Ariel:
Ariel was frightened, and lonely, she hadn't been able to sleep until the sun rose and even then it was a fitful sleep filled with nightmares. Why had Will brought her to this place, why had he left her here? She swam from one end to the other of the small lake and found no connection to river, stream, nothing. There were fish, and a few clams, but she couldn't bring herself to eat anything. It was distressing to be cut off from everything, from everyone.

She curled up at the bottom of the lake as the sun vanished from the sky leaving things below the water completely dark, but for the soft filtered light of the moon. She rested her head on her paws a soft sob escaping her, her ears folded back unhappily and she closed her eyes trying to pretend she was home.

William:
William returned to the lake once the sun had gone down, feeling rather hollow inside. With him was a small package he had stolen from the ranger's station not too long ago, a bonding excursion with his mother, but he doubted it would make up for anything. There was a large flat rock not too far into the water, some other ones leading to it, so he stepped across the other ones to put the simple box on the largest one. He knew inside was a treat, a pawful of soft nuts candied in honey and sugar, but they weren't for him. He returned to the bank, dragging the fin on his tail through the water to send ripples this way and that, scaring off fish.
Sighing softly, he curled up on the firm ground, cold and unwelcoming without even a short fuzz of grass yet, his head on his paws as he watched the dark lake.

Ariel:
The ripples wavered above her distorting the weak light, she lifted her head and looked up. Was Will back? Was he going to take her home? She sat up uncertainly before swimming up to poke her nose out cautiously. She had always been cautious of the land, and then she had learned to love it, and it seemed now she was learning fear. She pushed her hair back and looked around curiously her eyes adjusting to the darkness.

"Will? Is, is that you?" Her voice trembled slightly uncertain if the dark shape on the shore really was him. She glanced over to see a box sitting on a rock, she knew it hadn't been there before.

William:
"It would be no other. I would not allow trespassers, especially not... now," Will replied softly, watching perfectly well in the darkness as her head poked up above the surface. What more could he say to her? He didn't really know how to explain his actions, it was impulsive, not like him at all. But, then, he wasn't himself. Maybe it was the control, to have someone near who couldn't leave unless he allowed. He had always been sort of a scoundrel, but when had he become cruel?

Ariel:
Ariel was slightly comforted by Will's voice, at least it was something familiar to her. She swam up towards the shore and leaned over to put her paws on the drier ground. "Well...you never know..." She murmured softly still uncertain what was going on. She glanced at the box and then back to him, "Someone must have been around because that wasn't there before."

William:
"It's my job to know," Will said in a neutral tone. He glanced at the box for a moment before looking away.
"I put that there, for you," he added, adjusting his paws a bit more under his head. He flicked his tail a bit, shaking the water from it before curling it close to his side. Part of him hoped she wouldn't push the issue of the box, but it was inevitable. He returned his cerulean gaze to her, watching. Would she take it? Throw it into the water and spoil the treats?

Ariel:
"Oh..." She turned her gaze back towards the box uncertainly, her curiosity was simply dying to go see what was inside. Yet she was slightly afraid, what if it was something dangerous? She turned away to swim over to the rock and examine the box curiously. Well...it was at least worth looking into, she carefully pulled it off the rock and peered inside.

It was a strange sight to her, her diet was always fish, clams, nothing from the world above. She picked up one of the nuts confused by it's sticky texture and looked at Will. "Uh...thank you...what are they?"

William:
Seeing her take the box and look into it lightened his hardened heart. A small smile actually moved onto his face as she removed one of the treats.
"Candied nuts, I don't know which kind. My mother and I... found them," he explained, avoiding the subject of the fact that he had stolen the treats from the humans. He finally stood and walked towards her, stepping slowly out on the rocks towards her. He stopped one rock away from the one he had set the box on, not wanting to spook her away.

Ariel:
"Whats a nut?" She sniffed it curiously before taking a small lick, ohh that was yummy! She quickly popped one into her mouth happily chewing it, crunchy and sweet. She swam over and propped herself on the large rock setting the box back down and pulling out another nut. "Wanna taste? It's really good."

It was all too easy to forget that William was responsible for her being stuck out here, she had always considered him a friend. There had to be some good reason for her being out here. Sadly she was unaware of the reason, good or bad.

William:
She was so sweet, Ariel. How easily she had forgotten that he was the one who had taken her away from her home. Will stepped a bit closer and took the treat from her. He knew what was coming when he put the nut into his mouth, tasting nothing as it quickly dissolved into dust on his tongue. Food would never have a taste for him, only blood. He hadn't fed the night before, too conflicted to concentrate properly. He lost everything he tried for. He was hungry and with another living creature so close, so easy...
Will took Ariel's paw in his and nuzzled it, eyes closed. Resist. She had fallen back into normality enough to let him this close, he wouldn't scare her back into the depths, not if he could help it.

Ariel:
"You look tired Will..." She was a bit surprised by the way he held her paw, but his touch was soft not unkind. She tilted her head and moved a bit closer undaunted as some might be, unknowing that it was hunger that had him in such a state. "Are you alright?"

