Temporary Infinity (Sirena)

This school, it was large, made him feel like he was in some fantasy. Even this place, the lake. It felt so fictional. Hanging grass draped down from the over hang of rocks far over, moss covered the stones making it soft and gentle. Water flowed from the top into the cavern lake, making gentle pouring water noises. Echoing into the walls and filling the air with serenity. Dustain eagerly walked down the steps barefoot holding his constant companion, a Marionette, a very old and blank one. Its strings had been frayed long before he had it. Before it had come to be in his possession thanks to his uncle.

It rested over his arm as he went down to the water ledge. Sitting he held out the puppet, he began to tweak some of the pins and soon he then said a few words, the mark he used appeared on it and then vanished. It was ready to be used but he wanted to sit there and relax. The water about him made it so calming. Enough he soon just began to day dream. His puppet began to move, sitting by him with the strings acting as if something was holding them. Sitting by him matched the way he sat. It was serene. Enough he forgot he had the link open.

Sirena had just come from a swim to her house to grab a couple of things that she was going to need for this date she was suppose to go on with Vince. When she swam into the cove she realized that there was a young man she had yet to meet sitting there with what she knew was a puppet. Sirena had seen a few puppet shows in her time, especially when she was a little girl. What she found was interesting was the puppet was moving on its own, while the boy just sat next to it.

She was floating a little ways away from him seeing is she was always without clothes while in the water. She might have to start changing that if people were going to start showing up in her cove. "How are you doing that?" She asked hoping not to startle the boy.

Each breath he took was slow, relaxed. The puppet by him acted the way he did, moving as if it too breathed. His eyes closed as he looked to the waters, the puppet seemed more aware than he did as someone came up from swimming. A question was asked, a question he didn't know a true answer to. Opening his eyes the puppet stood, moving to stand and took a bow. A triangular mark on its chest gleamed as three points lined the corners with a dot dangling below the bottom of the triangle making it look like a stubby arrow. Moving his lips as if saying something, the puppet began to dance. Graceful and serene to match the atmosphere of the water area. He was mostly acting on impulse to show her instead of say it. Almost as if caught in a dream.

Sirena got lost watching the marionette dance away next to this young man that she knew nothing about. It was the most interesting thing that she had ever seen. She wondered if the young man talk and every once in a while she glanced between the two and it was almost like the marionette was doing the actions for the young man.

Sirena moved over to the shadows so she can move out of the water and have her clothes appear without the young man seeing her. She walked out of the shadows and opened the cooler that she got from Vince and grabbed a bottle of her water and then walked over to the young man. "So I am Sirena. Who are you?"

A boxw, a curtsey, gentle and light. Dancing till it stopped. Crossing a leg it bowed with an outward move of its arm. Standing it then stood still. The male by the wooden marionette lifted his hand and the figure moved onto his hand, standing he then blinked at seeing her there. He gulped and then sighed. Looking to his friend of tree he spoke, "Dustain..." he chocked out. The puppet poked him then pointed to her. His eyes closed a bit. Becoming shy since he never really shown anyone besides family.

Sirena opened her water and took a little drink because it seemed like this was going to be a long conversation at this rate. She was hoping that maybe she could pull him out of his shell. She sat down on a rock that was near the two of them and continued to watch the puppet. "Well it is nice to meet you Dustain." She mentioned.

Sirena could not help but notice that the puppet was a little more active than he was, "Does your friend have a name too? It would only be polite for me to speak to him too." Sirena hoped that he would notice that she meant no harm. There used to be a time that she did not like her space invaded but she was beginning to enjoy the company.

The man never had been so shy before, he blamed it on how he was raised. Maybe even just adjusting was his issue. Dustain didn't know. He did have to admit, it was nice to meet more people. Looking to her he nodded with a smile. Though the puppet was on his shoulder by now, it waved as he looked to it. Bowing aa the male then spoke, "Marylin. It's Marylin." It seemed to be a bit annoyed, "He doesn't like it but that's what my uncle named him... before I learned to animate him." He froze then looked to her, "Oops... uh... yeah...." he rubbed his neck. Maybe he blabbed a bit too much?

Sirena could not help but wave to Marylin when she caught him waving at her. "Well have you ever thought of renaming him to something he would like?" Sirena asked knowing that his father named him, but she would not like to have a girls name and be a boy either.

Sirena was glad that he had decided to talk to her a little more and it was more than a couple of words. "So what kinds of things do you and Marylin like to do?" Sirena was wondering because he seemed to enjoy the puppet and she wondered if he had any more that he did this with. It was a very interesting gift and it was one she had never seen before.

