Gremlin jumped to attention when the bear approached. Was bear not scared of Gremlin anymore? Gremlin felt a hint of fear at the big bear losing its fear of them. The big one, Sergei. They were trying to take their spear. Gremlin eyed the bear, minuscule as he was, with a gaze like cold fire. No, Sergei could not take the spear. It was Gremlin's! It belonged to them. It belonged to Gremlin until Sergei chased Gremlin with spear. Gremlin hissed at the bear, but it was uncertain. They looked around nervously; realizing the great height difference between them.

Gremlin let go of the spear, a small part of them both afraid of the bear and being lifted. They stumbled a bit as their horns shifted with their weight. Gremlin didn't understand why Sergei wanted the spear. Perhaphs to ruin Gremlin's game. Sergei could have this spear. But Gremlin would have his revenge. Gremlin mock charged at the bear, tail held high. They stopped short, though. Very short. The bears sudden courage gave Gremlin some doubt. But Gremlin was scarier than this bear! Gremlin would show them! Show them for being mean! Stopping Gremlins fun! Gremlin bared its' tiny teeth at Sergei, a threat display that looked more like a mockery of a smile. A tiny bird-like scream escaped him.

"Dan-ger-ous!" Gremlin squeaked, although it was drawn out, and pronounced strangely. The small lips unused to forming the syllables.

@Sergei

...Okay, that was terrifying.

The tiny beast, with its tiny fangs and peeled-back lips, its pointed horns, it was charging him--and the bear, despite himself, stumbled back a step.

He blinked.

Bear head extended out, jaw dropping, lips of his own parting wide, and a guttural roar bellowed out: a response, animal to animal, threat versus threat. An intimidation display for the mock-charge, and the insistence of dangerous.

Then he turned, walking warily, glancing at the kid--as long as it hadn't run away, at least. "I fish. We eat," he informed it, and hefted the spear as he paced over toward the water.

His old method of fishing had been to wander chest-deep and bite or slap the fish, but a fear of Mother lurking in the water (as she had done, long ago) and a new pair of thumbs left that as a last resort, these days.

Sergei did not know what Gremlin might eat; he assumed fish. He ate fish. Fish was good. Surely everyone did? Sergei ate everything; it was strange to think there might be those who didn't, or couldn't, do so.

The spear shoved down, and one of the many silvery bodies coiling to and fro beneath the dazzling surface of the water was impaled; the bear quickly stepped back, spear raising, water droplets spraying in a bright glinting of light, and then it was down, on the beach, claws putting a swift end to it.

He pulled it from the spear, dead, and peeled a strip to toss to the... "child?" "Food," he explained--and glanced up to see if Gremlin was still there.

@Gremlin

Gremilin felt pride as Sergei faltered. That single step back, it filled the tiny monkey with a sense of empowerment. Gremlin had shown the bear true fear. Gremlin flicked the tip of his tail. And then, Sergei returned his threat in kind. The flash of teeth and the great roar. Gremlin stumbled back. A flash of fear in his wide, red eyes. Gremlin pondered. Gremlin would get revenge on Sergei for scaring Gremlin. Gremlin would not go up to the bear, no. Gremlin thought the bear was scary. The bear may eat Gremlin. And Gremlin could not chase bear with spear.

The bear mentioned fish? Eat? Gremlin knew what the eat word was, but they didn't know the fish word. The bear threw something at Gremlin. Their first reaction was to leap away-- it could be anything! But--they looked closer. Food? Gremlin grimaced at the slice of reddish flesh.

He crept closer. Picked it up with a hand. It was slimy. Gremlin tentatively bit it, making a strange face. They couldn't get a piece off. Gremlin took the strip to their side teeth. Trying to eat the strange red flesh. Gremlin didn't like how it stuck to their side teeth. But it was edible. It was 'food'. Gremlin had to question the bears taste in food. What else would bear eat?

And then Gremlin got an idea. An awful idea. If Gremlin threw rock, maybe bear would eat rock too. Gremlin dropped the strange food Sergei had given him. He dug his hands into the sand, fishing for a sizable pebble. Their hand felt one, a smooth, dark stone. Gremlin lifted it, not taking the time or thought to cleanse it, and launched it at the bears head.

@Sergei

The little rock soared up, up, and Sergei blinked forward just in time for it to clock him right in the face. He flinched aside, so at least it didn't get his damn eye, but the look he fixed the tiny creature with, afterward, was one of ultimate betrayal.

Of hurt.

He'd feared this sort of thing; and now that he'd actually reached out, and tried to help another being--it had betrayed him!

