[ A humid evening might not seem like the ideal time to fish, to most. It's sticky in the cloying summer heat, and with the air this wet after rain just this morning, there's bugs out in force, too.
Of course, that's actually why Yu has chosen this time of day to fish. He's free from the rest of his obligations but it's before he needs to be in for the night, and with the heat starting to settle, the fish will be rising to the top of the water. They're hungry, they're looking to eat, and well, if they latch onto Yu's lure, all the better.
Still, even he's feeling languid from the heat. He's sitting cross-legged on the dock, his fishing supplies beside him as he casts lazily into the Samegawa. It would be nice to grab something for the cats, or even for dinner if it's nice enough... ]
[ Yosuke knows that there are certain areas of the river that you're supposed to stay away from. They're the areas that humans come close to, especially during the middle of the day. So many feet plunging in the river, splashing and shouting. Mostly small, mostly children, but enough activity that it warrants a heavy bit of caution.
Yosuke liked to think he was edgy, but truth be told he hasn't ever really pushed the rules as much as he says he does. Naturally, his peers know when he's full of shit, which is exactly what's brought him to the shallower parts of the river that afternoon. He's seen one of those things that humans put on their feet fall to the riverbed. A search ensued, but eventually it was left forgotten. Which presents...a good opportunity.
See, if he gets the thing, he can prove that he's been around people. Then he'll be the talk of the river, so to speak.
Yosuke watches carefully at one of the deeper curves, assessing the activity. When it dies down a bit, he takes the metaphorical plunge and swims forward. Staying close to the bottom, the orange of his scales seem to mix in with the light of the sun reflecting off the water's surface. But the telltale swish of his tail fin is probably visible to the keen eye of an experienced fisherman. There are some large koi around him as well--ah, yes, that one he knows. She's kind of the primadonna of the area and has to do a swish of her fin as well, just to show that she's still got it.
He gives her a thumbs up.
The human foot cover is close to the wooden poles by the shore. He should be cautious...
But he doesn't notice the little lure as he dives forward, feeling something sharp snag on his ventral fin. ]
[ He's not getting many bites this afternoon, as it turns out... but he's nothing if not patient. His rod is in his lap, along with a book that he's somewhat lazily following along with. It's a relaxing, sleepy way to spend the day's twilight, and he ends up feeling fairly glad he came.
When the tug on his line comes, it doesn't take him too much off guard. Perking up, he sets his book aside and grasps his fishing pole with both hands, getting slowly to his feet. He can see a flash of gold in the water that seems like a bit more than the sunlight...
Yu finds himself frowning a little at the water, leaning over as he starts to tug on the line and reel in. Are his eyes deceiving him, or is this fish... pretty big? ]
[ They haven't even met and Yu is already sizing him up...
No, really, this fish is big. It's practically man-sized, with the strength to match. Yosuke has never been caught on the end of a line before, so he does what any inexperienced young merman would do in a situation like this--he panics. Immediately, he thrashes, trying to swim away from the pain--
--wait, no, no. Yosuke knows better than that. He grits his teeth and turns, looking down towards the pain. There's--it's a small sharp thing, connected to a line--it's the kind of thing he's seen before, but never in action. It's the kind of thing that they often pull out of other fish. As Yosuke works to free himself, the lure does something he doesn't expect it too: pull back.
Which once again sets him to start to panic.
He thrashes again, creating quite a splash, which is more than enough to send the other fish away. All that keeps repeating in his mind is shit, shit, shit. Is he a good enough swimmer for this? He's not the robust fish in the sea river. He's fast, but is he strong enough...? ]
[ Yu almost loses his grip on his rod, the tug on the line is so strong. His instinctual response is to firm up his grip and tug harder, but ...
Something strange is going on here. He's never seen a fish that big in his life. And there's something more off about it, something he can't easily see with the light on the water and all the splashing this thing is doing. He's heard of legendarily large fish in the Samegawa, but can he really have caught something amazing and huge without really putting any effort into it?
He's wondering what on earth he'll do with such a thing - could he even carry it home? - as he focuses on continuing to reel in. Whatever it is, he has to at least check it out, and if he's going to set it free, he wants to get his lure back first. ]
[ After that encounter, Yu's normal schedule resumed. No one needed rescuing right now; Mitsuo had been caught and put away early in the month, leaving in his wake a calm and largely balmy summer with no real expectations or responsibilities. Yu could find plenty of ways to fill his time, from hanging out with his friends to more time spent at his part time jobs, but in the days that followed his meeting with Yosuke, he found himself often at the Samegawa. Sometimes he fished; though he'd thought about it, he decided not to quit the practice even provided what had happened. Catching fish for the cats - and for dinner - still felt like a worthwhile use of his time.
But sometimes he simply brought a book and sat nearby. He tended to read mostly at night, but given that it was summer and he had abundant free time to fill, why not read during other times of day? And better, why not sit on the dock to do it? It was pretty and relaxing, though sometimes, given the heat, he found himself nodding off...
No matter what, though, whether he was fishing or simply reading, he always had a string of pearls - looped twice, loosely - around his wrist. ]
[ Yosuke knew that he shouldn't be going back. He'd proven his supposed badassery when he showed up with a torn fin and the weapon of choice, but his mother had been less than impressed. So he stayed away for a week or two, falling back into his inherent obedience despite his complaining and posturing otherwise. There wasn't anyone left to impress, after all.
Curiosity caught up with him, though. He found himself thinking more and more often about his short but congenial chat with the human boy with silvery eyes. Eventually it got the better of him, which is why he ventures back downstream. It's getting a little later in the afternoon, when the heat of the day ebbs and less people find relief at the waters edge. Yosuke keeps his distance at first, poking along the bottom to see if any fun new items have been lost and accidentally upsetting a bottomdeeding catfish. But it's the shimmer off a familiar strand of pearls that catches his attention.
Yosuke swims up slowly to the dock, recognizing Yu instantly. He carefully pokes his head out of the water, finding the other boy's eyes closed. Asleep? It looks like it, with a book on his chest. His gaze shirts to Yu's wrist where the pearls are wrapped loosely. Yosuke has a new set around his head like a crown once more, but it is admittedly touching to see the ones he gave taken care of.
Tilting his head to the side, Yosuke reaches up to poke the other boy, the ducks under the water.
Nothing?
Hm.
He gets an idea.
