[Celtic]

A swim was exactly what she needed right now. The likuta looked joyful as she splashed into the beautiful waters and twisted and turned. It was no wonder their species used to be preyed upon as pets for the wealthy. They were fascinating to watch, even when they weren't as joyful as they looked. If she could control her expression more closely while she swam, this one would look downright murderous.

She twisted her lithe body through the water, ignoring the beauty of the coral reefs that she passed. She was moving quickly, pretty close to as fast as she could and she could feel her muscles beginning to fatigue. A couple of twinges pinged to let her know that she really shouldn't work out without a warm up, but she was mad. She ignored the unpleasant feelings, focusing on her anger.

[Celtic]

All she wanted was to go home and hug him. That was it. Of course, this was the one time she couldn't, the one time she needed to feel loved and accepted (who's she kidding that's all the time, not just now, it just mattered now)... He wasn't there. She'd tried calling, texting, sliding into those DMs. Nothing. Not a single word.

Of course underlying her anger was worry. This wasn't usual, or like him at all. She only had a vague idea of where he was and what he was doing, and she knew that he might not be reachable but... This felt different than she expected.

As a likuta she couldn't cry, but the same puckering feeling in here eyes was there. The slight burning sensation of tears forming that would never come to pass.

She kept swimming.

[Celtic]

Her muscles were screaming at her. She wasn't supposed to keep up a pace this strong and fast for this long, she knew that she was risking a lot by doing this. She forced herself to slow down, even if the pain from her muscles was dulling the screams in her mind. Her eyes closed and she floated up to the surface and rolled onto her back, taking a deep breath of air.

"Hurting yourself isn't the answer B." She said out loud, not knowing or checking to see if she was alone first. "Hurting yourself isn't the answer." She repeated softly.

[Celtic]

"You're quite odd." A mechanical, yet wise sounding voice chirped next to B, startling the hell out of her.

"What the fuck!" She rolled off her back and her face fell under the water for a moment before she managed to fix her paddling and focus on the stranger who had joined her.

"You're quite odd." It repeated, slower this time.

"And you can't just go sneaking up on people like that! It's creepy and weird and inappropriate!"

The khalmer shrugged with two of it's tentacles. It didn't seem to mind the offensive tone B had adopted. "Why can't you hurt yourself?"

[Celtic]

B's head snapped back and shook. Did, did she hear correctly? Surely this thing did not just ask why she couldn't hurt herself. "Because it's bad? You're not supposed to cause yourself harm."

"Okay." And it truly seemed satisfied with that answer as it began to swim away. B debated for a moment whether or not to lengthen the encounter, but the idea of returning to her own thoughts quickly pushed her to swim after the strange thing.

"What are you?"

"A khalmer." It said matter-of-factly, "What are you?"

"Um, a likuta? But... are you alive? Or are you just a machine?"

[Celtic]

"Oh, neither here nor there." This answer seemed a bit different from the others, much more human like.

"Well... are you a machine? Or are you made of like... fleshy bits?"

The khalmer stopped at this question and seemed to ponder for a moment, "I believe I am entirely machine. I'm not certain as I haven't confirmed myself but I do not think I have any.... 'fleshy bits.'"

Well that was more confusing. "Are you programmed to act this way?"

"Depends on what you mean by programmed."

B sighed, a very loud, very dramatic sigh. "Can you give me better answers?"

"Well I don't know your definition of better, so most likely, no."

[Celtic]

B was getting increasingly frustrated. What was up with this thing? "Well do you have a name then?" She snapped.

The khalmer thought for a moment, "I have an identifying number if that's what you're asking for. Would you like it?"

B stared. Of course, it was a machine, machines had barcodes and ID's not names, "Is that how you prefer to be referenced as?" That stumped the khalmer. It's preferences were not often taken into consideration and even more rarely asked about.

"Unsure. Preferences have yet to be determined." B closed her eyes and shook her head. She was becoming aware of her body's overextension again as the conversation drug on.

