and lean over the edge of the pool. But she's blushing fiercely as she looks up at the approaching Wade.]

H-hello... Wade...-san...

[Now she's embarrassed for two reasons. Because here she is, flopping aimlessly in a pool while trying to figure out how mermaid fins even work, and now for that little slip. She's obviously even uncertain what honorific to use now. "-San" seems so formal, but... she can't address even a fake mother too familiarly! Can she?]

[freeslider]

[Wade, not being Japanese, doesn't really make the connection either way, though she cracks a slightly amused smile at her earlier slip of the tongue. She's not sure why Rise looks embarrassed, then, and approaches the edge of the pool.]

Hey Rise. Um...what are you up to? Sounds like you were doing laps or something.

[therealrisette]

Um... s-sort of, yeah...

[She's still leaning over the edge of the pool... or possibly hanging on to it? One way or another, Wade is sure to catch a glimpse of pink fins splashing behind the otherwise normal-looking girl.]

[freeslider]

[She notices it now that she's closer, and the surprise is pretty plain on her face]

Oh...my god. Did the castle do this to you? [It might seem like a foregone conclusion but with the people that live here it seems better to ask first. Maybe she was secretly a mermaid the whole time.]

[therealrisette]

[Even Rise seems to realize what Wade's thinking... it seems incredibly obvious to blame the castle at first blush, but you really can never tell in this place. There are fairies, why not mermaids?]

Yeah. I don't like swimming that much!

[But... the seashell look is kind of cute. She'll make a note of that for when she has legs again. If she can find a good bottom piece to match.]

I'm not sure I even know how with this... thing...

[She's getting the hang of the new body, though... her fins just splash idly behind her now, instead of flip-flopping her all over the place.]