fishing for keeps

dylas hale raiden | 25 | part of the pelago islands

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(Activity Check for 12/12 -- Passed!)

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(Dylas’s attire for Hunt’s Christmas Party!)

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(Activity Check 11/28/2020 -- Passed!)

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(Soft reset! Please don’t acknowledge posts before this <3 )

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lest-i-forget​:

What A Catch || [[Lest/Dylas]]

“Huh- WAAAHH!”

Suddenly, Lest was hit with a face full of fish. It kind of stung, but mostly, he was too shocked to really process it. Had the fish just fallen from the sky? Was it raining fish? 

As he wiped the slimy wet feeling from his face, doing a minor damage assessment, instead of an explanation, or even an apology… He was getting yelled at.

“Hey, uh… How is any of this my fault, exactly?” Lest turned to face the man who he could only assume was to blame for this whole situation. A number of questions went through his head. Why was this guy whipping around a fish? Wasn’t he planning on eating the fish anyways? Unless that was his pet, which honestly, just raised more questions than it answered…

Instead of helping the man remove the river water that had undoubtedly coated him, Dylas simply reeled his line in and pulled the fish toward him. He unhooked the line from the fish’s lip and tossed it in a cooler beside him that was partially filled with water from the river. He paused, and the fish came to life once it had gotten accustomed to the water. A sigh left his throat before closing the lid and slinging his rod over his shoulder, finally turning his attention to the bystander.

“It was obvious enough. Never get behind someone who’s fishing.” Dylas sighed before casting his line back out to the waters, throwing a glance filled with daggers over his shoulder. “You’re lucky it was only a fish and not the hook that met your skin.”

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mintteaprincess​:

Follow4Food || Frey & Dylas

“Wha- Seriously?” Frey was astonished that the man was still being so adamant about his stance on the matter. Just how far was he going to ask her to go to convince him that she was his neighbor?! With a long sigh that demonstrated just how tired she was growing of the situation, Frey pulled out her keys from her purse with her free hand.

She stuck the key into the doorknob and it slid in without issue, a small click sounding once it was all of the way in. She turned the key to the left, unlocking the door, and she opened the door. “There,” she said, turning back to him as the door swung open to reveal her rather tidy room. “Satisfied? Goodness, you sure take a lot of convincing. Do I really seem like someone who would try to lie about this?”

The half-beast swallowed his hope as the girl slipped her key in the door, and... it turned effortlessly. The door opened to reveal a tidy, girlish living quarters, and Dylas suddenly felt as though he should crawl under a rock. A blush of red was the only thing to show his abashment, and he used a free hand to cover the lower portion of his face before emitting a daring scoff. 

“Well... I have never seen you in the hallway. That is all.” Dylas raked a quick hand through his hair, looking toward his door as a means of exit. “... And I do see you frequenting the restaurant. An easy mistake, I do believe.” He huffed a breath, as if he still didn’t want to believe that he was the one in error -- he certainly wasn’t going to apologize to this stranger.

“...Plus, you’re quiet as a mouse. I could barely hear you walking, much less live in the room beside me.” He sneered in disbelief as he leaned against the hallway walls. It was unprecedented to have someone living beside him when he didn’t even know there was someone on the same floor.

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treetopdynamite​:

Summer Shopping || Open

“Leo, we’ve been all over the place today, but we can’t find anything good…” Luke sighed dramatically, feeling rather defeated, as he walked around the various shops of Leuda. The big beach day required all of the proper gear, and with Sofia and Luke as parents, that meant dressing up the kids accordingly. Luke already had his swim attire, but little Leo needed to be shopped for. There was only one store left and Luke approached it, adjust his hold on Leo as the baby rested against his side. 

“Sorry dude, ‘scuse us!” Luke approached the shop, moving past the man staring in the window. Leo, bring the observant little baby he was, immediately noticed the man’s swishing tail and odd ears, and made a cooing noise as he reached a little hand out towards the stranger. Luke looked down at Leo, then at the man, and offered a sheepish smile. “Oh, sorry! He saw your uh, tail.” His amber eyes flitted to the man’s ears. “And uh, your ears.”

Dylas was just about to turn and leave, mortified that he was unable to find a single swimsuit, when a voice caught his attention. He held a child on his shoulder, and seemed to be entering the same shop he was stood in front of. He grunted in response to the man’s apology, and yet he halted before the doors.

