[ 🌊 ] // VOYAGE - accepting

[kartharon]

---------------♚-𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐈 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐄𝐍
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---------------known as the queen ● tagged kai ● word count 811

-----➤ iolani woke with a fright, clutching ghosts that weren't there as if she was trying to save her own life. images of her mother flashed before her eyes, her mind recalling what would be their last conversation as the prior queen left the tribe. it caused tears to spring to iolani's eyes, though she quickly suppressed the overwhelming feeling of grief that washed over her and wiped them away. there would be no time for reminiscing, especially when she had a tribe to run. considering how young the newly founded queen was, merely thinking it and acting on it were two very different things. it was proving more difficult than she originally anticipated, but she would not be discouraged.

----- not at a time like this.

----- she recalled yesterday when she first felt the shifting of the tides. a quick tug on her tail was all it took for iolani to sense the incoming storm. her tribe had experienced much worse, but bunkering down in the coves proved how safe they were under the blanket of the ocean's waves. they had gone about their day as if it were normal, when the rain began to fall on the surface. she stared up at it, as massive ripples began to pattern themselves in a beautiful chaos. they had all retired for the evening when the surf began to push and pull, sending massive waves crashing down with a fury only mother nature herself could deliver.

----- now, this morning, all was calm. the sea was back to its peaceful demeanor. iolani calmly flicked her tail, pushing her out of her cave and into the open water. her amber eyes warily scanned the edges of the border, attempting to make out any sign of a threat. though her eyesight could not see as far as she'd like (as the further she looked into the ocean the cloudier her vision became) she was able to make out the outline of a massive object in the distance. she assumed it was a massive object, however, as it was merely a dark spot in the ocean that didn't fit in. it was hard to make out, and the longer she stared the more out of focus it would become.

----- iolani was quickly becoming frustrated as she struggled to put together pieces as to what the obstruction may be, but she wasn't allowed to ponder on it for very long as she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. although she was startled, her body did not move and no emotion crossed her face. she could not allow any sign of fear or weakness show through, as was per her code. she turned and faced the merman behind her, her tail fanning out behind her like a glorious cape. kai. her close friend and ally who also had the blessing of being called her tribe's oracle. she could practically feel the nervous fear radiating from him waves.

----- she listened carefully to his words and switched her gaze back out to the ocean, attempting to absorb their impact. iolani immediately knew it had to be because of the object she could not make out, it was the only explanation. irritation set in, knowing that as the alpha she should have picked up on this disturbance before someone told her about it. it was her own obliviousness that had obscured this conclusion from her mind. instead of chanelling this frustration into her words, however, she composed herself and thoughtfully responded, "we should send a patrol out to investigate that..." her voice trailed off as she was once again stumped about the identity of the mass, gesturing off in its direction uselessly. "that thing. i'll take a few of the hunters with me and i think i would feel better if you were to also accompany me."

----- with a polite dip of her head to her oracle, she swam in the direction of the camp, attempting to search out the hunters who would most likely already be out in search for food this morning. after searching through the caves and examining the camp, just as expected, there was no sign of the hunters anywhere. not discouraged, she turned back to kai and yelled, "i'm going to go try to find the others. wait for me here." she swam in the direction of the most frequented hunting spot, though she noted as she swam that no fish darted by her side as they normally did. in fact, besides the mass in the distance she had spotted this morning, there had been no other signs of life. it had to be associated with the mysterious object, there was no other explanation.

----- iolani picked up speed towards her location to find the others as quickly as she could. something wasn't right and she was sure that if they found the reason, the ocean would settle.

