[SE] Isn't this lovely?

kaiden

There is no shame in survival
Only strength

It was good to be back and surrounded by comforting purple. After spending so much time with Hadama and hearing Vox's voice, Kaiden wanted to be back near the heart of their Friends. Swimming along the edge of the island, the mer tried to peer past the flora and spot what lay beneath. The fact that they couldn't truly explore was irritating.

Hauling themselves up onto a rock, the mer pushed their torso up to get a better view. As they did, they spotted someone walking on the bank. Raising a hand, Kaiden called out cheerfully. "Hi!" If they were on the island, they had to be a Friend or even part of the Family, right?

Noe

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Noe

Best believe I'm still bejeweled
When I walk in the room, I can still make the whole place shimmer

Noe walked along the beach, sandals in her hand, enjoying the feel of the deep purple sand between her toes. It was a relatively nice day on Starfall; the usual storm had seemingly calmed, and the seas weren’t as choppy as usual. It had made getting here that much easier, and she’d spent the morning exploring the caverns beneath the island.

Now, as she made her way down the shore and back towards the little rowboat she’d used to get here, she spotted a form in the water. They shouted out a cheerful greeting and she returned a friendly wave. When she was close enough to see the mershark more clearly, she said, ”Hi! I’m Noe. I haven’t seen you around here before.” But, seeing as they were on Starfall, they had to be a Friend of the Family.

And when I meet the band, they ask, "Do you have a man?"
I can still say, "I don't remember"

kaiden

There is no shame in survival
Only strength

"I'm Kaiden. Are you a Friend too, or part of the Family?" They didn't want to assume. The mer leaned forward, almost falling off of the rock and just barely catching themselves, What's" it like on the actual island?" The mershark raised their tail, emphasizing their lack of access. "I'll tell you about below the island in return!" The mershark had spent most of their day diving down and to try and see what other void Friends were around.

They had yet to delve too deep, however. They'd forgotten to bring a lantern with them, and they certainly needed one for the very bottom. It was almost like the island was rising out of the abyss! Kaiden had been metaphorically fin-slapping themselves when they arrived to the island and realized their error. They could hear the creatures and Friends below them, large shapes cutting through the water and letting out the most interesting of sounds.

coding by kaons

Noe

Best believe I'm still bejeweled
When I walk in the room, I can still make the whole place shimmer

"It's nice to meet you, Kaiden," Noe said cheerfully, taking a seat on a nearby rock and leaning back on her hands, her face turned up to the sky as though to soak up a nonexistent sun. "I'm just a Friend." She wasn't sure she wanted to be a part of the actual Family. That seemed like a lot of pressure.

As for the island, Noe hummed thoughtfully. "Purple," she laughed. "No, but seriously - it's super cool. I've never seen so many different kinds of plants and animals, and they're all so friendly! And then there are the caves. I haven't explored much of them yet - I'm more of an open air kind of person." Her favorite had been the abyssal mata mata, which reminded her so much of Mika that she couldn't help but love them.

And when I meet the band, they ask, "Do you have a man?"
I can still say, "I don't remember"

kaiden

There is no shame in survival
Only strength

Kaiden nodded, "Cool. What's your name?" The mershark wanted to be Family one day but they didn't know if that was even a possibility. Maybe they could ask Vox sometime? They didn't feel purple enough yet and surely becoming Family would fix that.

The mershark snickered at the comment, their tail splashing up water as a result. "I bet." If the island wasn't purple, they were a Demi-god. Which was gross to even think about. Refocusing on the conversation, Kaiden took in the woman's observations with an eager ear. "It's just as cool below the island! There are creatures down there that I've never even seen and I'm always in the deep ocean. There are caverns down there too. I'm hoping to explore them soon." It was a missed opportunity that they couldn't do so today.

"Oh! Have you met any of the Family? I've only met Vox and he's amazing. But it was actually a ghostwhale that opened my eyes to how wonderful the Family is." The mershark was incredibly curious about who the other members of the Family were and if they'd ever get the chance to meet them. If they were a Friend, they should introduce themselves and make a proper first impression.

coding by kaons

Noe

Best believe I'm still bejeweled
When I walk in the room, I can still make the whole place shimmer

"Noe," she said, then settled in to listen to the mershark's observations of the seas below the island. It sounded very similar to what she'd observed on the surface, and she found herself nodding along eagerly. "I wonder if the caverns connect?" she mused thoughtfully, leaning back on her hands and tilting her face into the nonexistent sun. "Like, if the underwater caves come up into the aboveground ones. That would be cool!"

When talk turned to the Family, Noe grinned. "Oh my gods, Vox!" she said with an affectionate laugh. "Isn't he the best? He came to a taco party I helped host in Stormbreak and he's been, like, the best friend since then. Dahlia and Pierce came, too, but I really have only gotten to know Vox." She leaned in conspiratorially. "The others intimidate me a little. They're just so amazing, you know?"

And when I meet the band, they ask, "Do you have a man?"
I can still say, "I don't remember"

kaiden

There is no shame in survival
Only strength

"Nice to meet you, Noe." She seemed nice.

Kaiden's eyes widened as they pictured what Noe described. They nodded enthusiastically, "That would be incredible! Oh! What if it's hollow in the center and that's where all the caves lead to?!"Starfall was a magical island, and if they understood Vox's broadcasts correctly, there was a god here. Maybe they were sleeping in the heart of the island! It was probably the safest place for a sleeping god too.

It was nice to meet another fan of Vox and the mershark's mood brightened further. "He is! I've only met him once though. The Family really is incredible." Kaiden couldn't help but deflate a little as they added, "They don't seem to like water all that much, so I never get to see them." Stormbreak was out of the mer's reach and there didn't seem to be anything that they could do to fix it.

coding by kaons

Noe

Best believe I'm still bejeweled
When I walk in the room, I can still make the whole place shimmer

Noe reached back to pull her hair over one shoulder, then began to braid it absently. "Oooooo, that makes sense!" she said of Kaiden's idea that the center of the island might be hollow. They seemed particularly enthusiastic about exploring, and Noe thought for the first time that it might have been nice to attune so that she might explore the island's watery caverns with them. But alas, she was not an Attuned and she had no plans to become one, so stuck on the surface, she would remain.

"Awww, that's a shame," Noe said sympathetically. She wasn't sure what she'd do if she couldn't interact with the Family - or, well, Vox, at least. "So, like, you can't get out of the water at all?" She wasn't familiar with the Mer, or at least not the intricacies of their abilities. Maybe she could learn something from Kaiden.

And when I meet the band, they ask, "Do you have a man?"
I can still say, "I don't remember"

kaiden

There is no shame in survival
Only strength

Kaiden nodded vigorously, "Right?!" They'd be sure to bring a light of some kind with them next time they visited so that they could delve deep into the island's caverns. Of course, if they did see a slumbering being, they'd turn around. It'd be rude to wake them up before they were ready.

At the question, the mer shook their head remorsefully, "No. Some mer can once a month on the full moon if they become powerful enough. I can't." One day they'd be able to, but it didn't seem like it was going to be anytime soon.

Shaking themselves slightly, the mer turned the conversation back to the topic of the Family and Starfall. They spoke with Noe for a while, loving the ability to speak freely for once. They were reluctant to leave but eventually their growling stomach forced them to say goodbye and dive back beneath the waves.

-[FIN]

coding by kaons