[closed to sunshinewings]

[penguinbaby]

On a normal day, Nagisa would have been headed to the other side of the harbor, to his father's fishing boat. But the weather was too tenuous for that, or so he'd been told. The sky looked clear, but those who could read the signs warned against the possible threat of a typhoon.

Not one to be locked up in the house all day, though, with tedious chores and three nosy sisters, Nagisa headed out down the usual road anyway. Halfway, though, he stopped to clamber over a cement barrier and down towards the rocks on the other side.

It was dangerous down here, all slippery stones and unpredictable wave patterns. But it was also private. It was free from responsibilities and expectations and prying eyes.

As he settled in on the wide platform of a rock twice his size and gazed out over the ocean, Nagisa thought that this part of the shore seemed to match his name the most. It was bright and exciting, and it always felt like something was about to happen.

Comments

[sunshinewings]

While it was true that a typhoon was on the way, it was still quite a ways away yet. Hours. And Hinata would soon have to spend days deep in the ocean to avoid it. And it was dark down there, even for a Mer.

So instead, he'd found a nice, warm, secluded rock to sun on for a few hours until he had to go in.

Even for a Mer, he's bright. He's all pale, iridescent skin and perfect orange scales that come most of the way up his body, curling all the way over his shoulder blades, framing in several dorsal fins. His fingers are long, his palms broad, delicate orange webbing stretched between them. His face was fine-featured, or would be after some more time to age and his body was lithe, his tail heavily muscled, his fins only a little ragged. He was short for a Mer, only twelve feet from the top of his head to the tip of the fluke of his tail. Most Mer his own age were already at least fifteen, and some were well over twenty.

He was stirred from his light doze by the sound of somebody - a human - scrambling over the rocks. Didn't they know this was a dangerous place to be? Lifting his head, he looked around for the person. He caught sight of a boy. He had a head of bright blond hair and was perched on a rock rather adeptly. "You should go inside," he called out finally. "A typhoon's coming right this way."

[penguinbaby]

Nagisa started, his shoulders going tense and hunching up. Had someone followed him? Was he going to be in trouble again?

But there were two problems: the first was that this was not the sneering voice of any one of his sisters, nor the gruff booming timbre of one of the fishermen who worked with his father. The second problem was that the voice didn't come from the harbor road above. It came from the other direction entirely, just a little further down the rocks.

Nagisa's eyes scanned across the scene suspiciously. When he finally settled his gaze on the shimmering figure before him, suspicion gave way to confusion, and then amazement.

Nagisa had heard all kinds of old fishermen's tales about incredible creatures that lived in the depths of the sea, and he'd even believed them a few times if the stories were good enough. But none of that could have prepared him for this, all glimmer and grace and lissome angles.

He couldn't even say anything at first, mouth suddenly dry and a lungful of briny air caught in his throat. When he did speak, it wasn't any sort of response to the warning -- just one dreamy, wonderstruck syllable.

"Wow..."

[sunshinewings]

Hinata slapped his tail against a nearby rock and rolled onto his side, exposing his belly that was nearly white, and muscled. He had no belly button, either.

"You should go in." He pointed out at the ocean. "It's a big storm. You might have to stay inside for a few days. I'm going to be down at the bottom of the ocean for that long."

He looked back at the blond human. He frowned. "Your home can last, right?"

[penguinbaby]

Nagisa's eyes got even wider, if that was even possible, and he crawled across the rock where he stood and crossed to another to get a closer look. He almost didn't catch the creature's words, too occupied with taking in every detail with his eyes.

"Hm? Oh, my house should be fine. It's held up through storms before." It was an old house, home to the Hazuki family for many generations, but actually more trustworthy for all that. "What about you? Is it really safe out in the water when it all starts trying to jump out of the ocean?"

[sunshinewings]

Hinata stared as instead of going back inside, the boy came closer, moving carefully over the rocks closer. He didn't come in too close, though, so he didn't dive back into the water.

"In close to land it can get really rough, the waves affect the ocean floor, but out further where the water's deep the wave isn't as tall, so it's okay. It gets boring, though, you have to stay down deep and it's really dark and there's nothing to do. So I'm going to stay up here as long as I can so I don't have to be down there as long."

[penguinbaby]

"I wish I could go with you." Nagisa settled down and sat cross-legged. He wanted to move even closer, but something he couldn't pin down in the back of his mind kept him from doing it. "I could keep you company, and I wouldn't have to be shut up with the Harpies the whole time." He giggled, though, because if something like this creature exists, then maybe he should clarify. "Not real harpies, just my big sisters."

He picked up a flat rock about the size of his palm and turned it over and over in his hand, examining the edges. "I'm Nagisa, by the way. How much longer do you have?"