[Celtic]

She was really, really tired. B's mind drifted away from the conversation as she started to look for a place where she could perch herself to rest. There was nothing, that was not good. Some small part of her mind told her that she should be panicking, but there wasn't any energy for that. She started slipping...

B's eyes flew open in a panic and she started thrashing around to swim-- only to find herself on land. The weird mechanical squid was staring at her from a foot or so away. B froze. "What happened?"

"You lost consciousness, I carried you here. You slept."

[Celtic]

There was no way she was actually that tired. No way at all. She'd pushed herself yes, but exhausted enough to just pass out in the middle of a conversation? No way. Her body ached all over and her head was pounding, contradicting her rational thoughts. Apparently she had way overdone it. Quietly she muttered, "Thank you."

The khalmer just stared at her quizzically. "Why were you swimming when you were in bad shape?"

"I was upset. Swimming distracts me." That was not a good answer apparently.

"Distracts? But it's what you were made for?" B thought for a moment and just shrugged. She was too tired to try and explain feelings and emotions to a machine.

[Celtic]

"Listen, thanks for y'know helping me out. But I just... I shouldn't be here. I need to go." B said abruptly. The khalmer looked confused (not that B was really sure how she found it's look confused since it didn't really have a face).

"Okay." It seemed to think better about questioning her about this, and B was honestly surprised. However, when she tried to stand and felt all the blood immediately rush to her head and cloud her vision black to the point that she fell down again, she was less surprised. Maybe it knew that she was incapable of really going anywhere like this.

[Celtic]

Her eyes opened and she was in a house, it wasn't any old house it was the one she and her previous significant other shared. B looked down and saw legs-- human, like she always was with her ex. He didn't like the obvoious differences between their species so she rarely took on her preferred likuta form in front of him. Her eyes rolled back into her head-- what a shitty situation. Why would anyone ask someone they supposedly care about to deny themselves.

"Honey!" Came a panicked call from the other room and B knew exactly what was coming next. Her heart started to beat faster, her blood ran cold and her hair stood up on end.

[Celtic]

She looked around, why was she in this memory now? Why was she aware that she was in a memory? B knew that by now she should be running to her ex's side and to see a gruesome sight. But she didn't want to and she wasn't, instead she was still on the couch pondering what her options were.

Theoretically she was grateful to this horrible scene in her life. Without it, she'd never have gotten the idea to leave. She'd end up being miserable and human the rest of her life, living each day to please someone else. She still hadn't dealt with the actual scene and now was not that day either. B looked at the cocktail glass sitting next to her on the couch, downed it and walked out the door.

[Celtic]

"Not sure what I expected." She muttered to herself and as she observed the street that she had walked down so many times. It was dusk and the normal neighbors were out working on their yards. Her car sat in the driveway and B walked to it and ran her hands over the hood. Since she'd taken up swimming again, she'd abandoned the idea of driving. This particular car was sold years ago. She sighed contently, looking over the scene. She missed suburbia in a weird way. It was so predictable, so calm. Yes she was horribly unhappy every minute she spent here but now that it wasn't her life, she could see the appeal.

[Celtic]

She closed her eyes to take in the air of the night she never got to enjoy those years ago and banished the thought of revisiting her trauma. It was best buried deep. When she opened her eyes she was horizontal, now on a bed and in a strange room. Her legs had become short and fuzzy, same with her arms and she gave herself a quick little hug. This form was much more authentic, much more herself. B turned over and sat up balancing with her tail, looking for whoever owned this place. She tried to be discreet but her mind was still lingering on her dream.

[Celtic]

"Ah you're awake." A sweet old lady came down the stairs and smiled at B, "My friend, the khalmer you met, brought you to me. He's a sweet young thing but has no idea what to do with us 'biologic' creatures. Would you like some tea? I just made a fresh pot." B couldn't help but smile at this old lady's nature, she just embodied everything you thought of as a classic grandparent.

"Uh yes ma'am, I'd love a cuppa." The old woman smiled and nodded before tottering onward to the kitchen. She quickly brought back a tea pot and two cups that were arranged neatly on the table in front of the couch B was on.