Mm, yeah, we've noticed that. You've all come up with a lot of really interesting things to be able to come underwater with us!
[ the comment about his tail makes him blink and then-- turn so very, very red. which is a very interesting experience for him. he lifts his hands and covers his face with them, even as he pulls more of his tail up so that iseul can get a better view of it. ]
( and even more beautiful now that he can see it up close, the way the scales shimmer and how one color fades into the other. it is as powerful as it is pretty. iseul is tempted to reach out and touch it but he doesn't want to do anything unless explicitly given permission. his head tilts very obviously as he follows the lines and curves of the appendage, tracing it with his eyes instead. )
Mm, it is nice to see up close. Thank you for showing me, ( iseul returns politely. )
[ his face feels so hot, which is very weird considering he lives in deep, cold water. is he drying out?? but he's still sitting in the water, that can't be the case. what is happening?
namu lifts his gaze for a moment before finally hauling as much of his tail out of the depths as he can, most of it now up on the bank with him but still just below the surface of the water (can't dry out!!). ]
( he is cautious even as he lowers his head to take a closer look at the tail he has so kindly hauled onto land. his hand hovers over the appendage without even skimming the surface, prepared to pull away if he's told 'no.' )
Look at how they turn from green to blue and back again -- ( iseul actually grins at him, not as bashful as the mer as they try to figure each other out. ) well, of course you would know. You live with these pretty things.
[ namu goes quiet, almost holding his breath, as iseul creeps closer to him to get a better look. he doesn't even realize he's staring, just captivated by pale skin and legs and--
he blinks rapidly as he snaps himself out of it, nodding at the question. ]
S-sure! Of course.
[ and then he ducks his head, smiling a little. ]
...Do you think it's pretty? Others like to say it's too showy...
Of course I do! Not just because I've never seen anything like it... or you. You must look spectacular underwater.
( iseul rests his palm warmly against the scales equally warmed beneath the sun's rays. the corner of his lip quirks upward. ) I could have if you'd given me a chance earlier. Anyway.
( it's just a tease and, several beats after, he finally wrinkles his nose a little to let him know as such. his fingers begin to follow the curve of his tail, around where he thinks a thigh would start, leading up to an imagined knee. )
[ his body has gone a little tense, uncertain, because sure people have touched his tail before, of course, they have. his mother has lovingly tended to scales that have gone missing, children like to examine it and wonder when their own colors will finally present, but.
this is different, somehow.
a shiver races down his spine as iseul's hand finally connects with his tail and the fins flare out a bit, expanding to their full width before relaxing again. ]
W-well. If you come back some time, if you're able, we could swim together.
( iseul lets out a tiny gasp when he sees the fins react to his touch, stealing a glance at namu's face before continuing his short journey down the side of his tail. his touch is almost overly cautious as if his palm might disturb the scales in some way. )
I shall be more prepared next time. Googles and everything.
( slowly, he removes his hand from namu's side, turning it over to look at his still very normal palm before curling his arm against his chest to support him while he settles on his stomach. ) I should offer to return the favor but it wouldn't be as interesting.
[ namu shakes himself out a few times before he starts scooping up water to splash himself with it. being dry is strange. his skin is itchy and hot but he's not going to move for anything, not yet. they won't miss him at home, anyway. he often wanders away for a while, after all. the panic only usually starts to set in after a second day.
he smiles a little as he finishes rehydrating his skin, hands settling under the water once more. ]
You're already giving me more than you know. This has probably been one of the most exciting days of my life.
Most exciting? ( iseul shakes his head. ) I suppose... after I disturbed your treasure hunting.
( maybe he's just being modest. legs must be so unusual to someone who flips his fins to get through the day. he purses his lips, tilting his head to the side after watching him splash water over his skin and scales. )
You - should you go back to the water? I wouldn't want you to try out because of me...
Oh! No, don't worry, I won't. We like to lounge around on beaches of abandoned shores whenever we get the chance, the skin just gets a little itchy, is all. So long as my tail stays wet I should be okay.