Diving down. Yosuke reemerges a moment later with some sort of flowering plant and begins to weave the stem in between the pearls. ]
[ One of these days he's going to drop his book in the water. It hasn't happened yet, though.
Yosuke will be allowed to do his work in comfortable, warm silence for a few long moments, wherein Yu still seems to be asleep. But if at some point he happens to glance up, he'll notice Yu's eyes half-open and watching him. He's comfortable and stays quiet, because it's interesting, watching Yosuke work.
Nothing need be said of the way his heart rate vaulted when he opened his eyes to see the other boy. Mermaid? Mer...man? ... no, this is just going to lead to silly places.
Once their eyes do meet, Yu will smile, though he doesn't sit up just yet, not wanting to disturb Yosuke's work. ]
Hey.
[ He will curl his fingers, though. Whatcha up to, buddy? ]
[ Yosuke hadn't noticed for a while, really. It's only when he's nearly done does he place up. He jolts backwards in surprise, releasing Yu's hand. But he doesn't flee, just caught off guard and cautious. He looks a little sheepish. ]
H-Hey...
[ Whoops? He sinks back down into the water until his chin touches the surface. ]
[ Storms weren't unheard of in the area, not with where the mountains cast a shadow over the valley. Even before the unnatural amount of fog that has been plaguing the valley as of late, misty mornings were the norm. Rain collects easily, which means that when the conditions are right, the storms can be quite the tumultuous.
It's been raining non-stop since the night before. The wind has picked up as soon as darkness fell. The Samegawa is nearly flooding.
It's not the time to be out.
Normally Yosuke would be staying back with the others--where it's safe, away from the quickening currents. It's understood that fish should find the right streams to veer off into, that where dragons dwell are the one real reprieve. But Yosuke has been acting out recently--that's what makes it unsurprising to his friends and family--and there's something else he's thinking about this season.
The river gets narrower closer into town, but the water level is clearly raised. It takes skill and an understanding of the area to not get tossed around too horribly and somehow, Yosuke finds himself riding the current along carefully stacked stone. If he manages to peer out of the water, he sees rooftops between the rain that is nearly falling sideways.
It's one hell of a storm.
He sees the occasional fish swim--or rather, get flung past him. One or two he manages to grab and helps set behind fallen tree branches or a large rock, away from the main flow of water. Hopefully they can wait it out.
He knows who he's looking for, but...he's not exactly sure why. No one in their right mind would be out in this, right? ]
[ No one in their right mind would be out in this.
Which is why he had to sneak out. Dojima was working late, but Nanako would never be comfortable with him venturing out on a night such as this, especially given the weather outside. He had to reassure her he was going to bed early, and then creep out his own window. If he timed all of this correctly, he could come back in the front door, after Nanako went to bed, but before Dojima came home.
He couldn't quite explain to himself why he was going to all the trouble. Given his method of escape, he couldn't even get his coat, or his umbrella; both were downstairs. Yu had thought about it for a time, then thrown his school uniform back on as his only recourse and thought that he'd just have to run. This was the outfit he wore into battle, anyway.
And going out there would be a battle.
Why was he doing this? Surely those who lived in the river had survived its storms before, storms worse than this. All he was doing was uselessly putting himself in danger, and if he was right, Yosuke wouldn't even be near the dock. He'd be far away. Safe.
But the image of the boy who had become his closest friend beached somewhere, bleeding, hurt...
Yu ran hard against the rain, and promised himself he'd only stay out as long as it took to do a thorough sweep of the section of the riverbank he knew Yosuke to frequent these days. That was all.
It was dark in rain this heavy, even though night hadn't yet fallen. There was just enough light, but the unnatural darkness that accompanied a storm this furious, plus the driving, blinding rain, made it nearly impossible to see clearly. It took him longer than he would have liked to reach the Samegawa.
At least there was no one out here aside from him.
Without thinking, he finds his feet have brought him to the edge of the dock, where the winds and the driving rain threaten to knock him off it. The water is also dangerously high, lapping hungrily at the wood from less than an inch beneath it. Soon the water will start to run over. At that point, he'll have to leave.
Hesitating only a moment - but no, he's alone, completely alone - Yu cups his hands around his mouth and calls out: ]
Yosuke?!
[ Silence and the howl of wind and rain answer him. He hovers, waiting, waiting to see if he can see or hear anything, and he's just about to move when he feels hands on his back.
Hands. A person's hands.
Before Yu can turn or even ask who's there, those same hands shove.
Yu does not see who pushed him before the raging water of the Samegawa consumes him. Unprepared and immediately pulled beneath the surface, Yu gasps and inhales only water. He reaches out and grabs only water.
He can't see. He can't seem to right himself. He can't breathe.
There is an old, dried flower, curled about the string of pearls on his wrist. It was well-tended to, carefully looked after. The waters of the Samegawa tear it away, and nearly take the pearls with it. ]
[ It's really one of the few times he doesn't want to see Yu when he comes looking for him.
Yosuke has grown to like their little visits, spending more time dangerously close to humanity than he should. Strangely enough, he talks less and less about hit to his peers, feeling like it's a secret he needs to keep close to himself. Being a Good Samaritan wouldn't be enough of an excuse to brave the storm, but he won't cop to his current infatuation.
Well, he doesn't have to. At least for now.
He spends about ten minutes near the riverside, where the current takes sharp turns and thrashes back out into the center. Finding small perches to hold onto along the way is really the only opportunity he gets to watch, but it's difficult. The current picks up so much debris from the bottom--small rocks, mud, plant life torn from the roots. It makes it as much of a mess below water as above. He knows he shouldn't stay for long.
It's when Yosuke decides to make his way towards a shoot off the main river when he sees it. He's already downstream of the dock proper--he would recognize those pearls anywhere, even if the person attached to them wasn't a familiar face. Yu's form rushes by and in that instant, his heart stops.
He--
Go!
Shock is the only hesitation he allows himself. A moment later, Yosuke springs outward into the main current without a second thought. He's not the strongest swimmer of his kin, but he is one of the fastest. What he can't accomplish in the power of his strokes is taken care of by the force of the water itself--he just needs to steer properly, and with the occasional boost of a flip of his tail, Yosuke takes corners and dips in the river sharply, allowing him to gain on Yu.
Humans, he knows...aren't meant for things like this. Hell, he isn't meant for things like this, so what kind of odds does it give Yu?
Underwater, he calls out, his voice carrying an ethereal clearness despite the murky environment. Is Yu even alive?
