Turn the Tides

Siircio?

Sereia blinks, not comprehending. It recognizes that word because its friend is of that species. But why was this large beast calling it that? It knows it's somewhat different in comparison to the standard Igalyph, but it's certainly no Siircio. Eyeing the brown beast up and down, it takes in their wild mane, gold jewelry, and scarred features before frowning at the rapier in its face.

Wait a minute—

It reaches up with a hand and touches its face, shocked to find a mouth there, one that it's feeling out with...fingers?! It quickly jerks its hands away to look at them, only to find a pair of gleaming chargers resting in the center of each palm. Staring at them, Sereia automatically tries to flutter its receptors to figure out what's going on, only to find its sensory appendages missing. Instead, it feels its new, finlike ears twitch from where they're framing the sides of its face. In a panic, it quickly curls in on itself, wrapping its apparition — wait, no, that's a tail — over its face, shielding its vision of most of itself and its surroundings. In the darkness, it can hear the confused lilts in the crewmen's voices and their steps as they shuffle about the wooden deck.

"What's wrong with it?" the beast snarls, tapping it with the flat of their blade. It doesn't respond. They then bark, "Someone figure it out!" A scramble of limbs is immediately heard as individuals scatter in all directions to obey the command.

After what seems like ages, it hears the familiar sound of...finger clicks? Sereia shuffles its position, so it can peek out a bit, and finds a pair of glowing, hollow eyes staring back at it. An Igalyph! The other's blank expression is one it's familiar with, so it finds comfort in seeing one of its species aboard. As if sensing the change in its disposition, the other wiggles its receptors at it in recognition; it must be able to tell that Sereia is also an Igalyph, despite its current transformed state. Ignoring the hushed whispers around it, the Siircio gently unfurls at the Igalyph's continued clicking, trying to figure out its cipher. Since the Igalyph language is constantly changing, and both of them have been away from their own kind for a while, it'll take a while before they're able to understand one another. Nonetheless, Sereia raises its hands, about to click back before stopping itself. At the moment, it had forgotten it's not itself. The realization causes it to feel tingly all over. Another familiar sensation. It looks down—

Oh.

A pair of ribbonlike hands are held out before it. Curiously, it raises them. Yes, those are its own hands. Another quick check and yes, its receptors are back. It's an Igalyph again. Sereia looks up and flicks the appendages in response to the other, followed by a series of finger clicks. The crew member tilts its head before clicking back. They're not exactly communicating just yet. Regardless, it's comforting to go through the motions. However, their not-conversation is cut short by the scrape of a blade against the deck. It peers over the other Igalyph's shoulder and remembers where it is and who else is aboard. The beast with the patchwork of scars meets its gaze, a gleam in their eyes, a wicked smile upon their face.

"An aquatic shapeshifter, eh?" they muse, a clawed finger coming up to rub their chin, "We might find a use for you yet."

What had it gotten itself into? Sereia doesn't know. It only knows that it still needs to find its friend.