all you have is your fire

to be lit up from within

vein by vein

Oh, he wouldn’t lose her, couldn’t if he tried (except with his ignorance, perhaps, and that was why she’d been so irritate with him at the first), waiting, waiting, waiting, for the speed to increase. The waves tickled her feet and her laughter continued into its wild, caustic oblivion, savage and untamed and nothing could take her apart now – hands grasping hold of his fin as they escalated into swifter connotations. He responded to her commands, to her demands, with aplomb, and if she were truly the epitome of boldness she might have taken one hand off and seen how long she could hold on with bare strength alone – but even that might’ve been too foolish. Instead, she bayed, she whistled, she howled, she roared, vibrant tenacity and defiance against skies and seabeds.

to be the sun

MELITA

promise me you won't die

having never skinny-dipped

She’s elated, and it doesn’t take an attuned bond with her to feel the excitement that leaves her as he takes her further into the water, rising and falling over the waves with practiced movements. But he needs to breathe as well, and occasionally a puff of air and water leaves the space before his fin, cascading her in little raindrops that dry almost as quickly as they’ve arrived.

So he pushes himself further, too, bringing her in playful zigzags across the surface of the water, black and white body dancing within the waves as she holds on tight, leaving trails in their wake of the disruption to the oceans waves. He finds he doesn’t mind so much, enjoying the moment as a beautiful memory.

in the moonlight

SuNJATA

to be lit up from within

vein by vein

It was difficult to recall when she was last exuberant or not haunted by something forlorn, puncturing, or piercing, forgotten in the abyss, stumbling around in the darkness. But those tempestuous eaves had been punctured by the state of wilderness here and now, remembering elation and exhilaration, the springing of weightlessness along her shoulders, strung between her spine and ribcage, and only raucous, loud, savage intervals to follow. She whooped into the sea breeze as it coaxed and cajoled, as the sensation of freedom and liberation cast its way into her bones, skimming over surf, over waves, over tides, power undulating, rapacity calling her name along currents and wickedness.

She shook her head when the droplets cascaded around her, snorting, closing her eyes, only the sensation of movement and motion to guide her, nymph contortions binding her hands to his fins. The gilded gaze reopened at the sound of gulls above them, at the cool embrace of wind and tides, heart singing, unburdened, strong, solidified; remembered who she was. More than a sprite, more than a battling, little, emboldened piece of dust.

Then they zigged and zagged, and her knees bumped into the rest of him, grasp alternating, changing, so she didn’t find herself falling apart or cast aside; no fear, no hesitation, even as her arms began to ache, even as her muscles began to pull and tighten.

to be the sun

MELITA

promise me you won't die

having never skinny-dipped

Perhaps it’s because his fin is a sensitive part of him, that he can feel her arms tremble ever so slightly once they reach the curves and turns, and he feels the way her knees bump into his back. So he slows a small amount, turning back toward the shallower waters, slowing enough and going with the flow of the water that she can sit upon his back without holding on in case of getting lost, letting her settle with him to try and recoup some of the energy and excitement.

A crooning sound is granted to her, almost as if he’s asking if she’s okay, unsure of how much excitement she’s searching for. But he wants to ensure she’s okay, that her arms aren’t too sore, that she enjoyed it regardless with plenty of happiness to continue her water gliding nymph forms when he was around and a body of water big enough.

in the moonlight

SuNJATA

to be lit up from within

vein by vein

Melita had said nothing of her aches and pains, of her muscles trembling, of strength striving to endure, but not lasting much longer. She figured she’d persevere somehow, someway, not intending to ruin any of these exhilarating moments – but apparently he’d sensed something. He turned back towards shallow waters, the shore, and for a second a hopeless notion bubbled in her chest, and she wanted to plea for it not to cease, that she’d insist she was fine, and even if she fell into the sea for her foolishness –

But the crooning sound accompanying seemed to signify something, and her brows furrowed in confusion. It took her several more instances before she realized she could just as easily slip over his back, sit astride, and enjoy the same sort of thrill. “Oh,” she murmured quietly, feeling a bit dumb, a snort of laughter following, her head shaking at the stupidity. “Is this okay?” She asked as she instigated her plan, sitting directly behind his fin, wrapping her arms around it.

to be the sun

MELITA

promise me you won't die

having never skinny-dipped

He can feel her as she realizes it – a bit later than his initial croon, but he doesn’t mind. He continues his gentle sweeping glides through the waves, feeling as she sits behind his dorsal fin. It’s exactly what he’d wanted her to do, to not have to overexert herself to keep her in place upon his back. He lifts out of the water a small amount, tail splashing in the water behind him as he offers her another soft croon.