Perhaps whatever had him so muddle headed might explain why he had brought her here. Had he forgotten that she lived in the deep river? Had he been too tired to put her back there? But no...this place was further away it would have been harder to bring her here then leave her there.

William:
Will groaned softly when Ariel moved closer, losing his control like sand through his paws. He didn't want to use her, but he already was, wasn't he? Trapped so that he could have a star whenever he wished. How selfish.
Nuzzling his way to her shoulder, he hugged her, his eyes closed as he pressed his face into her fur. He shouldn't have touched her, shouldn't have come out onto the rocks, should have just given her the box and left. Hell, he shouldn't have left his territory in the beginning. But what was done was done and forward was the only way.
"Please don't fear me," he whispered, not knowing whether she heard it or not before he bit her where shoulder met neck.

Ariel:
Ariel was startled by how close Will was getting, his soft nuzzle against her paw had suddenly changed. Her cheeks flushed as she felt him nuzzle her shoulder, he was so close! She was mildly surprised by the hug but softly she squeezed him in return. Maybe he just needed her right now, they were friends and wasn't this what friends were for? To comfort one another, and help one another, and feed-Oh! She tensed for a moment startled by the sensation of his fangs sinking into her flesh.

She heard his whisper, she wasn't afraid, just confused...so confused. Had he brought her here to be his meal? No william said he didn't kill...and she believed him. She leaned against him in a mild daze unwilling and too confused to pull away.

William:
Will had expected several reactions. Fear, anger, disgust. Acceptance wasn't one of them. He froze after a short moment, trying to process that. He slowly pulled his head away, his thoughts clearing now that he had fed, if even a little. He frowned at her, holding her up for fear she would fall if he let go, dazed as Ariel appeared.
"That was not my intent..." Oh wow, of all the things that he could say, that was all he had come up with? He really must be losing his mind.

Ariel:
Ariel stared at him confusion swimming in her wide blue eyes, what could she say to that? She stared a moment longer before giving a tiny nod surprised that her neck didn't hurt. "You...you were hungry..." She murmured softly, she remained leaning close to him still not having the wits to pull back. William wasn't bad, he was her friend, maybe he had just done one bad thing in taking her away from her home. It wasn't terrible though, he could have left her stranded on the dry land. She shivered slightly at the thought of being stuck on land, oh it would be wonderful to explore if she had four paws to walk around, to jump and climb...but as she was it was a far off dream.

William:
"I was, but... Don't think that's why I brought you here. That just happened," William sighed as he spoke, setting her carefully back, though he kept his paws beside her, ready to catch her should she falter. Would she ask him, then, why he had brought her there? Either way, he wouldn't tell her. No, he had to stay strong and cool now. It was okay to have them around him, females, but he had to remain distant. He had been right in the first place, after all. Getting too close was too much of a risk. Ariel... would be company, someone he could talk to or to simply watch, nothing more. He would have backed away from her then, but he couldn't, didn't want her falling and hurting herself if he had taken too much.

Ariel:
"But...th-then why did you bring me here?" She asked curiously her eyelids fluttering as she felt drowsiness come over her. Goodness but she felt as if she had been hung out to dry. Her fin gave a weak little flip and she slowly tilted her head towards William.

"I think...I feel as...as weak as a pup..." She pressed closer against him and gave a soft sigh. She really did want to ask a bit more insistently about what it was William needed, what he wanted, but her vision was spotting with black.

William:
Will couldn't answer her question. He simply held her up as she clung to him and grasped at any other thing he could say.
"Where do you sleep, Ariel? Underwater? Partially above?" His voice was soft as he tried to coax that information from her. If she told him, he could get her there safely, not risk her drowning, if she could, or whatever. He really didn't know much about otters like her.
He knew there were underwater dens in the pond, one he had worked on himself, should he need it. For now, his above-ground den worked fine, but there might come a time when it was no longer safe or whatever the case may be.

Ariel:
" I sleep mu-much more comfortably underwater..." She murmured softly and fought to keep her eyes open. Who would have thought how much a little blood loss could affect someone. Oh but he hadn't answered her question, why was she even at this quaint little pond. Her head lolled against his shoulder and she gave a tiny gasp.

"Oh I'm so- so sorry I just feel...well a tad woozy I think...like swimming the wrong way..." She blinked hazily.

William:
Will made a soft shushing sound after Ariel gave him the information he needed and somehow managed to slip out of his boots while still supporting her. Of all his clothing, those were the most difficult to dry, so he avoided swimming in them. USUALLY when he went swimming, he was down to his fur, just to make it easier, but that wasn't an option right now.
Carefully, he slipped into the water with her, pushing her away from the rock as he did so.
"The feeling will go away. You'll be well after a nap," he murmured, sliding beneath the water's surface and pulling her down with him, intent on taking her towards the deeper part of the small lake, so no land predators could see, let alone reach, his captive star.

Ariel:
She wanted to nod, to tell him she was sure she would be alright, but her head felt awfully heavy. Her eyes slowly slid shut as the darkness closed in and took her to a deep deep sleep. Pity she didn't get the chance to talk with William a bit more, or to tell him it was quite alright that he had been hungry.