The baby held in his arms was staring at Dylas, and he felt his ears twitch in response to its sudden cooing. The half-beast stared right back as his tail swished back in forth in annoyance -- children always felt the need to prolong glances, usually until Dylas left the scene entirely. 

At the other man’s apology and confusion, Dylas’ ears pressed down to his head and he looked down abashedly. “Yeah? And what of it?” He growled the response and ran a hand through his already frazzled hair and along his ears, allowing them to pop back up after smoothing them out. “Maybe you should teach him to not stare at strangers.” 

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angoraexpert​:

Summer Lovin’ || Agate & Dylas

Agate rolled onto her side, propping her head with one hand while rest the other across her torso. “What if I am?” She mockingly batted her lashes and smiled. “Is that so wrong?” The brunette wasn’t the kind of person to throw flirty teases at someone, but she had thoroughly started to enjoy his reactions. It was never easy to tell if there was a difference or which one was right, but she felt it was either that he was starting to believe it or he was embarrassed that she was more daring than he thought. To the public she was sure that it looked like nothing more than two people - friends or more - bickering. And although what they saw may have been true to an extent, she didn’t care what others thought. His expressions were amusing and he was a good sport about it (kind of) often doing the same to her when she least expected it.

There were also other times, however, that he surprised her. Not in the giving her a random gift or an act of kindness kind of way, but a way that showed that he wasn’t just a pain in her neck. Then again, it was her reaction to when it happened that shocked her more. This instance happened to be her eyes lingering a bit too long on the sight before her. Agate was a quick woman though. She caught herself and quickly turned it in her favor to move away any ideas that he may have formed if he caught it. “Are you trying to put on a show?” She smiled. “It’s not very good.” A playful laugh followed before she stood and stretched.

“I’m up for a swim though.” She ran her fingers through her hair and tied up the top layer of her hair in a half-up, half-down style. She then moved to remove the yellow t-shirt and jean shorts she wore to reveal her swimsuit. Throwing them aside, she looked over to Dylas. “I’m not waiting for you,” she stuck out her tongue, making her way towards the water.

It wasn’t so much her words that caught Dylas off guard. Her teasing tone was something he’d gotten accustomed to, even when it came with a hint of flirtatious accent -- but her expression always shifted his embarrassment to the forefront. A flush cascaded over his cheeks as her turned and lifted his chin up, nose pointed toward the sky in hopes of blocking the heat of his cheeks with the sunlight. He scoffed as if he was sure Agate was poking fun at him, and checked a mental note to get her back later, but he still made an attempt at lashing back. “Come, now -- what will the children think?” 

Dylas swore he felt eyes on him while he made his body more limber before the swim, but when he looked behind him the brunette was busying herself with other matters. He turned back to her, grazing a hand over his toned stomach where sand had somehow already begun to stick to him. “A show? For whom?” He tilted his sunglasses down again before looking around, a smirk forming as he set his eyes back to Agate, faux realization setting in. “Ah -- assume I’m trying to impress you?” He chuckled lightly, as if he were amused at the thought; all the while stomping down ideals that may be approaching that truth. “The heat must be getting to you already.”

In a flash, Agate tied her hair in a new style, and Dylas was just about to comment something crude when she began removing her upper layer of clothing. Dylas’ eyebrows shot up, and he was momentarily grateful for the dark sunglasses that hid his expression and shielded her vision from his poignant stare. He had seen her in lesser clothing with injuries, sure -- but this wasn’t a dreadful scenario where he had to be focusing on something else. He had something to take his mind off the brunette’s skin and curves and scars, but now there was only she and him. He’d hope his chin hadn’t dropped, and covered his expression with a flimsy hand as she passed by him, cheekily sticking her tongue out before making her way to the water.

Dylas paused for a moment before swallowing deeply. He tossed his sunglasses onto the pile of clothing Agate had left before breaking into a slight jog to catch up to her. Once he was beside her, the half-beast gave her his own challenging expression before breaking into a sprint, only stopping when the water level covered his legs and was nearing his waist. He turned back to Agate, his smirk wide and coy as he raked a hand through his hair, leaving trails of seawater along the top. “I’m not waiting for you, either.”