And then he begins to take her around the shallower spots, nearing a coral reef who’s colors dance beneath the top of the waves – slowing further to give her time to take a peek at it as he does so, circling it and waiting to see if she has anything she wants to say. Not like he could talk to her in this form, but it was worth a shot at the very least.

in the moonlight

SuNJATA

to be lit up from within

vein by vein

Melita might have been quick on impulse, on impetuous design, but no one could say she’d been swift on brilliant planning, or hints from whales. At the very least, they seemed to have settled on what should’ve initially happened, and she shook her head, a foolish notion springing along her mind, a sprig of laughter back into the sea air. But here her arms didn’t tremble, didn’t quake, didn’t shudder, could rest as they sidled alongside the fin, as he moved through the surface of the water, her legs dangling on either side, sliding into the veneer or over if she chose to raise them. She reached forward to pat him once, on another beckoning round of laughter, before they returned to shallower motions.

She thought about protesting, believing he was dropping her back off to the dunes, the adventure over and extinguished, Fangorn grumbling at her from his vantage point along the shore – except then he slowed significantly, circling, circling, circling. Her nose wrinkled, confusion apparent in her brow, in her semblance, before she realized he was trying to show her something. Peeking over the side, she was treated to a wide array of hues and colors beneath the waves, and an exalted, exhilarated gasp flowed through her in that exact moment, immediately pitching along his right fringe to stare, to reach. “It’s like the ocean in Helovia!” Then there was just a streamline of consciousness, flowing like the water, like the tide, like the ripples of current, not sure whether to laugh or cry. Perhaps both rendered across her features, using one hand to wipe away the tears suddenly welling in the corner of her eyes. The poor beast would have no way of responding to her endless parade of notions and sentiments, but it didn't stop her. “There was this beautiful reef and Clem and Iskra and I could stare at it through glass and it was wonderful - ,” heart racing, fingers aching to touch, to be scattered amongst the bright coral, the blend of fish and life.

to be the sun

MELITA

promise me you won't die

having never skinny-dipped

He takes her to the reef, to the colors that spiral beneath the waves. Circling and circling until she notices — and when she does, he can acutely hear the gasp, feel the shift in the way she sits upon his back as if she’s trying to look at them. He breathes again, a plume of mist erupting from his back, and he croons a gentle sound to her in response.

He does recall the memories they spiked, from when they talked of Lusea and Clementine when finishing up the bar. And he pulses something of happiness when she explains the small story, crooning another quiet sound to her, wondering if she wanted to slip off of his back to explore. So he stills in the water, tail raising slightly to splash within the waves.

in the moonlight

SuNJATA

to be lit up from within

vein by vein

She considered; a rarity in any situation. Her arms already felt better without having to rely on her own strength to streamline and anchor herself to the water, and with Sunjata nearby, if she started to sink, grow fatigued again, it was likely he could snag her from the fathoms and pull her ashore. His stillness, his crooning, were the only indications of this idea – so once the notion, the thought, entered her cranium, it’d already begun to adjust, to attune, to her limbs. Her hands went away from his fin, patting his back gently, before continuing to slip off his side, down into the cool stretch of water.

The girl inhaled a massive amount of air, felt it fill her lungs, before diving down, stroking and striking into the depths. If she were a part of those attuned individuals, he would likely have felt her sparks of excitement and glee, an instant rendering of color dazzling her sights, and here she was, capable of touching it! Hands reached for little pieces of crimson, of pink, of lavender, following, tracking the movements of tiny fish as they dove into holes, as they sunk further into their beloved homes. She nearly opened her mouth to exclaim and shatter the venue with her effervescence, but then she would’ve lost her breath, lost the precious oxygen; so instead she smiled in those fathoms, before rising back up to the surface. Upon her return, it was just a measure of shouting. “Incredible! Can you see it all?”

to be the sun

MELITA

promise me you won't die

having never skinny-dipped

She understands quickly, slipping from his back and releasing her grip on his fin. And when she does, dives below – he follows, diving beneath the surface as her shadow, a large mass hanging behind her as she explores the reef, hands seeking out colors and shells and the fish that dart away from both their presences. And it’s wonderful, really, following her up to the surface when she exclaims, partially shifting back into himself but with the orca tail like he had that day in the Greatwood.

