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Post by Sultan on Nov 9, 2013 20:12:53 GMT -5
Waves crash onto the shore, beating against the sand, rock, and shells. It's rhythm is timeless, the tempo unbroken and the sound smooth. It's like a mother's heartbeat, comforting and relaxing in the way few things are. For the creatures of the sea, the waves are the background to their daily lives, an after thought; something taken for granted. You cannot hear the waves crash upon the shore from underneath the sea.
It's unspoken rule, and should go without saying; humans are dangerous. They pollute seas, steal whole schools of fish without a thought, and take both brothers and sisters, never to return. For the creatures of the sea, the food chain means very little when it comes to humans. Predator and prey alike fall low when it comes to a human's greed, their hands grasping for more and more and yet never being satisfied.
Among the mer, it is well known.
Regardless of these rules, one of the eldest sons of a mer tribe has been visiting the surface for four summers. Four whole summers spent soaking up the sun on a sandbar far from shore, slowly but surely making his way closer and closer to the humans, to see and absorb and watch them live their lively and sunny lives.
It was risky, coming so close to the shore like this. So very risky, and yet, he found himself unable to care. He was unaffected by the fear of being caught. What use was there for fear when he could feast his eyes upon the lives being lived before him? Caution was something he threw to the wind, something he held no care for. Humans were funny, clumsy creatures, and they went about their business walking on odd appendages and doing ridiculous things. Curiosity was his life's raison d'etre, his reason for going on breathing most days; to discover and explore the world around him.
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Post by CityRAT on Nov 9, 2013 22:21:47 GMT -5
A young man sat by his lonesome atop a large boulder on the shoreline, its surface dark and slick from the spray of the ocean waves breaking against the more lowly situated rocks. His gaze was fixed on the white crests of the breakers, only the whooshing sound of the water before him reaching his ears. Although the docks weren't that far off from the formation of boulders he resided on, the usual blood curdling screams of children and grating shouts of the sailors could not be heard. The usual bustle and noise of the town was such a foil to the serene rhythm of the ocean, that he oftentimes did not want to leave. He considered that staying here, surrounded by the sights, sounds and smell of the ocean, would be so much nicer than leaving for town and acquiring a mind-splitting headache.
Nevertheless, he would always depart before twilight. He did not have the desire to be stuck in the pitch darkness of the beach after dusk, or even in the town when the sailors were usually wasted out of their minds and prone to flirting with anything that walked.
He also was not keen on making his grandmother worry. She had enough on her mind with all her patients this summer. He, himself, had to sometimes assist with his grandma's patients, because there were so many calls some days that she wouldn't be able to get to them all if it were not for his help. Not that she ever really had him do anything, she was too proud to let him take credit, so he would merely carry things around for her. He didn't want her hurting herself, anyways, so he was happy to help.
She was also the reason he was even here this season. He could have gone on the trip with his parents to some faraway land like they usually went. He stayed, however, wanting to help her and make sure her health did not deteriorate- not that he would tell her that, of course. She would have his head if he told her such a thing, prideful thing she was.
He sighed wistfully, leaning back on his hands and kicking his feet in the air as the water splashed up against the rocks. He could taste the salt of the fine mist of spray on his tongue. He wanted to stay here forever, he thought to himself, closing his eyes and listening to the soothing and rhythmic sound of the waves breaking.
His name was Aoba, and he would give anything to simply live right here on the shore.
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Post by Sultan on Nov 9, 2013 23:14:48 GMT -5
The beach was particularly empty today. It wasn't a particularly pretty beach, the shore and sand littered with rocks, whole seashells, and seaweed. The reason of course being that it wasn't a commercial beach; it was a secluded cove hidden by a wall of worn rock. Still, normally a couple looking for a private date-spot or a family looking for some security while swimming would have taken refuge here by this time of day.
Considering how close he had come to the shore today, maybe that was just his luck.
Mostly hidden by the rock, a blonde head of hair peaked out from under the water, observing. There was only one person to be found here today, and to be honest he didn't look particularly interesting. All he did was lean back and sunbathe, breathing in the salty sea air. His hair was blue, like the sky, curling up and growing wispy from the salt.
