Ayer Lecomte

--9:37pm
- Mentions: [@Mataus] 

Ayer hugged his Ars and curled up in the boat for dear life. The metal was hot, steamy, and right near scalded him. But it was the only stable thing left in life at this point. The only sense of order. This is the worst kind of hopelessness, when you have to rely on hope itself instead of having a plan to conquer. He can only wait and see what happens. 

Suddenly, he felt a nudge from below, and nearly lurched out. Ayer croaked, thinking he was going to vomit. But then remembering how he hadn't eaten anything nearly all day. He merely held his head, fighting off the horrible swirl of feelings as acidic juices swelled within his gut. In his discomfort squirming, Ayer noticed the bump was surprisingly softer compared to earlier, followed by a series of similarly weak smacks. His confusion was replaced with fear, when a spined pale dorsal fin popped up from the surface of the water and circled the bobbing dingy. 

Ayer thought this was it, expecting a huge maw to suddenly surround them and swallow them whole. But instead, the behavior did not change. Another few nudges vibrated from the bottom of the boat, gentle and rhythmic. A suddenly familiarness washed over his eyes. Ayer has seen it before. This was an act of courtship, wasn't it? The arcane scientist can only watch incredulously as the ritual unfolded before him. 

	"Friend Paric... Is... is it trying to mate with us...?" he muttered in disbelief, "I always thought myself a beta... but this takes it to a whole different level..."

A few more attempts ensued, where the Nillium nudged, brushed, and nestled with the rocking boat, as though trying to seduce and rouse the vessel itself. During heat, animals tend to be overwhelmed by their hormones and instinct. If this was so, the creature was probably blinded by its libido, it's normal viciousness now subjugated with a more 'loving' protocol. Luckily, they must seem like a female, as otherwise, the meeting of two males would prove a wholly different sort of ritual. A rumble and splash was the last thing they felt before the creature retreated back under the tides in frustration. 

After a moment of silence, the boat finally stopped its nauseous sway, the waves caused by the bigger vessel abating as the ship crossed away from them. Ayer nearly cracked out laughing. 

	"D-did that just happened?" Ayer said, smiling big. "Seems like it isn't just miracles that are keeping us alive today. It is the power of beautiful nature itself!" He looked over the side, seeing the shadow disappear, "I hope you better luck in the future, my sad, horny, little friend!" 

He held the oars firmly, and looked to Paric.
	"Well then, shall we make it to shore? Though I'm flattered, I don't want anymore advances today."

...