Dustain looked to the puppet, the puppet was special. Old and wise. Sometimes he swore it truly could think on its own. Looking to the girl and spoke, "Never really thought of it. He's very old so it be hard to name him anything besides Merlin or some odd name." He said with a laugh before he then spoke more, "Well.... I read a lot of fairy tales and legends and d myths.... I use them to help me practice. I put on shows for my cousin and her family. I'm not sure how I do it- but I can control three at a time so long as they are smaller than my friend here." He said and smiled. Moving he took some moss and gave Marilyn a beard.

Sirena continued to watch between Dustain and Marylin and began to wonder a few things about them. He claims the puppet is old but it almost seemed to her that he had a mind of his own. It was obvious that he didn't like them name so she wondered something, "Even though he seems to run threw you, maybe he has a little of his own mind." Sirena commented, "Maybe you should just figure out what name he likes." Sirena offered with a shrug.

Sirena listened to the things he likes to do and it was obvious that he was passionate about his puppets and he enjoyed playing with them. "Well books always have lots of ideas." She looked at him and smiled, "Everyone has a little magic inside of them, its just what you do with it." She commented, "Like what I was born to do, its something I have decided I don't want to do any more."

The puppet was old, maybe that was why or he just had such a vivid imagination the puppet would take some on accident? Honestly he didn't understand his gift too well. Thinking to himself he looked to the puppet, it began to respond to his thinking of names. Maybe that was it! Names! Having a proper name could help control them! As he looked his eyes got wide as it nodded to his conclusion in his mind. Just maybe he could find the name some day! He looked to the woman, "I think you're on to something I never could figure out before."

Dustain looked to her and smiled, of course books did! Though, why wouldn't she use hers? Wasn't her gift special? He didn't want to press on the subject- but what could have made her not want to use it? Moving he leaned on the wall and put a hand to his head. Focusing the mark on his puppet shattered it seemed and he caught it, "Least I'm tired... instead of loosing my voice." he said softly. His puppet was limp now, which would be that way till he was less tired. If he tried again he had a higher chance of becoming mute for a bit, "I am honestly... not sure if mine's magic."

Sirena had never thought of changing her ways before she had met Vince and now she was talking to all these new people and she was learning that all of these men she had hated for so long were not as evil as she thought they were. She was getting to learn about people and their lives just by allowing them in. When he told her she actually helped him she got a little excited, because she was never actually able to help someone before. “Well I am glad I can help you with something.” She said with a smile, “Everyone loves a proper name, I have two myself.” She laughed a little.

Sirena nodded a little in agreement about being tired because she had seen it way too many times over her years. “Using magic a lot can tend to wear a person out.” She stated, “You seem to use a lot of magic to make the puppet work.” Sirena looked at him for a moment and pondered, “What else could make the puppet connect with you? It has to be some form of magic.” Sirena could not think of any other reason for this connection, it was not something she had seen before.

Dustain rolled his head a bit to the left and hugged the puppet close, "It takes my voice away or makes me want to sleep. Uncle put me here so I could learn to not fall to it. He says I did it once before when my mother died...." though he pondered a moment, what made it work. As he began to think the puppet moved and gave him a few gentle taps like it was patting him. He looked to her and smiled, "Sometimes if I concentrate and think on it they seem to respond. Others they have a mark I draw on them. This one he has a different mark. It was there when he was given to me." Dustain sighed a bit, "I do not know if it is magic though."

Sirena listened to Dustain talk as she sat down in the water close to him so she could be closer to watch and understand. She was starting to learn to be comfortable around humans and knowing the good ones from the bad ones. “This is a good place to learn to control powers.” Sirena said. “Of course it is nice when your family can help you learn.” Sirena said as she started making the water around her move up into the air and down again.

Sirena smiled a little and was trying to think about what he was saying, “So it’s almost like you have mind control over them.” Sirena said out loud contemplating. “Maybe the mark is the connection?” Sirena wondered, “But there has to be some form of magic, even what I do has magical properties.”

Dustain could see the place would be helpful. Maybe with practice the puppets could play besides just swim. However as he thought he saw the waters, they were moving! He watched intently and smiled. Kind of like a cat with the little red dot. He still listened though, which was one of his best qualities. Multitasking listening. He shrugged, "Who knows but that mark does help me a bit." he said softly, "Sometimes it works very well if I use a drop of blood in the ink I write the marks with."

Sirena just watched the young man play with his doll and she was really interested in his ability because it was not something she had seen before. She was surprised at how well he pay attention to what she was saying along with making the doll work. Hmmm, she thought to herself while he talked and she moved closer to him. "That diffidently sounds like Blood magic at work at me." She told him.