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angoraexpert​:

Summer Lovin’ || Agate & Dylas

Once Dylas did what she said and settled all of the items they brought into the sand, she sat herself on the chair he brought. It was probably for him, but he took too long to claim it. Now it was hers, to which she wore a bright, victorious grin. Her grin subsided and was overtaken by a roll of her eyes. “For your information, I did eat today, so ha!” The brunette might not have brought food for later, but that was only because she knew Dylas would be responsible enough for that. He typically was. 

Agate laid back in the chair with her hands behind her head and eyes closed to soak up the sun’s warmth. “Hey, I don’t need to be prepared if I know you’ll be,” she chuckled. “You’re like a mom. I know you’ll pick me up if I fall down.” 

Before he could even mention the lack of another chair, Agate had already made herself comfortable on the beach chair that he had provided. He placed a hand on his hip as his stare bore down at her, borderline aggravated -- if only by her victorious grin. “Make yourself comfortable,” he mocked snidely, gesturing to her outstretched legs. 

He wasn’t sure if Agate’s comments were actually snide or if they were, in someway, a compliment. The brunette’s tone was as shrewd as usual, and it was always hard to tell if she meant what she was saying in a pleasant way. But, with judgment based on their usual conversations, it was safe to assume she was chiding him. Dylas tossed a condescending look toward her. “Be careful there, shortstack -- I might think you’re actually flattering me.” His shades scoot down toward the tip of his nose as he pointedly glared at her, but a softness was hidden behind his yellow irises. He pushed his glasses back up before pulling at his hair bun, periwinkle pieces already falling out around his neck. 

“I don’t know about you, but --” The half-beast kicked off his shoes as he stood in front of Agate, stretching a muscular arm over his head as his back muscles strained with the movement. His skin was already soaking up the sun, and his ears and tails twitched with a tinge of hidden excitement. “I’m planning to make my way to the water.”

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angoraexpert​:

Summer Lovin’ || Agate & Dylas

“What? But I’m on time. Don’t be an idiot.” Agate shook her head with a frown. It was probably hard for him since it came so naturally, but she supposed it was what kept him interesting. And annoying. Speaking of which…

“No, I don’t need you to,” she replied stubbornly. To prove it, she quickly slipped one of the bags he held off his shoulder while he was busy feeling smug and threw it over her own. “On the other hand, however, you look like you do.” The brunette didn’t wait for him to say much else - other than the bit about the sun - and started to walk ahead of him to the first empty spot she saw. Agate wasn’t the kind to normally hold grudges, but she swore that he did things to purposefully get under her skin. Despite that, she was here for a fun day at the beach. She needed the time to unwind from her work stresses (and injuries), so she took a deep breath to compose herself and let the pettiness go. 

“Alright, this is the spot!” She dropped the bags in the sand and turned to Dylas with a smile. “Let’s start unpacking everything. The sun won’t be out all day,” she mocked.

He nearly let out a bellow of laughter at Agate’s pout. It was always amusing to see her bottom lip quiver and pout with aggravation, and he couldn’t help the smirk that widened his own mouth. While he was basking in the enjoyment of pushing her buttons, Agate managed to snatch one of the beach bags he was carrying. “Hey --” was the only thing he managed to spout before Agate turned and walked ahead of him.

He paused for a moment, shaking his head as an uncharacteristic smile whispered across his face. Though Agate may be annoyed at him for half the day, he was... enthused about the possibility of a day at the beach. The sea was something he always enjoyed -- whether or not he was fishing -- and it was rare to have someone accompany him on such an occasion. Maybe even a friend? He mindlessly walked behind the brunette, watching wispy threads of her hair fly in the sea breeze; he barely had time to wipe away his grin before she turned toward him.

An eye roll was all Agate would receive for her comment, as Dylas had a lot to do. He set down a cooler, adjusting it so it wouldn’t manage to tip over should a gust of win threaten it. His brows knitted as he laid out the single beach chair, as he hadn’t thought to purchase another one for Agate, but... he could always sit on the sand instead. Once he was through setting up camp, Dylas reached into the bag Agate had carried in to retrieve a dark pair of shades, and set them on his nose as he looked over to her.

With a brow cocked, Dylas opened the cooler to reveal an array of sandwiches, fruit, and a few bottles of water snug in ice. He tilted his head knowingly. “I figured you may have forgotten to eat again -- and that you wouldn’t be very prepared.” He chuckled shortly. “Seems I might’ve been right.”