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[color=#b09c9c][b]"Io's words"[/b][/color]
[color=transparent]-----[/color] [size=75][color=#c1bdbd]words words words words words words words[/color][/size]

[vurien]

ＬＹＲＡ
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location; cove ● tags; sybil, wren ● ooc; whoops it's super late again, sorry if there are any mistakes!

blahblahthe morning was just like any other. the skies were clear and the sun sent longs rays of light dancing through the waters, which were perfectly calm and tranquil. it was something lyra would never tire of, and she made sure to admire it for a moment as she headed out from the cavern, the light bouncing off her shimmering tail as she swam. glancing behind her, she could see their home slowly fading away into the water as she headed further and further out. it was a perfect little corner of the ocean, hidden beneath the waves and safe from harm. with a small smile, she turned her head and flicked her tail, leaving the cavern behind in search of today's catch.

blahblahit wasn't the first time she'd been out hunting with sybil, although she did prefer to do it alone. however, many hands make light work, and as she neared the usual hunting grounds, lyra began to realise that today's hunt may not be as straightforward as usual. the fish were noticeably absent today, with only a small few darting out briefly before hiding away once more. something was off, she could feel it in her gut. almost subconsciously, lyra slowed her pace and began to hang back, her mouth parted slightly as she turned to sybil. "you read my mind." she replied, her dark eyes briefly scanning the area, "i'll check the cove." with a strong flick of her tail, lyra turned and headed towards the rocky beach.

blahblahas she made her way there, she noticed several pieces of wood and scraps floating along the waves. it wasn't unusual for a couple pieces of debris to come along occasionally, but there seemed to be quite a bit more than normal. remaining beneath the waves, lyra swept around into the slightly shallower waters of the cove and slowed almost to a stop. there were some larger pieces of wood now, but it wasn't until she saw what looked like cloth floating in the water that lyra moved further in. using her hands to push herself off the seafloor, she floated up to the surface and reached out to grab the piece of material. allowing her head to rise above the still water, she looked at her hands and felt the clothing scrap. it was softer than the material usually used in sails, and she furrowed her brow as she tried to figure out its origins.

blahblahher quiet fascination was rather abruptly broken however, as a loud splash came from near the beach. within a moment lyra had pushed herself back under the water, her tail briefly flicking up as she darted downwards. narrowing her eyes, she saw a dark object under the water which appeared to be.. swimming? turtles were not uncommon in these waters, but something told her that this was no turtle. she hesitated, mouth parted slightly as she struggled to make out the object. still holding onto the piece of cloth, lyra slowly began to swim towards it, the shape growing more and more defined as she neared. blinking hard, she could finally see the entire mass. after taking a moment to put things together in her head, lyra's face dropped. a human? here? sure, she knew they existed, but they were kept far away in legends and stories told by the older tribe members. she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing and for a few long seconds, she simply floated in the water, her strawberry blonde locks flowing lightly in the waves. then, with a sharp twist and flick of her tail, she headed out to the mouth of the cove.

blahblahin her head she knew that this was something of great significance to the entire tribe, but she couldn't help but make sure it really was a human. turning the corner, lyra slowed to a stop and waited behind the jagged rocks to peer out at the man once more. placing her hands on the rock, she edged her head around it, her deep brown gaze looking for confirmation of what they just saw. only now did lyra realise her heart beating in her chest, and she took a few deep breaths to calm herself. humans were something she never thought she'd see, let alone get so close to one (albeit by accident) and her was still struggling to comprehend what had just happened as she waited with baited breath behind the rock.

[braunkatt]

( ＳＯＲＥＮ ＨＡＶＥＬＯＣＫ )
xxxrank: beta x ( tags: iolani ) x loco: outside of the cove

streams of sunlight trickled into the water, schools of fish cruising through the nearby coral reef. soren hummed a melody she had come up on the top of her head, her fingertips grazing the sand on the ocean floor. the feeling of sand between her fingers brought her comfort, it felt like home. the sound of waves crashing on the ocean's surface was the equivalent of a warm tea on a rainy day - something that couldn't be made up.

soren found herself floating where ever the water took her - a large hunk of driftwood flew right past her like a paper airplane. her moss-green eyes watched the lumber, she was quick to dismiss the thought. the dreaded humans used the ocean like a landfill, however, the tribe did a good job of keeping the waters clean. continuing the melody, the few fish that were nearby swam in-sync. soren's tail grazed the seaweed on the ocean floor, a 'pancake' fish (as soren affectionately called) swam by her with no thought. it was nothing out of the ordinary, but it didn't take the mermaid long to realize that there were no other signs of life in sight.