[sunshinewings]

At the mention of harpies, Hinata checked the sky nervously, because there was such a thing and they loved to pick on him. He was so bright, he had no camouflage out of the water so he was an easy target. But then he clarified and Hinata relaxed, returning his attention to the human boy. "Hinata," he said, opening his tail fin with a neat little snap.

"And probably another hour before I have to leave. Then half an hour after that the wave's probably going to hit. You should be inside by then. My clan says it's going to be a big wave. Your house might wash away."

[penguinbaby]

"Hinata." Nagisa repeated it so quietly it was almost like he was just mouthing the word. It fit really well! The perfect name for someone so brilliantly shining and beautiful. He dipped his finger in the water and traced it out on the surface of the rock, smiling to himself.

"A whole hour, that's good! I can stay with you for a while, then." He watched what he'd written start to dry and vanish, and then looked up. "My house has been through a lot, so I think it's probably okay. I guess it'd be really bad if it wasn't, though... I'm good at swimming but I'd worry about my parents."

[sunshinewings]

"You can't swim in this," Hinata yelped. "I can't swim in that! The waves would bash me into rocks!" He had no idea how sturdy human houses were, but this was a really strong tsunami! "I don't like it when humans end up in the ocean during stuff like this... I can't do anything to save them. There's too much debris in the water, I'd get cut to shreds..." But the thought of his new friend Nagisa thinking it would be okay to go into that... "You have to promise no matter what you won't go into the water after the wave hits. You'd die."

Hinata lashed his tail against the rock unhappily, wincing as it made his tail sting.

[penguinbaby]

Nagisa blinked, startled back just a little at that outburst.

"I just meant... if I get washed away I won't have a choice, right? It's swim or..." He couldn't really complete that sentence. "...Or nothing.

But I won't go out in it on purpose, okay, I promise."

He gave Hinata a hesitant smile and extended one hand, pinky finger out.

[sunshinewings]

Hinata stared at Nagisa's offered pinky finger in confusion, then held out his own hesitantly. "Okay," he said. "If you have to, you should swim to safety. But don't go in the water otherwise." He frowned down at their fingers.

[penguinbaby]

Nagisa linked their fingers and gave one quick tug down, in unison with a decisive nod of his head. "There, that means it's sealed."

He sighed in satisfaction and gazed out over the open water. It still didn't seem like a day for a terrible storm at all, but surely it would blow in soon. "What about you? Do you have a family?"

[sunshinewings]

Hinata nodded. "My mom and my little sister. They already went down. My friends, too. I should go soon, before they get worried."

He stayed at the ocean. But while the sky was clear and blue, the pressure of the air was getting more and more oppressive. "I've never gotten to meet a human before. I see you all the time but I never get so close... can we meet again, after the storm?"

[penguinbaby]

Nagisa nodded slowly, something almost careful in the motion, as if he was doing something delicate. "I'd like that. I've never met a Mer, either." He wanted to say more, to babble on about how he hadn't even know such creatures really existed until now, but for once he didn't get ahead of himself. Maybe it was something about the pressure in the air from the incoming winds, but something was keeping him grounded.

Instead he just said, "You're really beautiful."

[sunshinewings]

Hinata flushed and ducked his head. He pressed his fins in tight against his body shyly. "Thank you," he said, flipping his tail fin open and closed in pleasure. "I think you're beautiful, too... Most humans have dark hair, but yours is nice... I like it. It's almost like mine, I think Yachi's is more yellow, yours is almost gold."

[penguinbaby]

Nagisa was completely taken aback. To call an otherworldly creature who looked like sunlight personified "beautiful" was one thing, but... a normal person like Nagisa? He twirled one of his longer strands of hair around a finger to pull it into his field of vision, blinking at it. He'd never thought there was much of anything special about it, or about any part of him.

"You really think so?" He tilted his head to the side and smiled sheepishly, cheeks turning pink. And then, as an afterthought, "Who's Yachi?"

[sunshinewings]

"Yachi's one of my friends! She has yellow hair too, but it's more yellow, like the sun."

"Do you want to go in the water for a little while?" He would be better able to tell where the tsunami was if he was in the water."

[penguinbaby]

Nagisa listened in awe, wondering just how many creatures like this one were out there. A whole family, and friends! It must be like a completely different world out in the water.

"Okay! It'll be nice to swim while I still can, since I'll be trapped for a while once the storm comes." He pulled off his shirt and folded it haphazardly, placing a sturdy rock on top to keep it from blowing away if the wind picked up.

[sunshinewings]

Hinata grinned. "Great!" He turned on the rock and pulled himself down off of it and back onto the small strip of sand that led down into the ocean. He pulled himself out into the water with his arms but once he was out deep enough he flicked his tail, sending a spray of water up. He sighed in relief once he was in the water, his skin having dried out a little.