He reaches out, trying to grasp anything he can get of the other boy-- ]
[ he can't breathe he can't breathe he can't breathe--
Dimly he's aware that the water is rushing him downstream. If he goes too far he could end up outside of town - or somewhere he can't scale the banks -
he can't breathe
Through no real maneuvering of his own his head does break the surface of the water, allowing him a few panicked gasps of air before the wind whips the water back over him. His lungs are convulsing, trying to rid themselves of the water he's inhaled, but his coughing and gasping only leads to him sucking in more water and making it even harder to try and fight his way to the surface, to find purchase, to get air--
his nose is burning, his eyes are burning, his lungs are burning
and he hears .... a voice. A familiar voice. It sounds just like Yosuke.
Is he imagining it?
Is he dying?
Yu's fingers twitch, grabbing again at nothing. Except this time, there isn't nothing. There's a person's hand. A person's hand, warm and real and reaching for him.
With a grip like a vice, Yu latches on, unthinking, and doesn't let go. ]
WHAT WOULD I GIIIIIIVE TO LIVE WHERE YOU AAAARE...
[ He's panicking. He's totally panicking. He's seen Yu gasp and struggle and then go still and it's the worst fucking thing he's seen. He reaches out in the hope of grabbing something to slow him down, but the fact that Yu even manages to grab back gives him an immediate sense of relief. And renewed resolve. ]
I've got you!
[ Now that he's holding on, he doesn't let go.
The river throws them about as Yosuke struggles to pull up properly next to the other boy, but once he does, he wraps his arm around Yu's torso tightly. He has to use his opposite arm like a rudder to steer them properly--now where the hell are they even?
It takes a moment to get his bearings, but he quickly realizes they've already passed the town proper. Good for Yosuke, not good for Yu. He has to get this human out of the water as fast as possible.
Up ahead...around a corner, there's a fork--left might be even worse with how shallow it gets, but right--right it gets big. With more room, it could slow down the current...
If he hadn't spent so much time riding the currents rather than exercising, maybe he wouldn't have known this. Guess being a slacker pays off sometimes, doesn't it?
He goes right at the fork. True to his predictions, the river widens considerably. The current is still fast, but Yosuke finds himself in more control as the energy is spread out. It's enough that several meters down, he's able to reach out and take hold of a large fallen tree. The tree redirects the current in a sudden burst of speed around it, but as long as Yosuke pulls them past it, they're good. ]
Just hang on!
[ Is Yu even still with him?
He hopes he is.
It's a struggle to reach the shore, but he does it. Somehow. His arms are tired, not used to having to do so much heavy lifting, so to speak. But Yosuke manages it, pulling Yu up with him onto the gravel and mud of land. He's still half in the water, as is Yosuke, but the current is far enough away from them to threaten to pull them back in.
Yosuke breathes heavily as he looks down at the boy. ]
[ When it rained, Yu checked the Midnight Channel. They all did. They'd determined the case was still on, thanks to Naoto, and thanks especially to Yu's tumble into the Samegawa, which had been hard to explain. He'd come up with a way to describe it without including Yosuke, and though he could tell the group didn't really buy it, they were leaving him alone about it. What was most important was that someone had tried to kill him, after all, and there had been a flurry of discussions. Kanji started hanging around him more than usual, and he found Naoto watching him across corners and from down the street. He tried to reassure them he'd be alright.
Truthfully, they were all on edge.
Yu, perhaps, especially so. He couldn't say why. Just a nameless dread that settled into his stomach when his clock struck midnight, and he turned to inspect his TV.
When it sparked into life - with a blurry impression of an unusual figure - his heart had dropped into his feet.
They all discussed it the next day, after school, and while Yu did his best to seem unshaken, Rise eventually picked up on something being amiss. Yu had been forced to reassure her all was well, and that they needed to focus on the case, but he couldn't escape his bad feeling.
That feeling only got worse when he got home that night, and on the news was a segment:
MONSTER IN THE SAMEGAWA?
It was, apparently, an update on an initial report that had been on TV a few days prior. Yu had missed its original airing due to having spent that day at work after school. But kneeling on the tatami that night with Nanako, watching the announcer discuss the blurry footage and a new photograph that had surfaced of some kind of creature swimming up the Samegawa, much too big to be a normal fish, he'd felt his heart go cold.
When he watches the Midnight Channel that night, there is a boy. That boy has legs, and a sneer, and golden eyes.
Yu wants to throw up. He does not. He calmly answers Kanji's call, tells him to get everyone together tomorrow at Junes. They have someone new to rescue.
Everyone realizes that only Yu knows who the kidnapee is. Everyone realizes that when Yu is able to describe him in detail to Rise, when everyone had been just starting to mutter about having to search for clues. Everyone trains their eyes on him, but no one asks, because Yu is made of steel and fire bound up in cords of icy calm, and no one wants to break the surface tension and unleash what lies beneath.
The run to the dungeon is not that far. And the dungeon is... a cavern. The arrive at a rocky entrance, dark and wet, flooded up to their knees and lit from a source no one can see. ]
Kanji, Teddie, Yukiko, with me. Let's go, everyone.
[ After the storm, Yosuke was definitely excited to spend time with Yu. Not just because he wanted to make sure that the other boy was okay after everything that's happened, but also because of the discoveries they made at the same time. Self-serving? A little. But he can't help the anxious excitement he feels down his spine and to his tail as he swims downstream.
There's something there, right? Between them.
He knows that Yu tends to be by the river around this time. Of course it's always a bit of a crapshoot and he doesn't feel like Yu is shafting him of time when he doesn't show, but he can't help but feel a little disappointed on the times he doesn't see silver peering over the edge of the dock. Yosuke is careful as he can be, but maybe is a little too flashy, almost unable to control the energy within him. He circles one of the posts of the dock a few times, taking a moment to peek up above the waterline every now and then.
[ Yosuke's patience will be rewarded. When he's circling the post, he'll hear footsteps start to fall on the wood above. They sound different than usual, though. Normally the click of Yu's school shoes is sharp against the wood, but today his footfalls are more muted. Those footsteps will approach the end of the dock, stop, and then there will be a pause.
And then there's a splash.
Yu, in a t-shirt and shorts, is suddenly there in the water with Yosuke, carefully treading. He's fully submerged, and his cheeks are puffed out with a held breath. This he lets out slowly, air bubbles escaping him, and then...
... he pulls in water.