in the distance there was a large brown blob; squinting in disbelief she quickly took refuge behind a rock with hundreds of clams clinging to it. "no..." soren murmured to herself, humans! her heart struck with adrenaline, her nightmare had come true, it was now a reality. the tribe would face the humans - and never be the same. she couldn't handle another death, her adoptive mother's was enough. "it can't." soren faintly whispered, her bottom lip trembled in horror, the thought of a human even in the presence of the tribe made her uneasy.

her tail pumped furiously under her, soren fought the urge to glance back; she felt like it was weak of her to panic. no threat could break us apart. her own voice echoed through her head, soren knew that everything could go wrong, her nightmares were slowly becoming a reality. soren couldn't handle another death of a loved one - kai and iolani... her stomach churned.

in the distance a distinctive silhouette swam gracefully throughout the waters, the cove not too far. "iolani?" soren called out, the emotions of seeing the ship slowly emerging into the form of her expressions. "you won't believe what i just saw." the mermaid nervously glanced down, her eyes meeting with the alphas.

[kartharon]

---------------♚-𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐈 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐄𝐍
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---------------known as the queen ● tagged soren ● word count 459

-----➤ iolani was surveying the oceanscape, taking in every detail from the grains of sand that lined the bottom of the coast to the way the ripples of the water coated her body and assisted in propelling her forwards. each push of her tail caused the liquid to pulse around her body like soundwaves, rebounding off her skin and scales. her hair floated around her, creating a mess of blonde tangles that occasionally obscured her vision. if she had spent more time above ground this morning, she would have taken the time to tie it back as to keep out of her face. but this morning, she was in a hurry to discover the identity of the mass.

----- she adjusted her vision and peered closer at the blob, realizing that as she moved towards the hunting grounds the object was becoming much clearer and even larger than it was before. her thoughts were once again interrupted by the sound of her name, called out by an all too familiar voice. a grin crossed her face and she spun to meet her sister with joy. however, her smile faltered when she saw the fright in her eyes as if she had just seen a ghost.

-----confusion crossed her face and she reached out her arms to rest on soren's shoulders gently. "what's wrong, hermanita? what have you seen?" concern lay thick in her voice, immediately becoming nervous at the thought of something threating soren in such a way that had made her react like this. she knew that the two of them hadn't spoken much since the death of their mother, it was hard when the rumors swarmed through the tribe and surrounding areas in unstoppable waves. it was almost as if the fish were also discussing her fate.

-----it was hard to maintain any prior relationships after her breakdown, when she had walked through a valley so dark that she couldn't see her own hands in front of her face. it was something that she had been unable to control, but a reaction that had severely impacted the tribe negatively. she had been unable to speak to those she loved comfortably for nearly a year, in fears that she would lose them too. now, five years later, she still struggled to cope with the grief sometimes. but nothing would take away her love for her little sister. their bond was too powerful to be overcome by simple emotions such as these. once again, she found herself fighting back tears, the strength of the sadness overwhelming her senses. she wanted to be normal again, but she knew it was far too late. soren was one of the only ones who truly understood her, no matter how far apart they had grown.

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[color=#b09c9c][b]"Io's words"[/b][/color]
[color=transparent]-----[/color] [size=75][color=#c1bdbd]words words words words words words words[/color][/size]

[Roseshine12]

Name; Kai
Gender; Male
Age; 31 yrs
Rank; Oracle
Species; Merfolk
Crush; Open
Tags; Iolani, Soren

Kai watched his Alpha and friend as he gently smiled at her before losing it as he looked out into the distance at the object she pointed out. He could barely see it as well but the disturbance was most definitely coming from that direction. He nodded in agreement. The thing was, he was certain that his sister would be out hunting by now, so loyal was she. He watched Iolani go before looking around at the rest of the merfolk. At least three were missing, all of them being the most hardworking merfolk of them all. He was certain Io wouldn't find anyone unfortunately. He looked back out among the waves towards the object in the distance. He could see pieces of flotsam up above as he looked up as well. Very few dotted all the way out here but as he looked towards the blot, he could see many more dotted the horizon.