With a wide yawn, the blonde quickly grew bored with the disinteresting stranger. Sunbathing was boring. Personally, he would sunbathe sometimes in his free time as well, so watching someone else do it was a complete bore. Sometimes humans could be dull too, but livening up things a little definitely helped. With a smirk he plunged into the water, scooping up wet sand and shells into his hand before lobbing it at the sunbather.
Bam! A direct hit. Quickly the blonde ducked back behind the rocks, keeping an eye out to watch the human's reactions.
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Post by CityRAT on Nov 10, 2013 0:50:13 GMT -5
Aoba nearly jumps out of his skin when a ball of mud and sand pelts him square in the chest. His breath escapes him for a moment and then he is bolt upright and grabbing at his chest in pain as the spot blooms in pain under his shirt.
He exclaims a few curse words before he scans the area around him with a glare, searching for the little brat who surely threw that ball of sand and shells at him. He was going to give whoever did this such a thrashing-
-But no one was there.
His eyebrows knit together as he realized that, yes, he was alone and, no, no child sneaked up on him when he wasn't paying attention. "..What...?" He whispers to himself, standing up to try and get a better look of the surroundings. Maybe the little shit was hiding or something... But as he continued to look around more closely, he saw no one. No mops of hair hiding in the water, no brightly colored swimsuits or sunburned skin, nothing. There was no one there.
Aoba frowned- who the hell threw that at him, then? He wasn't going crazy was he?
But no, he knew he wasn't, because the imprint of sand still clung to his shirt and when he lifted it to check the still stinging spot, there was a bright pink mark remaining.
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Post by Sultan on Nov 10, 2013 15:38:16 GMT -5
Now that was interesting. The stranger looked disgruntled and confused, his eyes scoping the sand and water for the culprit.
It was really funny to watch, especially because the blonde could clearly see him from his hiding spot behind the rocks. With a quiet chuckle he balled up more wet sand in his hand, hurling it at the other while he isn't looking. It hits it's mark without fail, and he can't stop himself from slapping the water with his tail in glee. Whoops.
It probably wouldn't be a good idea to get himself caught. Probably. He didn't want to give his hiding spot away, are be caught like some flounder in a net, so making noise wasn't the brightest thing to do. He silently sunk into the water until only his eyes were peaking out, clinging to the rock-side to hide his presence and to help him from drifting off with the current. It wouldn't be smart to churn up the water with his tail right now, it might splash and give away his position.
Still, he couldn't ask for a better situation to get caught in. No one else was around, just this one guy. He could probably take him one on one, too. It didn't look like he had a net on him either, so it would be easy enough to get away. Speed was something he had in great supply.
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Post by CityRAT on Nov 10, 2013 19:32:41 GMT -5
Aoba had turned around and was scanning the beach again with a befuddled expression, still very confused as to why he was hit and why he could not find the perpetrator.
He was just about to sit back down and brush off the happenstance, when another wad of sand smacked into his back. He stumbled forward a bit, and spun around to face the ocean, hoping to catch a glimpse of the person who was throwing sand at him. Of course, there was no such luck. A splash of water to his right drew his attention immediately after, and he turned his gaze in the that direction, craning his neck to try and look around the rocks. He still, however, could not see anyone.
"Damn brat, I know you're there!" He shouted, having a feeling it was a child trying to play a trick on him. There was no response or sounds of movement, and with a growl of indignation, he started scrabbling in that direction across the rocks as carefully as he could.
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Post by Sultan on Nov 11, 2013 14:48:45 GMT -5
Shit. The stranger was coming this way, his hurried steps making loud noises against the rough rock and sand. At this rate, he'd definitely be caught. It would be in his best interest to swim away now, with all the speed he could muster in his tail; and yet, he did not.
He felt frozen, stuck in place as he heard the human growing ever closer. Shouldn't he be scared? Terrified? Dunking under the water for cover? It was something his mind was screaming at him to do, instincts going haywire at the thought of being caught. His adrenaline spiked, and he could feel his blood pumping ever faster through his veins.
Yet he didn't cower, he kept his head above the water and leaned into a more confident stance. He wasn't scared no, he couldn't possibly be scared at a moment like this: he was excited. To meet a human in a controlled situation like this, where he could swim away and leave no evidence of his being there! This was truly a rare chance to quench his curiosity.
So he sat still in the water, his heart going a mile a minute in excitement. This could prove to be something good, something interesting, regardless of how he was putting himself at risk.