[ namu hums quietly and starts shifting himself around so that he's also kind of laying on his stomach, his arms in the water against the sand and keeping his head and shoulders propped up above the water while the rest of him goes under.
and now that they're laying really close like this, namu can't help but look. ]
( the suddenness of the comment almost throws iseul for a loop and he blinks owlishly, finding himself mere inches away from namu. )
Why, thank you. ( he hears that often enough, usually when it comes to his work and a director's casting choices, whether one thinks his strange elfin features were perfect or inappropriate. it is, of course, different to hear it from the other and he feels rightfully tickled by the whole thing. a merman thinks he's pretty. isn't that something.
he tucks a dark strand behind his ear. )
I am here for the season. It would be nice to see you again.
[ he doesn't really know why he said it, but it's been on the tip of his tongue for a while and he couldn't help himself. namu smiles, though, an interesting hit of giddiness working its way through his system. ]
I'd like that.
[ namu goes quiet for a moment, his lips pressed together before he reaches out to take one of the coins from the chest. his eyes close as he clutches the going to his chest before he starts muttering softly under his breath, the glow from earlier returning. when he opens his eyes they're glowing, too, but the light dims as he hands the coin over. ]
Here. If you bring this with you, as soon as you enter the water with it I'll know you're here.
Oh! ( he takes the coin readily, letting his touch linger against namu's palm before sliding it away. the coin looks no different than the others, though it feels different, maybe warmer - or maybe he just wants it to feel that way since he still isn't sure what just happened. )
That would be wonderful. Thank you for this gift. ( iseul rests the coin atop his small stack of treasures between his arms, patting the top of it as if to reassure them that he won't leave them behind. )
[ he really... really wants to reach out and take a hold of iseul's hand again and just kind of cradle it in his own, if the way his hand is still poised in the air as if waiting for something. ]
It's... attuned to me. If you enter any body of water that's connected to this one while carrying it, no matter how far away you are, I'll know.
[ does that sound a little clingy? he's not apologizing. ]
( iseul actually beams at him, touched by the gesture. he sits up, his arms growing a little tired from propping himself up, and folds his long legs pretzel-style, bringing himself even closer to the edge of the water. the coins remain safely nestled in the sand between his legs. )
Ah — even when I take a bath? ( he chuckles at the thought of namu perking up with interest the second he sinks into a post-show bath. ) I would only worry about disturbing you in those moments.
[ he tilts his head curiously at that and blinks a few times before he finally shakes his head. ]
Unless you're taking a... bath?... in an ocean connected to this one, I won't know.
[ namu smiles and rolls over as iseul sits up, floating gently on top of the water while his tail keeps him anchored down enough that he doesn't drift off. ]
A bath -- ( he shakes his head at himself. ) Apologies. Of course you have never had a bath. It is one of the ways we humans wash ourselves to get the dirt and grime off our bodies. It can be very soothing if done properly, hence my question about the bath.
We fill a tub full of warm water and often soak ourselves in it until the water turns cold.
( iseul smiles at the thought. )
I do not suppose you have something similar to that.
[ he shakes his head and immediately pouts because he wants to experience something like that at least once in his life, he thinks. but doing that would mean having to be human, which would mean legs, which he is unfortunately very bereft of.
but maybe...
he'll have to do some research when he gets home. ]
Well... I mean, we groom ourselves. And each other. Usually just untangling our hair and freeing it from kelp, or tending to our scales.
I certainly wouldn't mind combing through your pretty hair, ( iseul offers without hesitation. and, maybe that sounds kind of strange, but then again, namu did also just offer him a magical signal so they probably and quickly have moved past the initial stages of friendship. )
That is an important part of grooming after the bath, anyhow. ( it is nice, making little plans. he had been enjoying his summer stay, but this will make it infinitely better. )
[ like. a lot a lot. it's an intimate thing, usually reserved for something between families first, your lovers second. iseul isn't family or a lover but namu wants him to groom him all the same. and he wants to return the favor if he could.
he drums a finger lightly against his stomach, humming faintly. ]
Is there anything special that humans do to... mm.
