The Cold Drags On

[Kyriake]

@'Maximillian Redford'

The winter did not feel like it was going to be over in a month or two. It seemed to be dragging on, and it was pure luck that Kyriake had found a spot where there was a break in the ice where she could pop up to see what was happening above the waves.

It was the school side of the lake, not the town side. She preferred the side towards town most of the time - the chief of the school was not the nicest of men, and did not like admitting that the merfolk of the lake were anything but animals - but the students were generally nice enough. Shaking herself slightly at the feel of the cold air on her skin, she looked around for one who seemed potentially interesting. So few humans spoke mermish that she didn't dare hope for an actual conversation, but interaction helped her keep her finger on the pulse, so to speak.

  

[Maximillian Redford]

Max had learned quite a lot since he'd been inducted into the world of magic five years ago. He'd come to accept that many of the things he previously considered impossible were anything but when one had a wand and the proper training. However, there were still aspects of this world that he had yet to become accustomed to. It was difficult to wrap his mind around the fact that creatures he'd known as parts of fairy tales were real. A lack of comprehension didn't stop him from being curious, though.

He'd been on his way to the green house when he'd gotten sidetracked and ended up around the Black Lake. Due to the fact that February had only just started and he was paranoid about the strength of the ice, he had no plans of actually going out looking for anything. But, when he saw something pop up out of the lake, his reservations faded quickly. Unsure of what exactly he should do, Max settled on waving politely at first.

  

[Kyriake]

As a curly-haired child - a boy? she wasn't always the best at telling the sex of a clothed figure, and this one had a soft face - waved, Kyriake smiled encouragingly and waved in return. There had been one girl who had tried to learn Mermish from her, but that had been years ago ... and that one very old, kind teacher spoke it, but she didn't interact with him very much. He seemed to not realize how long it was between his visits to the lake.

  

[Maximillian Redford]

The figure in the lake waved back at him and looked friendly enough. Going out onto the iced over lake to meet a strange creature probably wasn't be best idea, but Max' curiosity wouldn't leave him alone. He tested the ice to make sure it was strong enough to carry his weight and made his way over. His eyes widened when he got up close. He'd never seen one of the lake's merpeople in the flesh before and it amazed him. "H-hello," he said, both cold and nervous. "How do you do, Miss?" Did she even go by Miss? He had no idea how to properly address a mermaid.

  

[Kyriake]

He was on the ice, which made Kyri rather nervous - she'd already had to assist one child out of the water this winter - but she couldn't he'll smiling when he tried talking that unintelligible human speech to her. The strange sounds meant nothing to her ears.

Kyri tossed her hair back over her shoulder, her breasts still mostly under the water, and leaned on the edge of the ice. "Hello," she intoned in Mermish.

  

[Maximillian Redford]

The mermaid made a noise that was entirely foreign to his ears, reminding him of the difference between their species' languages. "Erm. I guess that was a greeting?" He didn't know any Mermish, but context allowed him to assume that. "Sorry, I don't speak Mermish. And you probably don't know English. Which means you can't understand what I'm saying right now." Max gave the mermaid a sheepish look. He wanted to ask her all sorts of questions, but without the right words that would be difficult. Spoken language wasn't the only way to communicate.

He pointed at himself and said, "Max." Then, he pointed at her and hoped she understood what he was trying to ask.

  

[Kyriake]

He babbled, and Kyriake watched him do so with a smile. Her ears and vocal cords were designed for communicaton under water; they didn't function the same way that human ones did. Then he seemed to focus some, and said something while pointing at himself. "Kyriake," she screeched in Mermish.

  

[Maximillian Redford]

Max winced a little at the sound of the mermaid's voice. Her voice wasn't nearly as pretty as he was, though he quickly worked out that the discrepancy was due to the fact that it was meant to be heard under water. Whatever she'd said, Max assumed it was her name. 'Kyriake?' he repeated, trying to mimic her pronunciation and tone. He felt silly doing it, but thought that it would be rude to not make an attempt at her language.