He wasn't sure how well Nagisa could swim, but they'd have to stick in the shallows anyways, with the storm getting closer he couldn't get Nagisa too far from the shore.

[penguinbaby]

Nagisa followed eagerly, shivering a bit at the initial shock of the cold water, but he adapted quickly enough. It was too shallow here to dive properly, so he just waded out until he was far enough to duck his head under. He popped back up and shook the hair out of his eyes, grinning. It was always easier after going under that first time -- not so cold, and the faint scent of the saltwater was always welcoming.

It was nothing compared to how obviously at home Hinata seemed to be in the water, though. It was kind of like seeing him for the first time all over again.

"Is it hard being on dry land?"

[sunshinewings]

"Not hard, just... your skin dries out after a while, so it's nice to go back in. Plus sometimes sand gets between my scales and that's really annoying." He smiled and swam a bit closer to Nagisa, circling around him. "How fast can you go?" He didn't know a lot about humans, except that sometimes he rescued them when they fell off of their boats.

[penguinbaby]

"I can swim 200 meters in under 2 minutes!" Well, on the short course, anyway. Long course times are a different matter entirely. "I guess that doesn't mean anything to you though, huh. I'm fast compared to humans my age, anyway."

[sunshinewings]

Hinata grinned. "It doesn't. We should race!" He pointed to a rock further out. It was probably a little more than 200 meters in a straight shot. "I'll let you start first!"

[penguinbaby]

Nagisa giggled. "I guess it's only fair if I have a head start, huh? I swim a lot, but not even close to as much as you." Nagisa didn't have the advantage of a dive, either, since he was pretty sure he couldn't safely manage that in these surroundings. It would probably be difficult for a land-dweller like Nagisa to present much of a challenge, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to try his hardest.

"Okay, ready?" He lined up his body with the rock, took a deep breath, and pushed himself forward.

The way he swam was probably very different from what Hinata was used to -- ducking under the water and pulling himself up for air again and again, legs kicking out like a frog's, and arms stretching out in drawn-out upside down heart shapes as he went.

[sunshinewings]

Hinata had planning on letting Nagisa get about halfway before he started to swim, but the way Nagisa swam was so unique! It was much more efficient, compared to how most humans swam!

He moved to catch up to Nagisa, moving with almost lazy flicks of his tail to keep up. It was clear he wasn't using even a tenth of his speed, but he'd already been distracted from the race. He waited until they were to the rock to ask, "Why do you swim like that? I've never seen another human swim like that. It's pretty fast!"

[penguinbaby]

"Why, huh?" Nagisa had to think about it. It wasn't like he couldn't swim other ways, but... "Because I'm good at it, I guess. And I like how it feels when my arms stretch out like this." He demonstrated the motion in the air again -- the way his arms seemed to reach out almost impossibly long at the peak of the stroke. "I just always liked it best, that's all!"

[sunshinewings]

Hinata frowned again, then tried it. It was definitely more efficient for him to just use his tail and keep his arms tucked against his side, but since humans didn't have a tail...

He looked back at Nagisa. "Do you want to swim really fast?" He grinned and turned his back to Nagisa, gesturing for him to move in. He wouldn't be able to turn super fast without his dorsal fin, but he could go in a straight line easily enough.

[penguinbaby]

Hmm, yeah... As Nagisa watched, it definitely seemed like that stroke didn't work so well without the whip kick. The way Hinata swam normally looked more graceful anyway.

He blinked, confused, at Hinata's question. He moved closer anyway, treading water, too curious to hold back. "Ooh. How?"

[sunshinewings]

[If Nagisa ever gets one of those mermaid tails...]

"Hold on to me, I can swim super fast." If he swam full speed, he would be out of Nagisa's sight so quickly it wouldn't be any fun. "Just wrap your arms around my shoulders."

[penguinbaby]

Nagisa nodded decisively and encircled Hinata with his arms, clinging tightly. It was strange, in a way -- Nagisa was used to being affectionate with just about everyone from the start, but something about this felt different. Hinata wasn't even human, after all, and it felt like being given permission to touch something esoteric and otherwordly. Something that should have been so far out of his reach.

"Okay, I'm ready.

[sunshinewings]

Hinata grinned. He reached up to hold Nagisa's arms with his hands so he wouldn't just get pulled off from the force and started to swim, slowly at first, then working his way up to top speed, slowing every little while so Nagisa could catch a breath at the surface.

When he stopped, land was a distant wiggle of a line on the horizon. He looked over his shoulder at Nagisa, grinning. "I'm pretty fast, huh?"