[ he looks away, eyes darting out toward the water as he ponders how to ask. ]
Yes! Oh, a great many things, in fact. Embracing, for one. ( he demonstrates by wrapping his arms around himself, just in case that isn't a thing merpeople do. )
Holding hands, ( iseul continues, ticking them off on his fingers. ) wrapping an arm around a shoulder, kissing anywhere but primarily cheeks and lips...
But then there are other love languages that aren't primarily physical.
( he lifts his head suddenly at the request. sure, he offered for a someday, but ... ) Yes. I would be delighted to.
( he moves right up to the edge, not caring if he gets wet all over again. it wouldn't do for namu to get dry and itchy on his account after all. iseul beckons him with a little pat to his legs. as skinny as they are, they can be quite comfortable, especially around the lap area. )
I've only my hands, but I think that would be suitable. Massages are also a way to show someone that you care about them, soothing aching muscles and all.
[ namu finishes wiggling around so that he can scoot in close enough to rest his head in iseul's lap. if his face looks red, no it doesn't. you saw nothing.
once he settles in he gazes upward with a tiny little smile on his face. ]
Is this okay?
[ he really... likes this. likes this closeness with this human he met literally within the hour. it's fine. ]
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[ the comment about his tail makes him blink and then-- turn so very, very red. which is a very interesting experience for him. he lifts his hands and covers his face with them, even as he pulls more of his tail up so that iseul can get a better view of it. ]
Oh. Tha... thank you...
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( and even more beautiful now that he can see it up close, the way the scales shimmer and how one color fades into the other. it is as powerful as it is pretty. iseul is tempted to reach out and touch it but he doesn't want to do anything unless explicitly given permission. his head tilts very obviously as he follows the lines and curves of the appendage, tracing it with his eyes instead. )
Mm, it is nice to see up close. Thank you for showing me, ( iseul returns politely. )
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namu lifts his gaze for a moment before finally hauling as much of his tail out of the depths as he can, most of it now up on the bank with him but still just below the surface of the water (can't dry out!!). ]
You can... you can look closer. If you like.
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( he is cautious even as he lowers his head to take a closer look at the tail he has so kindly hauled onto land. his hand hovers over the appendage without even skimming the surface, prepared to pull away if he's told 'no.' )
Look at how they turn from green to blue and back again -- ( iseul actually grins at him, not as bashful as the mer as they try to figure each other out. ) well, of course you would know. You live with these pretty things.
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he blinks rapidly as he snaps himself out of it, nodding at the question. ]
S-sure! Of course.
[ and then he ducks his head, smiling a little. ]
...Do you think it's pretty? Others like to say it's too showy...
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( iseul rests his palm warmly against the scales equally warmed beneath the sun's rays. the corner of his lip quirks upward. ) I could have if you'd given me a chance earlier. Anyway.
( it's just a tease and, several beats after, he finally wrinkles his nose a little to let him know as such. his fingers begin to follow the curve of his tail, around where he thinks a thigh would start, leading up to an imagined knee. )
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this is different, somehow.
a shiver races down his spine as iseul's hand finally connects with his tail and the fins flare out a bit, expanding to their full width before relaxing again. ]
W-well. If you come back some time, if you're able, we could swim together.
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I shall be more prepared next time. Googles and everything.
( slowly, he removes his hand from namu's side, turning it over to look at his still very normal palm before curling his arm against his chest to support him while he settles on his stomach. ) I should offer to return the favor but it wouldn't be as interesting.
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he smiles a little as he finishes rehydrating his skin, hands settling under the water once more. ]
You're already giving me more than you know. This has probably been one of the most exciting days of my life.
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( maybe he's just being modest. legs must be so unusual to someone who flips his fins to get through the day. he purses his lips, tilting his head to the side after watching him splash water over his skin and scales. )
You - should you go back to the water? I wouldn't want you to try out because of me...
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[ namu hums quietly and starts shifting himself around so that he's also kind of laying on his stomach, his arms in the water against the sand and keeping his head and shoulders propped up above the water while the rest of him goes under.
and now that they're laying really close like this, namu can't help but look. ]
You're pretty.