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Post by CityRAT on Nov 11, 2013 22:02:45 GMT -5
Aoba almost slipped multiple times in his hasty scamper across the rocks. He couldn't find it in himself to really care about his surely scraped hands, however, and scanned the water near the rocks for the person he was sure was there.
And then he caught a glimpse of blonde hair.
"Hey! You!" He shouted, sliding down one of the boulders and perching on one just slightly above the breaking of waves, "What the hell do you think you're-"
He cut himself off when green eyes peered up at him from under a dripping blonde mop, and a tail flipped up behind the man's body, the water splashing every which way when the broad fin was smacked back down. Aoba stared at the spot where the water was left rippling.
He had to pause for a moment, his eyes wide. Did he just see that right? Because that was definitely a tail. A fish tail. Which would make this guy a...
"M..Mermaid?" He stammered, only then realizing his mouth had been hanging open. He promptly shut it with a surely audible clack of his teeth.
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Post by Sultan on Nov 12, 2013 19:45:39 GMT -5
The human could see him. He was within touching distance, and if he only reached just those few inches forward he would be brushing against the skin of Noiz's tail. It was exhilarating, being so close to something you should be hiding from, and Noiz could feel his hands shaking minutely.
What would happen now? What could he do in a situation like this? Excitement getting the better of him, he did an exited flip in the water; showcasing his full tail in the process. He felt like a little kid getting caught in the current for the first time. Oh, this was wonderful!
".. Man." He corrected after a few seconds, his head tilted up at the strange human. The words felt a little heavy on his tongue, the vowels syrupy and unusual. It made him feel both slow and stupid. He sounded a little raspy, his voice creaky from disuse. Talking like this wasn't something he found himself doing very often, even to himself. He wasn't even positive he had said that right, actually.. There was very little he knew how to say in shore-speak.
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Post by CityRAT on Nov 12, 2013 21:33:18 GMT -5
His mouth dropped instantly again, however, when the blond mer did a flip that could only be described as elegant in the water. His shining tail, slick black against stark white, splashed a bit of salty water onto Aoba when the fin smacked back into the water.
It took him a moment to figure out just what had been said to him, the oddly accented word in Japanese surprising him. The mermaid knew how to talk? That was fucking awesome! Just imagine all the things he could ask about the world under the water! He always liked the ocean, finding it serene and peaceful compared to the harsh colored world of humans.
He had to stop himself from continuing that train of thought in favor of replying, only then realizing what he had said earlier, "Oh! You're a Merman." He shook his head, feeling dumb for saying mermaid when the creature before him was obviously male, "Sorry about that." He found himself unable to figure out what more to say to the Merman, the surprise and excitement of what he had just discovered still overrunning his thoughts.
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Post by Sultan on Nov 13, 2013 1:10:20 GMT -5
The human was funny, unaggressive in posture, yet he seemed to have a surprised look frozen onto his face. That made him hopeful for better interactions in the future. Were all humans this friendly? He'd seen humans catch and kill fish, whales, and shark so easily before, could it be just this individual? Could it simply be because they shared faces with the humans they would act friendly with mers; it wasn't impossible. You'd feel bad if someone that looked like you cried, wouldn't you? You'd feel sympathetic.
So maybe that was this human's reasoning for not attacking him outright.
It certainly was interesting, wasn't it? Seeing something he should be afraid of hiding and fleeing from on sight and instead sitting still like a barnacle on a ship's side. Yet here he was, flipping in excitement at it. His elders would probably shake their heads at him, their mouths moving silently but their point getting across all the same. Disappointment. It's not like he cared what they thought or anything, but still. They'd be disappointed with him.
While mulling over all of this, he could hear the sounds of footsteps, a bit far away but close enough to make him look up. Oh. It was time to go for today. That many people at one time did not for a controlled situation make. Biting his lip, he tried to think of a suitable sentence to say to the human. He knew so little shore-speak.. but there was really no time to try to find a better way to get his point across. "I go. Tomorrow I'm here. Humans." As if to make his point, the sound of a little kid asking for sweets could be heard. "Momma, can I have my popsicle before I go into the water? Please?"
With that, Noiz dived under the water, his tail splashing loudly against it's surface before he sank beneath the depths.