It's a very odd feeling. But the water feels ... lighter in his mouth, and even as his lungs fill with liquid, he can still... breathe.
With a genuine smile dawning across his face, Yu twists in the water to face Yosuke. He takes care to keep beneath the cover of the dock, so he won't be obvious in the water, but he waves a hand and says, with that weird clarity Yosuke also possesses under the water: ]
[ The footsteps almost sound familiar, though Yosuke is definitely used to the sound of Yu's shoes. He tilts his head curiously as he looks up at the wood above him, only to be surprised by the splash that follows a short pause.
He recognizes Yu immediately and feels his heart jump in his chest. As Yu carefully adjusts to his new ability, something Yosuke had bestowed upon him without fully realizing the implications down the road, Yosuke can't help but smile. Especially when he hears Yu's voice. The shadow of the dock above them is actually calming, giving them a slightly darker and private area to be. But he can still see Yu clearly, what with the way water collects light and seems to hold it. ]
Hey!
[ He doesn't even try to hide his excitement.
Yosuke closes the distance between them quickly, turning upside down and swimming over with a flick of his tail. He moves much more fluidly than he does on land, a lot more artfully than he had when struggling against the storm. The first thing he does when they're close enough is reach out to touch Yu's new clothes--a t-shirt and shorts are not at all what he's used to seeing, but he doesn't seem upset. ]
I was wondering if you were gonna stop by today...the weather's been clearing up, huh?
[ It's amazing to watch Yosuke move under the water. Yu has never had a real look at it until now, and watching Yosuke twist and flash through the water like this... it's amazing.
Beautiful.
Yu is beaming when Yosuke reaches out, so unafraid of touching him, and he places his hands lightly on Yosuke's forearms. This is... amazing. Being in the water like this. He thought his eyes would sting, but everything is clear. The light is beautiful, filtering through slats in the dock, suffusing the water that surrounds them. He can't really move more easily than before, but the water somehow feels more temperate than it did during the storm. Maybe it's just that he was ready this time, or maybe it's that the water is sun-warmed.
Whatever the case, this is ... nice. This is really nice.
The t-shirt and shorts were the best casual clothing choice he could make. He couldn't exactly wear swimwear to come down here. So he chose something light. Easy to move in. ]
Yeah. It's been sunny the last few days. And since it isn't cold yet... [ Yu smiles. ] I thought I'd drop in.
[ It's been an interesting few days. To say the least.
To be honest, Yosuke hadn't been sure there would be days to come at all, if it wasn't for Yu and his friends. For someone who was the son of a literal dragon river god, he had some some pretty fantastical things. Arguably the most fantastical was the fact that his mother actually wanted to talk to Yu after all was said and done.
The other merpeople had been understandably skeptical of the human's presence, let alone leading him into the hidden grotto. Much like the TV, something about it expanded beyond what could realistically be possible, and yet it was. A large and imposing figure of his mother curled up at the center waited for them. She spoke slowly in a voice that seemed to resonate with the water around them, listening to what they both had to say about their experience. After a long moment of contemplation, it had been her decision not only to let Yu keep the gift he'd been given, inadvertently or otherwise, and that Yosuke now held a responsibility to help out with the task before them.
They had been escorted out by mermaids that Yosuke seemed to know, but did not chat much with. They were in awe of what just happened and Yosuke didn't want to explain himself any further. Humans...meeting the river gods? Unheard of, not since the ancient times. But she had and they did, which is what has led them to where they are now.
On the riverside not far out of town, Yosuke has dragged himself up entirely onto the shore. The ends of his tail flap up and down just above the waterline. It's so tempting to just dip back in, but he has to follow his mother's instructions. Drying out is key, it's just...you know.
Itchy and uncomfortable.
He wiggles in place before flopping dramatically backwards. And sighs just as dramatically. ]
[ Yu has faced a great many intimidating things in his life. The stares of his parents. Facing new classmates at each new school. Monsters unimaginable, born from the dark places of others' souls.
Facing Yosuke's mother, ancient and powerful, had somehow been less scary, he thinks somewhat wryly, than standing before his class on his first day at Yasogami.
He handled it with all the gravity the situation required, of course. He'd been quiet, calm and steady at Yosuke's side as his boyfriend had led him through the water, and none of the stares directed his way, ranging from skeptical to outright angry, had done anything to faze him. He'd been deferential and polite no matter what, because that's what had been called for, and that's how he would have acted anyway. And for Yosuke's mother, he'd summoned up all the deepest reserves of whatever his friends thought made him a leader - quiet passion, conviction, a clear head in the face of adversity - and, well, it had seemed to work out. She'd deemed him worthy--
--and even granted that Yosuke could help them. Which was a good thing, given that he'd come into a persona of his own and they could always use more help on the team.
When he'd thanked her, he'd finally smiled.
Now they're here. Yu is soaking wet, too, given that they've only recently crawled into the shore, but he's getting kind of used to being wet when he spends time with Yosuke. He's peeled off his jacket and placed that higher up on the bank to dry. He's got his knees curled up to his chest, and lets his arms drape over them loosely as he alternates between looking at Yosuke and glancing out over the waves.
... little though it'd fazed him, that trip had still really been something ... ]
Give it time, [ he says patiently. There's no smile on his face, but there's a twinkle in his eye that says he's tempted to let one surface. ] I'm sure it'll come soon enough. Are you feeling alright?
[ Honestly, Yosuke hadn't known what his mother would think of Yu, strange TV occurrences aside. He figured that she had an idea something was going on with her son, what with him spending so much time away. And, you know, her kind of being in charge of the entire river. But the fact that she hadn't even touched on the relationship between them made him...curious. What implications did that hold? Is it something she was kind enough not to talk to in front of others, or...?
Is it something she's not worried about?
Well...best not think about it. Yosuke sighs and flops over onto his stomach, having trouble staying still on land as much as he has trouble staying still in the water. Dirt and sand stick to him. ]
I don't feel any different.
[ Yu meant physically, right? Though Yosuke pauses as he props his hand up in his chin, letting his tail fin droop down over his back. ]
[ Yu had noticed that, too. He'd chalked it up to there being rather more pressing matters to address than the relationship itself, but ... given the entirely different worlds they come from, that Yu is a commoner and Yosuke is royalty, that Yosuke is a merperson and Yu is just a human ...
They'll have to grapple with it sometime. Yu isn't sure if it's reassuring or not that Yosuke's mother did not choose that moment.