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angoraexpert​:

not-horsin-around​:

Summer Lovin’ || Agate & Dylas

As the temperature rose with each passing day, Agate had been dying for a day at the beach. Sadly, most of her go-to friends were busy with work or other responsibilities making it hard for her to make plans. Going to the beach alone was never as fun in her opinion and knowing that she invited the one person who always appeared to be available for her last minute ideas. Dylas. Lately, they had been getting along better with all the time he had been spending at her house (because of Tiva), so she didn’t feel an ounce of awkwardness asking if he’d like to tag along.

She hadn’t expected him to accept her invitation, but when he did, she smiled at her phone. The brunette no longer dreaded the thought of being somewhere with just him and even enjoyed their bantering from time to time. They were genuine friends now.

Agate arrived at the beach at the agreed time and quickly found the over-packed Dylas. He was already in beach mode with his long hair tied in a bun and his shirt tucked under his arm. With her own bag resting on her shoulder, she ran up to him with a smile and slapped a hand against his back. “Need help?”

Dylas was spacing out in thought when Agate approached, and was almost surprised as she sprinted up to him. Quickly, it melted into an easy smirk at Agate’s insistence to help with what he was carrying. He breathed out a snort as he adjusted the luggage on his shoulders. “I was beginning to think you weren’t going to show.” The smirk he wore only grew when he picked up their usual teasing tone.

Instead of accepting her help, Dylas held out a hand to her, gesturing for Agate’s own beach bag. “I’m more concerned with the one bag you’re carrying. You sure you don’t need me to carry it?” Though his tone was light, he knew exactly what would get under Agate’s skin. Her refusal to accept any help was always apparent, even when they hadn’t seen each other in a bit. He thought back on the feeling he experienced when her text for the beach trip dinged onto his phone...

Before Dylas was taken off into thought, he shook his head and looked out toward the sand. “C’mon, the sun won’t be out all day.”

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An eyebrow twitched and a tail stilted its movements as Dylas stared out at the beach. The only reason he was competing in any of these foolish events was that Leon had been joking about how he was the superior Guardian because he was the oldest, and he was an obvious choice to win in each. The very thought of Leon prancing around with medals and prizes made Dylas grit his teeth.

Someone needed to challenge him back.

(badly photoshopped shorts based on this wonderful fanart by RT_Vixen!)

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Summer Shopping || Open

Summer was in full swing now, and Dylas had heard of a few events that were scheduled at the beach. He was no stranger to fanfare over swimsuit season, but he’d usually never taken an interest in anything of the nature... until recently. He’d felt himself caring a bit more about his appearance, even attempting to muss his hair into presentable condition before arriving to work or to their house. Swimsuit shopping seemed an appropriate next step.

He had been nearly all over the island of Leuda with no luck. There were loads of advertisements going on about swimwear, but they almost exclusively meant skimpy bikinis. He was beginning to give up on finding something other than the swimsuit someone had gifted him when he first awoke. He stretched an arm above his head, cracking the joints before doing the same to his neck.

A glare rested imminent on his face as he glanced around. He was obviously lost and at his wit’s end, but Dylas would never crack and ask for help -- his pride was overwhelming as it oozed through his pores. Instead, he simply set a stony face toward a shop’s windows, analyzing whether he should go in or not.

Who needs this stuff, anyway...

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🥕Activity Check | 05/30/2020🥕

Passed!

(this goes before last two posts sO Sorry!)

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Summer Lovin’ || Agate & Dylas

@angoraexpert​

The heat was sweltering.

Though the season had just begun, summer felt as though it was in full force. Dylas felt beads of sweat already collecting at his neck as he made his way across the island. It had come as slight surprise that Agate had invited him, but he thought it might just be out of a need to be courteous. Whatever the case, the half-beast had felt slightly odd when she invited him, but after clearing his throat he’d scheduled their meeting time.

The sun was high in the sky when Dylas arrived at the entrance, the sand already creeping toward his sandals. He set his mouth into his usual scowl, ears pointed toward the path toward him -- he didn’t want to miss Agate, since she was so petite. A snort breathed through his nostrils as he pondered how she may look like one of the children passing him to have a fun day at the beach. It was a pleasant thought, but he had a feeling it would not be the case.