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Post by CityRAT on Nov 14, 2013 21:56:39 GMT -5
When the merman made a funny face, biting his lip, Aoba opened his mouth to question what was wrong. However, this was answered immediately after when he spoke in broken japanese, informing him of exactly what he had been about to ask. Aoba jumped at the shrill sound of a child speaking right after, and he turned around to face the shore as if he could see over the boulders from this position right above the water.
He heard a splash behind him, the water even spraying on him, just as he turned around, and he whipped his head around again to where the merman was.
But the merman was gone, all that remained was the rippling of the water that would soon calm. He blinked twice in surprise before leaning forward precariously over the edge of the rock, shouting, "W-wait! Hey!" despite the fact that there was no way the merman could have heard him. He was surely long gone by now because of the hesitation that occurred, unfortunately.
He was left staring at the water for at least a minute, hoping the blond head would pop back up again even though he knew he wasn't going to come back. He was almost certain the people arriving on the beach wouldn't be climbing the rocks; They were sharp, after all, if one fell. After a period of time, he gave a sigh, eyebrows knitting together. He only got to talk to that merman for a minute- that definitely wasn't enough time at all.
But he talked to a merman.
He talked to a merman.
And that merman said he would be back tomorrow.
A smile grew on Aoba's face upon comprehending this. It was fine that he only got to stare at him with a gaping mouth today, because he was going to talk to him again tomorrow!
He jumped to his feet, prepared to head home since he knew full well he wouldn't be able to concentrate on the calming seascape knowing there were real life actual mermaids swimming around just under the surface of the water.
Well, come to think of it he probably wasn't going to be able to concentrate on anything knowing there were fucking mermaids out there, but he told himself that going home anyways was a better idea than risking falling in the water looking for mermaids.
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Post by Sultan on Nov 15, 2013 21:06:17 GMT -5
Making his escape down deep into the watery depths, Noiz quietly mulled over all the thoughts running rampant in his head.
Meeting a human. Something he should never have done, should have never even entertained the thought of doing. Yet he did, and it didn't end in his body being netted and dragged ashore, taken to an unknown destination for unknown reasons and in the clutches of unnamed villains. Every instinct inside of him had told him to swim; to flee or fight or hide his way away from the imminent danger.
Pumping his tail ever faster, he swam until his lungs were sore. Over-exertion was the perfect way to sort out his thoughts, Noiz found. He was fairly close to the the underwater cave he called his home, the entrance hidden away by a dense kelp forest. It was beautiful; not colorful by any stretch of the imagination, but beautiful all the same. The kelp climbed high, a fingers breadth away from the surface. It went for nearly a mile around, too, and a plethora of fish lived inside the kelp itself. He had found this cave entirely by accident three summers ago, during a fight with a sister clan's youngest hunter.
He couldn't exactly remember why the fight had started (or understand, really), but the fact of the matter is that he was losing. Badly. His blood had begun to scent the water around him even, and the only possible way to get out of the predicament was to escape into the kelp and hope the enemy mer did not follow. Thankfully, his aggressor hadn't followed, and after a quick look through the kelp he had spotted the entrance to the cave.
It looked barren then, empty save for the starfish clinging to the cave walls and the shells sitting empty on the sand. Now, it looked like something fit for a king. The cave led upwards, leading into two chambers; one sat above the water, filled with what was clearly an air bubble, and it sat on an outcropping of rock. A few scavenged human items could be seen, a set of chairs and a pile of soggy mattresses being among them, alongside a chest full of the usual. Gold, pearls, silverware, you name it. It wasn't odd for a mer to be found collecting items such as these, considering their penchant for hoarding jewelry and other items they found of interest.
The other chamber sat completely immersed in water, and yet was even more cluttered than the air-filled one. A bed of kelp and sponge could be found on the cave floor, dripping with pearls and empty bottles, the glass colored and bright. This is where he slept, and he tiredly flopped into it while he chewed over the day's events.
A human, huh.. he'd be meeting the human again tomorrow. Noiz hoped that his point had gotten across to the strange shore-creature, but he could never be sure. Still, he would go back to the cove tomorrow and wait. What would the human say? What could he teach him? His curiosity had only grown, and he could feel question after question bubbling up in his throat.
Tomorrow, he assured himself. Tomorrow he would ask every question he could possibly think up, and he would get his answers, endlessly and ceaselessly.