When Yosuke rolls over Yu smiles, and reaches out to smooth a hand between his boyfriend's shoulder blades, brushing away dirt as he does so. Idly his hand moves back and forth, a gesture of unconscious affection.
His hand stills when Yosuke asks him that question, and Yu tilts his head, tapping his fingers. ]
Well, it was nice to meet your mother.
[ Said mildly, with a mysterious smile. ]
... I'm glad she agreed you could help us. We'll need it. [ He says nothing of his own gladness that Yosuke will be able to come up onto land. Being able to spend more time with Yosuke, to show him the world above water... maybe it's selfish to feel so delighted. ]
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no subject
Of course, that's actually why Yu has chosen this time of day to fish. He's free from the rest of his obligations but it's before he needs to be in for the night, and with the heat starting to settle, the fish will be rising to the top of the water. They're hungry, they're looking to eat, and well, if they latch onto Yu's lure, all the better.
Still, even he's feeling languid from the heat. He's sitting cross-legged on the dock, his fishing supplies beside him as he casts lazily into the Samegawa. It would be nice to grab something for the cats, or even for dinner if it's nice enough... ]
1/2
Yosuke liked to think he was edgy, but truth be told he hasn't ever really pushed the rules as much as he says he does. Naturally, his peers know when he's full of shit, which is exactly what's brought him to the shallower parts of the river that afternoon. He's seen one of those things that humans put on their feet fall to the riverbed. A search ensued, but eventually it was left forgotten. Which presents...a good opportunity.
See, if he gets the thing, he can prove that he's been around people. Then he'll be the talk of the river, so to speak.
Hella.
So, that's exactly what he does. ]
no subject
He gives her a thumbs up.
The human foot cover is close to the wooden poles by the shore. He should be cautious...
But he doesn't notice the little lure as he dives forward, feeling something sharp snag on his ventral fin. ]
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When the tug on his line comes, it doesn't take him too much off guard. Perking up, he sets his book aside and grasps his fishing pole with both hands, getting slowly to his feet. He can see a flash of gold in the water that seems like a bit more than the sunlight...
Yu finds himself frowning a little at the water, leaning over as he starts to tug on the line and reel in. Are his eyes deceiving him, or is this fish... pretty big? ]
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No, really, this fish is big. It's practically man-sized, with the strength to match. Yosuke has never been caught on the end of a line before, so he does what any inexperienced young merman would do in a situation like this--he panics. Immediately, he thrashes, trying to swim away from the pain--
--wait, no, no. Yosuke knows better than that. He grits his teeth and turns, looking down towards the pain. There's--it's a small sharp thing, connected to a line--it's the kind of thing he's seen before, but never in action. It's the kind of thing that they often pull out of other fish. As Yosuke works to free himself, the lure does something he doesn't expect it too: pull back.
Which once again sets him to start to panic.
He thrashes again, creating quite a splash, which is more than enough to send the other fish away. All that keeps repeating in his mind is shit, shit, shit. Is he a good enough swimmer for this? He's not the robust fish in the
seariver. He's fast, but is he strong enough...? ]no subject
[ Yu almost loses his grip on his rod, the tug on the line is so strong. His instinctual response is to firm up his grip and tug harder, but ...
Something strange is going on here. He's never seen a fish that big in his life. And there's something more off about it, something he can't easily see with the light on the water and all the splashing this thing is doing. He's heard of legendarily large fish in the Samegawa, but can he really have caught something amazing and huge without really putting any effort into it?
He's wondering what on earth he'll do with such a thing - could he even carry it home? - as he focuses on continuing to reel in. Whatever it is, he has to at least check it out, and if he's going to set it free, he wants to get his lure back first. ]
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WHY DIDN'T I GET THIS NOTIF??
I DON'T KNOW I WAS LONELY
NOOOOO I STILL LOVE YOU I PROMISE
I DON'T KNOW IF I BELIEVE YOU ANYMORE
RUDE?! MY LOVE IS PURE & REAL
I CAN'T FEEL IT YET
grasps your face in both hands & smooches you. IS THAT ENOUGH FOR YOU?!
getting better, yes
what more must i do
once more plz
ah, i see... smooches several more times
much better
you hardly have to ask for smooches ;*
⃛ヾ(๑❛ ▿ ◠๑ )
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But sometimes he simply brought a book and sat nearby. He tended to read mostly at night, but given that it was summer and he had abundant free time to fill, why not read during other times of day? And better, why not sit on the dock to do it? It was pretty and relaxing, though sometimes, given the heat, he found himself nodding off...
No matter what, though, whether he was fishing or simply reading, he always had a string of pearls - looped twice, loosely - around his wrist. ]
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Curiosity caught up with him, though. He found himself thinking more and more often about his short but congenial chat with the human boy with silvery eyes. Eventually it got the better of him, which is why he ventures back downstream. It's getting a little later in the afternoon, when the heat of the day ebbs and less people find relief at the waters edge. Yosuke keeps his distance at first, poking along the bottom to see if any fun new items have been lost and accidentally upsetting a bottomdeeding catfish. But it's the shimmer off a familiar strand of pearls that catches his attention.
Yosuke swims up slowly to the dock, recognizing Yu instantly. He carefully pokes his head out of the water, finding the other boy's eyes closed. Asleep? It looks like it, with a book on his chest. His gaze shirts to Yu's wrist where the pearls are wrapped loosely. Yosuke has a new set around his head like a crown once more, but it is admittedly touching to see the ones he gave taken care of.
Tilting his head to the side, Yosuke reaches up to poke the other boy, the ducks under the water.
Nothing?
Hm.
He gets an idea.
Diving down. Yosuke reemerges a moment later with some sort of flowering plant and begins to weave the stem in between the pearls. ]
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Yosuke will be allowed to do his work in comfortable, warm silence for a few long moments, wherein Yu still seems to be asleep. But if at some point he happens to glance up, he'll notice Yu's eyes half-open and watching him. He's comfortable and stays quiet, because it's interesting, watching Yosuke work.
Nothing need be said of the way his heart rate vaulted when he opened his eyes to see the other boy. Mermaid? Mer...man? ... no, this is just going to lead to silly places.
Once their eyes do meet, Yu will smile, though he doesn't sit up just yet, not wanting to disturb Yosuke's work. ]
Hey.
[ He will curl his fingers, though. Whatcha up to, buddy? ]
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H-Hey...