Before he could come to a conclusion as to what was going on, Iolani had returned to him. He looked at her calmly as his tail fin twitched. "Are you..." he tried to question but she was gone in an instant. He frowned a moment but smiled and shrugged before returning his attention to the blot in the distance, a blot that other merfolk were picking up on seeing and murmuring about. He eyed the flotsam again before his eyes widened slightly in surprise. A shipwreck! There was a shipwreck... what of the humans? And what of... he quickly swam after Iolani without another thought. He was somewhat excited by the prospect but at the same time, he knew that humans were dangerous. His Oracle mind said to keep everyone away but his childhood self said to explore.

When he came upon her, Soren had already joined up with Iolani... but she looked frightened. Had she come to the same conclusion as him about the mass in the distance? He swam over to them, worried for Soren. "Soren, what's wrong?" he questioned gently to her as he floated up beside the two 'sisters'. He gazed at her with gentle brown eyes that matched the color of his hair. This was partially another reason he wasn't so excited about the humans but at the same time was. He truly hoped these humans would mean them no harm as he knew that many a young merfolk would love to get a look at a human for themselves if only to see what they look like. It wasn't often one got to lay their eyes upon a human.

Name; Sybil
Gender; Female
Age; 28 yrs
Rank; Huntress
Species; Merfolk
Crush; Open
Tags; Lyra, then Arroyo

Sybil looked over at Lyra and nodded when she suggested checking the cove. "I'll check the sandbar," she agreed, watching her swim off. She took a moment to take in her surroundings, gripping her spear in her hand, her net in the other. If needed, she had ways of defending herself at least. She felt a rush of excitement from her childhood exploration days with Kai and she shook herself free of it. This was serious. She wasn't exploring for the thrill of it, she was exploring because it was a possible threat to her tribe. She couldn't let whatever was quieting the ocean disrupt the tribe. While she knew it could simply be a shark washed in on the tide that was on the prowl, she had to be prepared for anything and everything.

It didn't take long for her to spot the blob in the distance, not far off from where Lyra was heading. She blinked in confusion and glanced around before swimming onward cautiously, spear at the ready. As she swam, she noticed the pieces of wood that floated by above her, blocking the sun every now and again as she swam. But also as she swam and got closer to the bulk, she noticed the rate of the pieces of wood in the surrounding area increased. She flicked her tail as her heart raced. It wasn't out of just thrill though... something pricked the hair on the back of her neck and made her feel worried. She swam a little faster before immediately hiding as soon as she saw not only what was up ahead, but heard the yell of a man above the surface.

She crawled her way along the ocean floor steadily, seeing something moving on the sandbar's shore, moving things around on it. A ship... and its crew was alive from the wreck. She remembered seeing ships often with her brother Kai when they'd go exploring. This was bad... very bad. She peered her head out of the water at the burly man that was moving boxes around on the shore, stacking them up from one place to another. However, he had stopped and glared at the boat for some reason. She immediately ducked her head back under the water and hid behind the ship's rudder, peering out at the male. He was a strong one. She doubted she could take him on, especially from land. She would have to plan this out carefully. But first... the tribe had to be warned.

She swam off with a flick of her tail, the only thing alerting her presence there was the slap of her tail on the water's surface that was used to propel her away from the shipwreck as fast as possible. She had to warn them! But she stopped a moment, thinking of Kai. Knowing him, he'll want to spare the humans. She frowned at that but quickly swam off again. Either way, she had to tell them. They couldn't be left without this knowledge.

[doriengray]

( ＡＤＲＩＡＮ ＭＯＮＴＧＯＭＥＲＹ )
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( cabin boy ) ( location; ship ) ( tags; open )