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Why, thank you. ( he hears that often enough, usually when it comes to his work and a director's casting choices, whether one thinks his strange elfin features were perfect or inappropriate. it is, of course, different to hear it from the other and he feels rightfully tickled by the whole thing. a merman thinks he's pretty. isn't that something.
he tucks a dark strand behind his ear. )
I am here for the season. It would be nice to see you again.
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I'd like that.
[ namu goes quiet for a moment, his lips pressed together before he reaches out to take one of the coins from the chest. his eyes close as he clutches the going to his chest before he starts muttering softly under his breath, the glow from earlier returning. when he opens his eyes they're glowing, too, but the light dims as he hands the coin over. ]
Here. If you bring this with you, as soon as you enter the water with it I'll know you're here.
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That would be wonderful. Thank you for this gift. ( iseul rests the coin atop his small stack of treasures between his arms, patting the top of it as if to reassure them that he won't leave them behind. )
You. Did you turn it into a signal of some sort?
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[ he really... really wants to reach out and take a hold of iseul's hand again and just kind of cradle it in his own, if the way his hand is still poised in the air as if waiting for something. ]
It's... attuned to me. If you enter any body of water that's connected to this one while carrying it, no matter how far away you are, I'll know.
[ does that sound a little clingy? he's not apologizing. ]
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( iseul actually beams at him, touched by the gesture. he sits up, his arms growing a little tired from propping himself up, and folds his long legs pretzel-style, bringing himself even closer to the edge of the water. the coins remain safely nestled in the sand between his legs. )
Ah — even when I take a bath? ( he chuckles at the thought of namu perking up with interest the second he sinks into a post-show bath. ) I would only worry about disturbing you in those moments.
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[ he tilts his head curiously at that and blinks a few times before he finally shakes his head. ]
Unless you're taking a... bath?... in an ocean connected to this one, I won't know.
[ namu smiles and rolls over as iseul sits up, floating gently on top of the water while his tail keeps him anchored down enough that he doesn't drift off. ]
What's a bath?
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We fill a tub full of warm water and often soak ourselves in it until the water turns cold.
( iseul smiles at the thought. )
I do not suppose you have something similar to that.
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but maybe...
he'll have to do some research when he gets home. ]
Well... I mean, we groom ourselves. And each other. Usually just untangling our hair and freeing it from kelp, or tending to our scales.
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That is an important part of grooming after the bath, anyhow. ( it is nice, making little plans. he had been enjoying his summer stay, but this will make it infinitely better. )
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[ like. a lot a lot. it's an intimate thing, usually reserved for something between families first, your lovers second. iseul isn't family or a lover but namu wants him to groom him all the same. and he wants to return the favor if he could.
he drums a finger lightly against his stomach, humming faintly. ]
Is there anything special that humans do to... mm.
[ he looks away, eyes darting out toward the water as he ponders how to ask. ]
Show... affection?
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Holding hands, ( iseul continues, ticking them off on his fingers. ) wrapping an arm around a shoulder, kissing anywhere but primarily cheeks and lips...
But then there are other love languages that aren't primarily physical.
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[ all of those sound really, really nice, and everything in him agrees with the thought if the thumping of his heart is any indication.
he smiles faintly as he tips his gaze back up again, the corners of his eyes crinkling. ]
I'd like to hear more.
[ he pauses briefly before he promptly starts shifting around, twisting his body so he can start scooting just a little bit closer. ]
...Maybe... while you comb my hair?
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( he moves right up to the edge, not caring if he gets wet all over again. it wouldn't do for namu to get dry and itchy on his account after all. iseul beckons him with a little pat to his legs. as skinny as they are, they can be quite comfortable, especially around the lap area. )
I've only my hands, but I think that would be suitable. Massages are also a way to show someone that you care about them, soothing aching muscles and all.
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[ namu finishes wiggling around so that he can scoot in close enough to rest his head in iseul's lap. if his face looks red, no it doesn't. you saw nothing.
once he settles in he gazes upward with a tiny little smile on his face. ]
Is this okay?
[ he really... likes this. likes this closeness with this human he met literally within the hour. it's fine. ]
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