[ Whoops? He sinks back down into the water until his chin touches the surface. ]
Didn't mean to wake you up...
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With his hands free, he examines Yosuke's handiwork with a curious smile. ]
It's okay. I was hoping I'd see you again. [ His gaze shifts to the other boy. ] What's this for? It's nice.
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[ Storms weren't unheard of in the area, not with where the mountains cast a shadow over the valley. Even before the unnatural amount of fog that has been plaguing the valley as of late, misty mornings were the norm. Rain collects easily, which means that when the conditions are right, the storms can be quite the tumultuous.
It's been raining non-stop since the night before. The wind has picked up as soon as darkness fell. The Samegawa is nearly flooding.
It's not the time to be out.
Normally Yosuke would be staying back with the others--where it's safe, away from the quickening currents. It's understood that fish should find the right streams to veer off into, that where dragons dwell are the one real reprieve. But Yosuke has been acting out recently--that's what makes it unsurprising to his friends and family--and there's something else he's thinking about this season.
The river gets narrower closer into town, but the water level is clearly raised. It takes skill and an understanding of the area to not get tossed around too horribly and somehow, Yosuke finds himself riding the current along carefully stacked stone. If he manages to peer out of the water, he sees rooftops between the rain that is nearly falling sideways.
It's one hell of a storm.
He sees the occasional fish swim--or rather, get flung past him. One or two he manages to grab and helps set behind fallen tree branches or a large rock, away from the main flow of water. Hopefully they can wait it out.
He knows who he's looking for, but...he's not exactly sure why. No one in their right mind would be out in this, right? ]
FUCKING SITS UP FOR THIS
Which is why he had to sneak out. Dojima was working late, but Nanako would never be comfortable with him venturing out on a night such as this, especially given the weather outside. He had to reassure her he was going to bed early, and then creep out his own window. If he timed all of this correctly, he could come back in the front door, after Nanako went to bed, but before Dojima came home.
He couldn't quite explain to himself why he was going to all the trouble. Given his method of escape, he couldn't even get his coat, or his umbrella; both were downstairs. Yu had thought about it for a time, then thrown his school uniform back on as his only recourse and thought that he'd just have to run. This was the outfit he wore into battle, anyway.
And going out there would be a battle.
Why was he doing this? Surely those who lived in the river had survived its storms before, storms worse than this. All he was doing was uselessly putting himself in danger, and if he was right, Yosuke wouldn't even be near the dock. He'd be far away. Safe.
But the image of the boy who had become his closest friend beached somewhere, bleeding, hurt...
Yu ran hard against the rain, and promised himself he'd only stay out as long as it took to do a thorough sweep of the section of the riverbank he knew Yosuke to frequent these days. That was all.
It was dark in rain this heavy, even though night hadn't yet fallen. There was just enough light, but the unnatural darkness that accompanied a storm this furious, plus the driving, blinding rain, made it nearly impossible to see clearly. It took him longer than he would have liked to reach the Samegawa.
At least there was no one out here aside from him.
Without thinking, he finds his feet have brought him to the edge of the dock, where the winds and the driving rain threaten to knock him off it. The water is also dangerously high, lapping hungrily at the wood from less than an inch beneath it. Soon the water will start to run over. At that point, he'll have to leave.
Hesitating only a moment - but no, he's alone, completely alone - Yu cups his hands around his mouth and calls out: ]
Yosuke?!
[ Silence and the howl of wind and rain answer him. He hovers, waiting, waiting to see if he can see or hear anything, and he's just about to move when he feels hands on his back.
Hands. A person's hands.
Before Yu can turn or even ask who's there, those same hands shove.
Yu does not see who pushed him before the raging water of the Samegawa consumes him. Unprepared and immediately pulled beneath the surface, Yu gasps and inhales only water. He reaches out and grabs only water.
He can't see. He can't seem to right himself. He can't breathe.
There is an old, dried flower, curled about the string of pearls on his wrist. It was well-tended to, carefully looked after. The waters of the Samegawa tear it away, and nearly take the pearls with it. ]
IT IS TIME
Yosuke has grown to like their little visits, spending more time dangerously close to humanity than he should. Strangely enough, he talks less and less about hit to his peers, feeling like it's a secret he needs to keep close to himself. Being a Good Samaritan wouldn't be enough of an excuse to brave the storm, but he won't cop to his current infatuation.
Well, he doesn't have to. At least for now.
He spends about ten minutes near the riverside, where the current takes sharp turns and thrashes back out into the center. Finding small perches to hold onto along the way is really the only opportunity he gets to watch, but it's difficult. The current picks up so much debris from the bottom--small rocks, mud, plant life torn from the roots. It makes it as much of a mess below water as above. He knows he shouldn't stay for long.
It's when Yosuke decides to make his way towards a shoot off the main river when he sees it. He's already downstream of the dock proper--he would recognize those pearls anywhere, even if the person attached to them wasn't a familiar face. Yu's form rushes by and in that instant, his heart stops.
He--
Go!
Shock is the only hesitation he allows himself. A moment later, Yosuke springs outward into the main current without a second thought. He's not the strongest swimmer of his kin, but he is one of the fastest. What he can't accomplish in the power of his strokes is taken care of by the force of the water itself--he just needs to steer properly, and with the occasional boost of a flip of his tail, Yosuke takes corners and dips in the river sharply, allowing him to gain on Yu.
Humans, he knows...aren't meant for things like this. Hell, he isn't meant for things like this, so what kind of odds does it give Yu?
Underwater, he calls out, his voice carrying an ethereal clearness despite the murky environment. Is Yu even alive?
He reaches out, trying to grasp anything he can get of the other boy-- ]
I'VE NEVER BEEN MORE READY
Dimly he's aware that the water is rushing him downstream. If he goes too far he could end up outside of town - or somewhere he can't scale the banks -
he can't breathe
Through no real maneuvering of his own his head does break the surface of the water, allowing him a few panicked gasps of air before the wind whips the water back over him. His lungs are convulsing, trying to rid themselves of the water he's inhaled, but his coughing and gasping only leads to him sucking in more water and making it even harder to try and fight his way to the surface, to find purchase, to get air--
his nose is burning, his eyes are burning, his lungs are burning
and he hears .... a voice. A familiar voice. It sounds just like Yosuke.
Is he imagining it?
Is he dying?
Yu's fingers twitch, grabbing again at nothing. Except this time, there isn't nothing. There's a person's hand. A person's hand, warm and real and reaching for him.