The bear gave a sort of soft, sad moan, and then picked up his spear, and his portion of fish--and simply lumbered off.

Sergei... attempts to exit? Unless followed!
@Gremlin

Gremlin, at first, thought that what he did was extremely funny. The plunk sound of stone hitting skull. He chittered out a little laugh. And then Sergei looked at him. So hurt. So broken. And Gremlin thought this was even more hilarious. But then the bear stood up. Gremlin stood too, thinking that Sergei would finally chase him.

But instead, Sergei walked in the other direction. Away from Gremlin. Gremlin thought this was a prank. That Sergei would turn around, suddenly, and chase Gremlin with funny scary noises. But Sergei kept walking. And walking. Sergei didn't turn around. Gremlin scrambled after him once it realized Sergei wasn't coming back. Why was Sergei walking away? Gremlin had done something very funny, Sergei needed to think so too!

Gremlin would get Sergei's attention. It tried to match its' pace up with Sergei's. Gremlin's horns glowed with a surge of magicka. A gust of pressurized wind formed, and Gremlin directed it at the bears face. Gremlin was too young and inexperienced for a a good wind, but it was a short blast of air. And to follow that up, Gremlin said the only word it knew by heart:

"Gremlin!" They chattered. "Gremlin!"

@Sergei
((Dont forget, you're here forever))

Sergei let out a quiet bear-moan of dismay.

The food hadn't distracted the tiny beast. It was now beneath him, blowing air up, and he stumbled back--what if it was infected--and shook himself with a low growl.

He had no idea what to make of this creature. He didn't want to hurt something so small, and possibly so young--but he wanted it nowhere near him!

"Go away, little thing," he growled at it, dourly. He did not know what 'Gremlin' meant, and he didn't particularly care.

Sergei turned to walk the other way. Toward the water, this time. He didn't want to swim, either; there were still Hive-members who swam. But he wanted away from this thing. It might be Hive too, after all.

@Gremlin

The bear was still trying to leave. It turned, ignoring Gremlin and grumbling. Gremlin was confused. Gremlin had done nothing wrong. It didn't understand Sergei's treatment. Everything Gremlin had done was funny.

"Gremlin." It hissed back at the bear. Sergei was on track to head closer to the water, and Gremlin paused. The water was scary. It dragged Gremlin down. Made Gremlin cold. Gremlin couldn't follow bear in there. Gremlin tensed. It paced for a moment, scared to follow. Scared to look away from the bear. Would bear get dragged underwater? This wasn't fun. Sergei was being mean. Sergei had been mean since Gremlin found them. But Gremlin didn't want to lose a playmate. Maybe if Gremlin warned Sergei of the dangers of water, Sergei would stop.

"Fish!" It said, desperately. It raced to catch up with Sergei. Fish was Gremlins sole associated word with water. The wheels in it's head were turning, yet the words were not yet there. It had no idea how to communicate that the water was dangerous. "Fish! Dangerous! Gremlin!"

Gremlin tried again to stop Sergei. They summoned their magicka. Perhaphs they could make another gust. If Gremlin blew hard enough, Gremlin could stop Sergei. The cast itself went through, but Gremlin had greatly misjudged. It blew hard, missing anywhere near Sergeis face by far.

But, it did hit Gremlin. Or, more accurately, it hit the sand surrounding Gremlin. The gust launched a plume of sand into Gremlin's face, coating his eyes and mouth in enough grit to rival the shores themselves. Gremlin made a strangled noise, which devolved into a coughing fit. He wiped desperately at his face and eyes, trying to rub the sand and taste of shore from them.

@Sergei

Well.

It had sort of worked. The tiny monster was yelling at him, and Sergei glanced back, rumbling briefly in thought. It seemed to be warning him that the water was dangerous due to fish..? He couldn't quite be sure. Before he could scold it further, it had somehow kicked sand into its own face and eyes.

Despite himself, the big bear flinched. Sand in the eyes sucked.

Sergei hesitated, at the water's edge, the surf slowly rushing in and out around his paws. He glanced back, once or twice--worried that Tethys or someone might erupt forth, clustered with clinging fungus--but then focused on his magicka. He was hardly a prime father figure, but maybe a soothing song would help..?

"Water is dangerous. Some fish big," he agreed, and--still standing there alone--began to resonate with a faint but chiming music.

If the tiny monster came after him, he'd flee into the water. If not-... well, apparently, he'd stand there being music.

When it did not seem to respond--transfixed, maybe?--he wandered back off, moving up the shore. Once he found himself alone he virtually forgot the little monster, bar distant nightmares of it later on.

@Gremlin

editing into an exit due to inactivity