A small groan erupted from his mouth as Adrian moved, his body laid out against the hard wood of the deck. Moving to lift his head up,
another groan came from him, as his hand rushed up to his now pounding head. He took a few breaths before opening his eyes, the harsh sunlight causing him to blink a few times before using his raised hand as a shield from the rays. Slowly, he pushed himself up onto a sitting position, as he looked down, realizing he was sitting in a shallow pool of water. What the? The confusion didn't last long as he remembered what had happened, and in a rush, forgetting about the pressure that was on his head, he scrambled to his feet, looking over the side of the ship. Sure enough, they were beached. He glanced around slowly, noticing the wreckage and the destruction, a sigh escaped him, lifting his head up to run through his hair. There was no blood, he must have just been knocked out by something. "Great, bloody brilliant." he muttered to himself sarcastically, turning around and leaning his lower back against the side of the ship as he let the pounding in his head slowly fade away. He turned his head slightly, squinting against the sunlight, as he looked at the island not too far away from where they had been beached. He noticed someone swimming towards the ship, but couldn't make out who it was. Shrugging slightly, he began to walk around the deck, stopping occasionally to kneel down and pick up any supplies that were strewn about, the majority of them being completely ruined now.

It was then he noticed the lack of activity around, and so he stood back up, walking over to the cabin door (which had been opened), peering in slightly. "Hello?" he called, stepping in, scowling at the feeling of his clothes being absolutely drenched and the uncomfortable feeling of the now dull pounding in his head. He tried to remember his actions before he passed out, but couldn't get far. He could remember the storm, however, and then he was guessing he must have tripped and hit his head on the harsh wood. While the majority of him was annoyed about the fact the ship had been wrecked, there was a strange longing for him to get off the ship and explore the island that lay just out of reach, but he decided it was probably best for him to find the rest of the crew first, and then figure out what to do from there. Would there be people on that island?

[haemon]

─── ＴＨＯＭＡＳ ───
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
male · twenty · gay in denial · sail master · on ship · with adrian, oliver
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The water level was slowly rising, and Thomas was slowly beginning to feel the anxious pit growing in his stomach. Was this the end? Was he already dead, and for whatever reason he had been damned to eternal afterlife on Earth? Surely not...Carefully he stepped over the floating debris and drifting trinkets and waded towards the doorway. With ease, the wooden door creaked open and allowed Thomas to fully observe the damage.

Poseidan's Pearl had been beached, as made evident by the upwards slant of the ship---and the fact that half of the vessel was beginning to flood. Desperately searching for an answer, he ran through all accounts of the night prior. It had been a pleasant day; the sky was a clear blue, and a cool wind seasoned with the taste of the ocean blew quietly. But in under just an hour, the sky had quickly turned pitch black. The water, which had been choppy but manageable, soon grew into violent waves that dragged the ship around like a ragdoll. Lightning bolts thrown by the gods themselves had lit up the sky, and thunder rumbled so loudly that at one point you could feel it's growls running through the floor.

...

Thomas' first mission was to find the rest of the crew. He would first have to check the main cabin, only a few doors down, where the cabin boys often slept and the crew lazed off.With nothing to hold onto, the slippery climb upwards was no easy feat. Each time he inched closer to the open doorway of the cabin, he would fall. "Dammit all," He muttered through clenched teeth. Why did his quarters have to be at the literal end of the damn boat? Why not one of the cabin boys, for gods sake. If he could recall, Thomas did more for the ship in an hour than those two fools would ever do in their lifetime.

Finally to the entrance of the cabin, Thomas gripped tightly onto the door and peered in. It was dark, and would it not have been for the sound of movement he wouldn't have bothered looking any further. "Anyone in there?" He called out. "Hello?" His question was met with incoherent mutters and grunts---it sounded like two people. Pulling himself in, he landed on the floor with a splash of water in his face and a loud thud. As his eyes adjusted to the blackness he recognised two---maybe three?---figures. Their faces weren't clear enough to make out but he assumed that they were the cabin boys. Why else would they be in here? "Is everyone alright?"

[galaxy cat.]