With a grip like a vice, Yu latches on, unthinking, and doesn't let go. ]
WHAT WOULD I GIIIIIIVE TO LIVE WHERE YOU AAAARE...
I've got you!
[ Now that he's holding on, he doesn't let go.
The river throws them about as Yosuke struggles to pull up properly next to the other boy, but once he does, he wraps his arm around Yu's torso tightly. He has to use his opposite arm like a rudder to steer them properly--now where the hell are they even?
It takes a moment to get his bearings, but he quickly realizes they've already passed the town proper. Good for Yosuke, not good for Yu. He has to get this human out of the water as fast as possible.
Up ahead...around a corner, there's a fork--left might be even worse with how shallow it gets, but right--right it gets big. With more room, it could slow down the current...
If he hadn't spent so much time riding the currents rather than exercising, maybe he wouldn't have known this. Guess being a slacker pays off sometimes, doesn't it?
He goes right at the fork. True to his predictions, the river widens considerably. The current is still fast, but Yosuke finds himself in more control as the energy is spread out. It's enough that several meters down, he's able to reach out and take hold of a large fallen tree. The tree redirects the current in a sudden burst of speed around it, but as long as Yosuke pulls them past it, they're good. ]
Just hang on!
[ Is Yu even still with him?
He hopes he is.
It's a struggle to reach the shore, but he does it. Somehow. His arms are tired, not used to having to do so much heavy lifting, so to speak. But Yosuke manages it, pulling Yu up with him onto the gravel and mud of land. He's still half in the water, as is Yosuke, but the current is far enough away from them to threaten to pull them back in.
Yosuke breathes heavily as he looks down at the boy. ]
C-C'mon, don't do this...
WHAT WOULD I PAAAAY TO STAY HERE BESIDE YOUUUU?
WHAT WOULD I DO TO SEE YOOOU SMILING AT MEEEEEEEEE
WHERE WOULD WE WALK, WHERE WOULD WE RUN....
IF WE COULD STAY ALL DAY IN THE SUUUUUUUUUUN!
JUST YOU AND ME.... AND I COULD BE....
PART OF YOUR WOOOOOORLD
I DON'T KNOW WHEN! I DON'T KNOW HOW!
BUT I KNOW SOMETHING'S STARTING RIIIIIGHT NOOOOOOOOOW~!
watch and you'll see... someday, i'll be...
paaaaart of yooooouuur...
wooooooooooooooooooooorld............
DRAMATIC WAVES IN THE BG
and then yosuke turns into foam
well that escalated quickly
AM I WRONG THOUGH
YOU WANT HIM TO DIE SO QUICKLY
EXCUSE ME??? COMING FROM MS "I WANT TO KILL YOSUKE"????
THAT'S WHAT THE FOAM IS GOSH
I KNOW, I'M JUST SAYING, I'M NOT THE ONE WHO ACTUALLY HAS KILLED HIM, YOU BLOODTHIRSTY ANIMAL
I'M NOT GOING TO KILL HIM YET GEEZ
"yet"
yet
please don't murder yu's new fish boyfriend
i won't (probably)
NO NOT PROBABLY
80%
no :|
82%
IM GONNA FIGHT YOU!!!!!
COME AT ME BRO
FIGHTS U. W MY MOUTH. ON UR MOUTH
omg
:)?
you're ridiculous
is this a problem
maybe a good problem
o-oh [swoon.jpg]
iamherenow.jpg
faints gracefully in your strong arms
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Truthfully, they were all on edge.
Yu, perhaps, especially so. He couldn't say why. Just a nameless dread that settled into his stomach when his clock struck midnight, and he turned to inspect his TV.
When it sparked into life - with a blurry impression of an unusual figure - his heart had dropped into his feet.
They all discussed it the next day, after school, and while Yu did his best to seem unshaken, Rise eventually picked up on something being amiss. Yu had been forced to reassure her all was well, and that they needed to focus on the case, but he couldn't escape his bad feeling.
That feeling only got worse when he got home that night, and on the news was a segment:
MONSTER IN THE SAMEGAWA?
It was, apparently, an update on an initial report that had been on TV a few days prior. Yu had missed its original airing due to having spent that day at work after school. But kneeling on the tatami that night with Nanako, watching the announcer discuss the blurry footage and a new photograph that had surfaced of some kind of creature swimming up the Samegawa, much too big to be a normal fish, he'd felt his heart go cold.
When he watches the Midnight Channel that night, there is a boy. That boy has legs, and a sneer, and golden eyes.
Yu wants to throw up. He does not. He calmly answers Kanji's call, tells him to get everyone together tomorrow at Junes. They have someone new to rescue.
Everyone realizes that only Yu knows who the kidnapee is. Everyone realizes that when Yu is able to describe him in detail to Rise, when everyone had been just starting to mutter about having to search for clues. Everyone trains their eyes on him, but no one asks, because Yu is made of steel and fire bound up in cords of icy calm, and no one wants to break the surface tension and unleash what lies beneath.
The run to the dungeon is not that far. And the dungeon is... a cavern. The arrive at a rocky entrance, dark and wet, flooded up to their knees and lit from a source no one can see. ]
Kanji, Teddie, Yukiko, with me. Let's go, everyone.
[ He is calm.
But he is not ready. ]
and now for something completely different
[ After the storm, Yosuke was definitely excited to spend time with Yu. Not just because he wanted to make sure that the other boy was okay after everything that's happened, but also because of the discoveries they made at the same time. Self-serving? A little. But he can't help the anxious excitement he feels down his spine and to his tail as he swims downstream.
There's something there, right? Between them.
He knows that Yu tends to be by the river around this time. Of course it's always a bit of a crapshoot and he doesn't feel like Yu is shafting him of time when he doesn't show, but he can't help but feel a little disappointed on the times he doesn't see silver peering over the edge of the dock. Yosuke is careful as he can be, but maybe is a little too flashy, almost unable to control the energy within him. He circles one of the posts of the dock a few times, taking a moment to peek up above the waterline every now and then.
He can wait...Yu is worth waiting for. ]
YELLS YELLS YELLS
And then there's a splash.
Yu, in a t-shirt and shorts, is suddenly there in the water with Yosuke, carefully treading. He's fully submerged, and his cheeks are puffed out with a held breath. This he lets out slowly, air bubbles escaping him, and then...
... he pulls in water.
