#leepackett

Elisa sat on the edge of the beach, just outside where the waves of the water could reach her. The edge of the foam occasionally tickled her toes which briefly initiated a glimpse of scales, before fading away just as quickly as the sun was so hot and bright, drying was quick.

She had her phone out and was swiping at her screen. “You know, I love the internet. I love being online, and I love doing my podcast,” she started, “but online dating is the worst.” She frowned. “I’m pretty sure half these men are absolutely serial killers from the way their profiles read.” She turned to look at Lee. “Have you ever done the online dating thing?”

Ever the mess, today was no different. Mari was currently stumbling through the city trying to see what money she could scrounge up from pickpocketing or just straight up looking pathetic. Her current ruse was the classic distract them and bump into someone in order to see if she could find anything hidden in their purses or pockets.

"Ohmygod, what is that?" she asked, pointing at nothing in particular and looking distressed in a rather dramatic fashion as she bumped into her next unknowing victim in a very obvious manner.

“So, they wouldn’t actually take my blood at the blood bank, because it’s too filled with foreign substances,” said Oumar. As he said foreign substances, he used air quotes. “And the thing is, I’m not going to sell a kidney or a piece of my liver or something like that, you know? It’s a one time thing. At least I can make blood constantly, I won’t actually run out. Not, you know, forever. But you know what else I could sell that I won’t run out of either?” 

Oumar paused for dramatic effect. “Sperm. I figure, people want babies and some people either want babies by themselves or can’t have babies and so they need sperm. I come from good breeding. No one actually has to know I’m currently homeless, right? I’m pretty healthy. Feels like I could at least make some money. Enough to buy, like, a week’s worth of sandwiches, right?”

It was only halfway through the month of July and the heatwave seemed to continue on with no end in sight. Elisa had spent much of her time in the water as a result, coming on land for necessities only with the heat being far more tolerable in the water. Not to mention, she hated sweating. At least in water, she didn’t. 

Today, she had decided to run some errands and made a final stop in Port Grave, if only to replenish her supply of fishy treats for Renmchá. She cradled her purchase under her arms as she boarded the train and looked around for a seat, spotting a familiar face and sitting herself beside him. “How’ve you been coping with this heat?” she asked, noting a band of pirates also boarding just behind her, the doors closing.