Dylas hiked the folding beach chair he’d bought the day previously on his shoulder before decidedly setting it against the walkway post. He’d thought he’d be able to manage in a tank top and swim trunks, but the heat was too tough even with the breathable fabric. Setting the rather large beach bag he’d prepped next to the chair, he pulled the shirt over his head and stuffed it into the bag. As an added relief, Dylas pulled his long hair up into a bun, securing it with a hair tie at the back of his skull.

Once he felt fully prepared, Dylas picked up the things he’d set down, appearing to be a bit overloaded -- he wanted to be ready for anything, since he hadn’t been on a beach outing in far too long. Agate was punctual, if anything -- he was sure he wouldn’t need to wait long.

[angoraexpert]

Battle Scars

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angoraexpert‌:

Agate ignored his attempt to dig deeper into a topic she didn’t mean to bring up. It related to the subject at hand in the moment, but wasn’t a pleasant memory that she wanted to relive. Her injuries when she was younger were quite scary. She blamed the slip of her tongue on the dizzy spells that came and went with the pain and somewhat mild blood loss she experienced.

Walking to the door, she caught herself on it when she stumbled during another lightheaded feeling. “Nope, nothing,” she smiled. A roll of her eyes followed when he suggested that she should lie down for the afternoon. Lately, he had become a bit too comfortable with telling her what to do. “Okay, mom.” Agate moved from the door frame to her bed where she sat on the edge of it - immediately feeling a wave of relief. “And I’m glad you’re finally calling him Tiva. You didn’t seem too happy when I named him originally.”

It was obvious she was ignoring him, for the most part. Dylas was all too familiar with deep-seeded trauma, and was the first to push someone away when they asked for more details -- but he had already told her everything. He had told her the story of him becoming Guardian, one of the biggest upsets in his life, and Agate was refusing to tell him anything about her past. He breathed sharp, hot air through his nose, his brows setting low above his eyes as he walked with her to the bedroom.

Dylas sighed with annoyance, casting a look toward the entrance of her room opposed to looking at Agate head-on. She was causing him to be more emotional when they were together, always for some insignificant thing. He was constantly concerned for the brunette, and the heightened emotions only caused more confusion. He was not at all a fan of it. A tinge of worry slid through the half-beast’s expression as he watched her sit, setting his eyes for a moment before averting them once again. 

“Well, he is my beast. I should’ve realized you would gift him a name so... feminine.” Agate’s tone was the same as always when she was covering her emotions -- teasing and lighthearted. He had become aware of the fact that she rarely felt as if she could show her feelings. Dylas wondered if it was pride or only reasoning with herself that it would cause less worry for those around her. With long strides, he walked to the door, an air of callousness exuding from his expression. “The afternoon is dying out. I need to get some training in while I still can.” 

A scowl formed on his lips, and his brows knitted together despite his irritation. Dylas went so far as to cover his face for a moment, raking his hair back to cover his bewilderment at the array of emotions he continued to feel around her. “... Get some rest.”

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A Fish and a Horse || Dylas & Pia

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childlikemermaid‌:

Pia couldn’t believe her eyes when the criminal took the hook from her hand and tossed it back into the water. The mermaid rarely got worked up over anything, but this… this was pure evil! He had no intention of stopping his collection of her friends and didn’t even try to explain himself to when she addressed him. He didn’t say another word beyond repeating the very fitting title she gave him.

“Rude!” Sinking back below the surface, she swam towards his line and with a swift blow from her tail, snapped the line. She smiled victoriously to herself and grabbed the hook as it slowly made its descent, then tossed it above to where it would land next to where he sat.

“This is not your home,” she scolded. “Leave.”

Dylas kept his eye on the prize as the girl swam away. He thought, for a moment, that he’d been victorious in his stubbornness. After all, he didn’t see ownership of the cove in any capacity. A smirk crept on the half-beast’s lips. Before he could think anything more about his win, he was nearly thrown back from the force of his fishing line snapping with a flick of a shiny tail. He blinked in shock when the girl resurfaced, the clink of the metal hook beside him merely an echo in his mind.

It only took a moment for Dylas to be overcome with rage, his teeth gritting together as lightning flicked through his tail. Luckily, he had trained with a certain someone in order not to shift, or this would be an unfortunate event. “Siren,” he spat the word as an insult to the girl, setting his rod down beside him. “You claim to own this cave? If my information is up to date, this is nowhere near your kind.” He gave a malicious grin, false pity occupying his expression. “Are you lost? You should go running home to your kind before you get hurt.”