It's a very odd feeling. But the water feels ... lighter in his mouth, and even as his lungs fill with liquid, he can still... breathe.
With a genuine smile dawning across his face, Yu twists in the water to face Yosuke. He takes care to keep beneath the cover of the dock, so he won't be obvious in the water, but he waves a hand and says, with that weird clarity Yosuke also possesses under the water: ]
Hey.
IT IS TIME
He recognizes Yu immediately and feels his heart jump in his chest. As Yu carefully adjusts to his new ability, something Yosuke had bestowed upon him without fully realizing the implications down the road, Yosuke can't help but smile. Especially when he hears Yu's voice. The shadow of the dock above them is actually calming, giving them a slightly darker and private area to be. But he can still see Yu clearly, what with the way water collects light and seems to hold it. ]
Hey!
[ He doesn't even try to hide his excitement.
Yosuke closes the distance between them quickly, turning upside down and swimming over with a flick of his tail. He moves much more fluidly than he does on land, a lot more artfully than he had when struggling against the storm. The first thing he does when they're close enough is reach out to touch Yu's new clothes--a t-shirt and shorts are not at all what he's used to seeing, but he doesn't seem upset. ]
I was wondering if you were gonna stop by today...the weather's been clearing up, huh?
im so ready
Beautiful.
Yu is beaming when Yosuke reaches out, so unafraid of touching him, and he places his hands lightly on Yosuke's forearms. This is... amazing. Being in the water like this. He thought his eyes would sting, but everything is clear. The light is beautiful, filtering through slats in the dock, suffusing the water that surrounds them. He can't really move more easily than before, but the water somehow feels more temperate than it did during the storm. Maybe it's just that he was ready this time, or maybe it's that the water is sun-warmed.
Whatever the case, this is ... nice. This is really nice.
The t-shirt and shorts were the best casual clothing choice he could make. He couldn't exactly wear swimwear to come down here. So he chose something light. Easy to move in. ]
Yeah. It's been sunny the last few days. And since it isn't cold yet... [ Yu smiles. ] I thought I'd drop in.
[ badum tsh. ]
are you
I'M THE READIEST IN THE WHOLE WORLD!!!
PROVE IT
... proves it ... by ... tagging you??????????????
PERFECT
LAUGHS I AM GLAD I CAN PROVIDE
you always do <3
( ˘ ³˘)♥
⃛♥ヾ(๑❛ ▿ ◠๑ )
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[ It's been an interesting few days. To say the least.
To be honest, Yosuke hadn't been sure there would be days to come at all, if it wasn't for Yu and his friends. For someone who was the son of a literal dragon river god, he had some some pretty fantastical things. Arguably the most fantastical was the fact that his mother actually wanted to talk to Yu after all was said and done.
The other merpeople had been understandably skeptical of the human's presence, let alone leading him into the hidden grotto. Much like the TV, something about it expanded beyond what could realistically be possible, and yet it was. A large and imposing figure of his mother curled up at the center waited for them. She spoke slowly in a voice that seemed to resonate with the water around them, listening to what they both had to say about their experience. After a long moment of contemplation, it had been her decision not only to let Yu keep the gift he'd been given, inadvertently or otherwise, and that Yosuke now held a responsibility to help out with the task before them.
They had been escorted out by mermaids that Yosuke seemed to know, but did not chat much with. They were in awe of what just happened and Yosuke didn't want to explain himself any further. Humans...meeting the river gods? Unheard of, not since the ancient times. But she had and they did, which is what has led them to where they are now.
On the riverside not far out of town, Yosuke has dragged himself up entirely onto the shore. The ends of his tail flap up and down just above the waterline. It's so tempting to just dip back in, but he has to follow his mother's instructions. Drying out is key, it's just...you know.
Itchy and uncomfortable.
He wiggles in place before flopping dramatically backwards. And sighs just as dramatically. ]
How long's this supposed to take?
[ As if Yu knows. ]
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Facing Yosuke's mother, ancient and powerful, had somehow been less scary, he thinks somewhat wryly, than standing before his class on his first day at Yasogami.
He handled it with all the gravity the situation required, of course. He'd been quiet, calm and steady at Yosuke's side as his boyfriend had led him through the water, and none of the stares directed his way, ranging from skeptical to outright angry, had done anything to faze him. He'd been deferential and polite no matter what, because that's what had been called for, and that's how he would have acted anyway. And for Yosuke's mother, he'd summoned up all the deepest reserves of whatever his friends thought made him a leader - quiet passion, conviction, a clear head in the face of adversity - and, well, it had seemed to work out. She'd deemed him worthy--
--and even granted that Yosuke could help them. Which was a good thing, given that he'd come into a persona of his own and they could always use more help on the team.
When he'd thanked her, he'd finally smiled.
Now they're here. Yu is soaking wet, too, given that they've only recently crawled into the shore, but he's getting kind of used to being wet when he spends time with Yosuke. He's peeled off his jacket and placed that higher up on the bank to dry. He's got his knees curled up to his chest, and lets his arms drape over them loosely as he alternates between looking at Yosuke and glancing out over the waves.
... little though it'd fazed him, that trip had still really been something ... ]
Give it time, [ he says patiently. There's no smile on his face, but there's a twinkle in his eye that says he's tempted to let one surface. ] I'm sure it'll come soon enough. Are you feeling alright?
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Is it something she's not worried about?
Well...best not think about it. Yosuke sighs and flops over onto his stomach, having trouble staying still on land as much as he has trouble staying still in the water. Dirt and sand stick to him. ]
I don't feel any different.
[ Yu meant physically, right? Though Yosuke pauses as he props his hand up in his chin, letting his tail fin droop down over his back. ]
What'd you think of...all of that back there?
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They'll have to grapple with it sometime. Yu isn't sure if it's reassuring or not that Yosuke's mother did not choose that moment.
When Yosuke rolls over Yu smiles, and reaches out to smooth a hand between his boyfriend's shoulder blades, brushing away dirt as he does so. Idly his hand moves back and forth, a gesture of unconscious affection.
His hand stills when Yosuke asks him that question, and Yu tilts his head, tapping his fingers. ]
Well, it was nice to meet your mother.
[ Said mildly, with a mysterious smile. ]
... I'm glad she agreed you could help us. We'll need it. [ He says nothing of his own gladness that Yosuke will be able to come up onto land. Being able to spend more time with Yosuke, to show him the world above water... maybe it's selfish to feel so delighted. ]
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picks this up too while i'm at it