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Post by CityRAT on Nov 20, 2013 17:50:42 GMT -5
Aoba slowly meandered his way down the beach towards the town, thumbs hooked idly in the pockets of his shorts. He sighed, knowing that unfortunately he was going to have to make the trek through the surely bustling town. He wished he had a different way home rather than through the busiest part of the town, but that was not so. His grandma lived in a small home on the other side of town, and the fastest way home was down the main road.
He kicked the sand with the toe of his shoe, looking up to see the docks a short ways away. The main road was right off the boardwalk that split off into the docks. The sand that had made its way into his shoes would have to be dumped out when he got to the wooden walkway, as per usual.
The shifting terrain soon turned to a solid one as he stepped onto the boardwalk, sighing lightly once more with a glance over his shoulder at the ocean. Families scattered this part of the beach, children fumbling around and splashing around in the water with squeals of excitement. He would have to come back earlier in the day tomorrow, to make it to the rocky cove before anyone else did. He wasn't too worried about that, although, since not that many families ventured that far down the beach, that spot being a bit of a far walk.
Speaking of walking, he shifted his weight onto one foot, pulling one of his shoes off and grabbing onto a nearby fence for balance. He knocked the majority of the grains out of the shoe before replacing it on his foot and then repeating the action with his other shoe. Once he was finished, he started on the walk home.
xXx
Aoba slid the door shut behind him with a relieved exhale of breath, kicking his shoes off in the designated spot before calling to his grandmother, "Granny! I'm home!"
"I can hear the door open, boy, you don't need to announce it so loudly." Came the irritated voice from the back of the house. Aoba smiled with a light chuckle, typical granny for you.
"Sorry. I'll be in my room if you need me for a call." He informed her, then heading up the stairs at a brisk pace.
He pushed his door open, taking in the usual disaster zone of his room. He looked over to his bed when he noticed a figure sitting on it, book in hand. Aoba wasn't all surprised to see him here, after all his brother often would simply sit in his room just to keep Aoba company. The dark haired boy looked up quizzically at him upon entering, "Aoba?"
Aoba smiled in response, "Hey there, Ren." He greeted him.
"You're back early." Ren stated, but Aoba had a feeling it was meant as a question.
Aoba nodded, plopping down onto the bed beside his brother, "Yeah, something came up."
Ren closed his book with a soft thump, looking over at Aoba with a tilt of his head much like a confused dog.
Aoba knew he wouldn't be able to hide anything from Ren, he never did. Lying to his brother, the person he was closest to, seemed like taboo. It was just something he couldn't do, "...You have to promise not to say im crazy." He said seriously, looking at Ren with an unwavering expression.
His brother hesitated, "...Alright."
Aoba took a deep breath, "Okay, I met a mermaid."
"...What?"
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Post by Sultan on Nov 20, 2013 18:54:16 GMT -5
The first rays of sun were just beginning to filter through the thick leaves of the kelp when he began his trek back to both the cove and the surface above. His dreams the night before left Noiz bursting with optimism, something he could clearly claim as being a rarity. The human would talk, and he would listen; learn. He could practically taste the conversation on his tongue.
He was wrapped up in his thoughts, his body on autopilot during the entirety of his swim out of the winding and tangled mess that was the kelp forest. His mind was firing off all cylinders, completely engulfed in a fantasy of connection and conversation.
Noiz was so distracted that he hardly noticed when a group of mers from his motherpod made their way to intercept him, confrontation clearly on their minds. (The same confrontation they've tried to accomplish time and time again, in fact.) Two elders and a younger male, the younger just this side of adulthood, on the cusp of maturity. The elders were of middling age, one mermaid and the other a merman.
He definitely noticed them when the eldest male lobbed a shell at his head, though, the older merman's eyebrows drawn down into an over-exaggerated expression of anger, his lips set into a scowl. He kept gesturing to his ears, his mouth open wise as he continued to shout noiselessly. Just like every time before, he made no audible sound; his face going red from effort. The female looked as if she were crying in frustration, her fists shaking with tension. Noiz could only gift them with a blank look, the same blank look he's had to give them time and time before.
He hadn't understood them before and he couldn't understand them now, so what was the point of all their fussing and grimacing, anyways? The blonde just shook his head at them, shooting the male a confused look before pumping his tail hard and swimming away.
There was a human he had to meet, after all.
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