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gender. female rank. huntress age. twenty three years tagged. io, soren, kai.

andy never did have a taste for sleep. as a matter of fact, she'd dubbed it overrated ever since she began her career as a huntress for the secluded little sect. which was exactly why, even after a massive storm, andromeda was hunting at the crack of dawn. besides, who doesn't love to wake up to a freshly slain breakfast? she thought to herself with a snigger. she was also swimming about at such early times in the morning because she was the only mermaid who would take the morning shift.

despite the usual abundance of fish during the peaceful morning hours, andy had no luck in finding any breakfast... and eventually, no luck finding lunch. something was very, very wrong, and it frustrated andromeda that she couldn't put her tail on it quite yet. she squandered the morning hours in a hopeless hunt, until she saw iolani, the queen, followed by kai, approaching one of andy's frequent hunting spaces. soren was there, looking out into the distance, distraught at the sight she beheld. anything that made soren distressed just had to be important, considering how laid-back the beta was. andromeda cautiously swam below, not wanting them to think she was eavesdropping on her conversation. rather, andy was eavesdropping on what they saw. following soren's emerald gaze, she spotted an elliptical, black shape near the cove. her eyes widened, not in fear but curiosity. humans? here? this must be some sort of accident or just fate screwing with us. placing her whale bone spear at her side, andy darted towards the three. "soren, what's wrong?" she heard kai ask the beta. andy answered for her with a deeply concerned look on her face, even though she knew soren wouldn't appreciate it. after all, who wouldn't be worried for your tribe members when faced by the world's top predator, whether they liked you or not?

"humans."

[bohdi]

✶ ＬＡＭＯＮＴ ＡＴＷＡＴＥＲ
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[ boatswain, feeling exhausted, location ship, tagged thomas, oliver, adrian]

Water lapped around his feet, the coolness stirring the man awake. Dry sand was plastered to his face and hair, eyes squinted as he sat up. Lamont had been laying flat on his back on a sand bar, his trousers ripped and one of his boots missing. How he had ended up in such a state he could remember. There had been a storm, he could recall that; towering waves and howling winds. The sails had been tied down, the crew had all been counted several times to make sure no one had gotten thrown overboard. He went over the procedures they had all gone through during the storm, before the ship had run aground. He reached down, tying his remaining boot, perhaps he'd find the other later. He stood, making out the shape of the marooned Poseidan's Pearl further along the sand bar. He started towards it, figuring that if other crew members had been tossed out into the water, they'd head for it. There also could be deckhands still inside. Lamont took notice of a small island across the water, the trees a welcoming site after being under the blazing sun for God knows how long.

The Poseidan's Pearl loomed over him as he approached. Wooden boards creaked, a tattered sail fluttering weakly in the breeze. She had been a noble vessel, and Lamont had been proud to serve aboard. Stepping inside the hull, the boatswain made his way through the once organized equipment, now scattered about the inside workings of the ship. Everything was quiet, save for the water licking at his calves. It concerned him that he didn't hear anyone, where could they be? He continued through the Pearl, straining to hear voices. Relief cascaded upon him, becoming aware of the sound of one of the Adrian, one of the cabin boys. The man grinned to himself, his mind eased now that he knew others were aboard. Another voice was heard, this one belonging to the Pearl's sail master, Thomas. "You boys alright?" He called out, the younger men coming into view.

[braunkatt]

( ＳＯＲＥＮ ＨＡＶＥＬＯＣＫ )
xxxrank: beta x ( tags: iolani, kai & andromeda ) x loco: outside of the cove

her eyes darted towards the huntress, "were you eavesdropping?" soren snapped; her gaze returning back to kai's in a calming matter. a short pause made soren open her mouth once more, "you are aware that the ship wasn't here before the storm..." soren unconsciously leaned forward, ignoring andromeda's presence. soren was always holding her tongue, not wanting to anger the huntress or even risk it. "with the fish that are away from the cove the humans are bound to explore the waters for themselves," she continued, "and i'm sure as hell we'll encounter them."

soren had gotten herself worked up about it, the feelings of her adoptive mother's death rushing in like a full moon's tide. her lecture was short yet effective, (as she hoped so.) she prayed and prayed that iolani would listen to her despite their strained relationship. with kai listening to the whole thing she was silently preparing for a long speech about how 'everybody should get along', when it came to emergencies soren panicked like a madwoman.

the woman expelled a breath, uncrossing her arms she floated in place, soren knew in her heart that there would be consequences for this. with the tribe's curiosity for humans, she knew this would be bad. soren pictured the looks on her people's faces - appreciation, speculation, disappointment. a possessiveness she couldn't name or control rose up in her. "we can't..." she croaked.