A quiet hum of a chuckle leaves him and he nods to her, grin vibrant and bright like hers. “Yes.” He says, nearing her to reach for her hand. “Come on, lets go down this way. I think I saw some oysters.” He offers her with a hint of mischief to his grin, aiming to guide her to the direction further down where fish continued to spiral around the reef, before diving down with a splash of his black and white fin.

in the moonlight

SuNJATA

to be lit up from within

vein by vein

This would always be better than being left behind, and she strived to store it all in her memory, to reflect upon later. For now, she listened and laughed, giggled and chuckled, treading water amongst the reef, feet dangling above the vivid hues and picturesque views. Her eyes adjusted and her head shook, splashes and locks floating and displaced, watching as he shifted back to partially human, tempted to roll her eyes at the show-off tendencies.

But hands were taken, clutched like lifelines, as her cranium rapidly nodded. “Yes!” Melita longed to see it all – oysters, shells, sharks, dolphins, dominions of the ocean, of the waves, pieces and fragments she only had in yesteryears. She permitted herself to be led along, for now, following on the flick of his tail, one more breath inhaled, another dive ensuing, legs kicking, somehow at home even though she was worlds apart from the place of dragons and sand.

to be the sun

MELITA

promise me you won't die

having never skinny-dipped

He takes her hand, diving beneath the waves to bring them closer to the hues of pinks and greens, of light blues and hints of orange veins among the striped fish that darted out of the coral. And he spots a cluster of oysters in particular, grasping for them, and looking to her with a bright grin, bubbles slipping from the movement before he swims to the other side to peer within the crevices of the coral.

He spots a particularly pretty shell of sorts, as well, taking it with him with the other three oysters in his hands. But he waits for her to finish her exploring before rising to the surface, and when he does he takes a deep breath of fresh air, lifting the oysters to the surface and glancing to her somewhat mischievously. “Want to see what’s inside them?” He asks with a slightly hoarse voice, a rogue smirk crossing his face.

in the moonlight

SuNJATA

to be lit up from within

vein by vein

Distracted all over again, absorbed by the kaleidoscope of colors blending and unfurling before her eyes. Keen, excited, and ebullient, drenched and soaked in the finery of her mischief and curiosity, she didn’t bend, she didn’t break, she didn’t mar, skirting over the surface over the coral, fingers barely touching. Eternally tempted, yearning to capture the experience with something more than memories, an everlasting stroke of skin on the mystic, on the enigmatic, so that she might remember it vividly – a giggle echoing, bounding from her throat as she brushed along fish scales.

Then she rose to the surface again when her lungs ached, when her body told her to cease and desist, exploding back along the surface with her same incandescent wilderness. He’d snagged at the oysters, she’d watched from her section of the beautiful, beatific world, and the air of mischief rose again on her mouth at his suggestion. It might’ve matched his Cheshire grin, Korofi blended fire and devilry, and while she treaded water once more, she laughed, giggled, and agreed. “Absolutely! How are you going to crack them open?”

to be the sun

MELITA

i try to keep it in line, maybe i'm just not the one

They break the surface of the water, and he lifts the oysters in his hands above the shifting waves to show her – pushing off with his tail to bring him closer to her with that very same excited grin as she agrees. How would he crack them open? He’s got a way. Once he settles beside her, he hands her a couple of the other oysters so he can focus on the one. One of his fingers partially shifts to a claw, sharp and enough to slip within the lip of the clam to crack and break through the hinge that connects it.

He looks over to her with that same smirk along his face, as if theyre about to endeavor on a secret. “Let’s see if there’s any pearls in here.” If her love of collecting beautiful rocks were anything to go off of, he imagines she’s going to love what they might find in here. His finger slips within the oyster, sliding over to break the hinge and cut through to open the lip of the oyster. And he goes to pull it back to spot within, angling it a small amount toward her to see the mother of pearl within.

His finger shifts back to normal and he reaches into the muscle of the mollusk. He feels something hard within it, moving it around to pull out the pearl, washing it off in the salt water before lifting it up for her to inspect with a grin. It’s lavender and blueish in hue, almost iridescent, certainly pearlescent, and he sits there smugly with a grin along his face – waiting to see her reaction.

but you know i would

SuNJATA