The Hapuna were so vividly colored that it was hard not to be entranced by some of them. Ephrym constantly found himself watching the locals, their golden skin with brilliant purple, teal or reddish hair gleaming in the sunlight as they lazed about the beach or swam in the nearby ocean. His crew had traveled along the outside of the new islands before arriving at Elikapeka where the Kaha’iko had promised them plenty of opportunities for trading. Apparently it was like one of their capital cities back on the main continent and Ephrym could believe it upon arrival with the obvious size of the large settlement immediately catching his attention. A large river was nearby while the ocean surrounded them on the other side and it was easy enough for them to anchor the Misty Maiden while several of the crew, including Ephrym, took rowboats the rest of the way to Elikapeka. Several curious Hapuna had made their appearances upon their arrival, the new foreigners unheard of by many of the locals since their world had only recently expanded to acknowledge the existence of earthlings such as Ephrym. Now that they had been docked for a few days Ephrym found himself wandering the streets more often, his crew working to trade with a lot of the local artisans who thrived within the city. Ephrym’s supply of Belrean, Oban and Matorian goods were quite popular (especially the Oban silks and fragrant teas) while the handcrafted jewelry, many containing pearls and unique stones never seen by Ephrym before, from Elikapeka would surely sell for a lot back home. Seeing how successful their venture was now that the original hiccup of the storm was out of mind made Ephrym’s spirits soar. It was enough to make him actually agree to the newest shenanigans from his crew - apparently it was a popular thing amongst the Hapuna to do dating events during the spring season and so Ephrym had actually been signed up to go on a date along with several others from his crew who had delighted in the possibility of hanging out with the vibrant locals. Others had shaken their heads at their companions but Ephrym jumped in because it was a good chance to learn more about the area and the people living here. It was similar to something he had done back in Belrea when he was younger - basically you signed into the event and the tavern hosting would rotate couples throughout the afternoon to give them time to get acquainted while sharing snacks for a fee. So why not have some fun with it once more?

Sitting at a table made of silvery wood with various coral accents, Ephrym waited as a Hapuna came towards him. Honestly he had signed up blindly by listing no preferences but was not disappointed when he saw the golden skinned hapuna with bright blue hair approach. The man was dressed in flowing silks that Ephrym vaguely recognized with golden patterns and his hair faded like the others which only served to make Ephrym think more about a cloudy sky, the vivid blue turning almost white at the tips. “Ephrym.” He grinned at the Hapuna’s surprise before reaching out a friendly hand. “Figured it would be fun to learn more about you guys and see where this dating thing takes me.” He teased lightly with a wink as the other man hesitantly reached out for his hand.

“Mikala.” The man flushed lightly before settling back and waiting for the server to come around with some steamed dumplings, the vegetable ones popular at the tavern with a spicy sauce that even Ephrym enjoyed. “I have to admit I was not expecting a foreigner at this event.”

“Hopefully it’s not a bad surprise.” Replied Ephrym with a chuckle.

“Not at all.” Mikala found himself chuckling in return as he waited for Ephrym to serve them both with a plate of dumplings while the server came back around with tea for them. “If anything I would think that you should be more surprised. Our people are quite different from yours. I cannot fathom how you stand being surrounded by so much water but cannot survive beneath the surface. Do you not fear drowning?” Even though the Hapuna could not live completely underwater even Ephrym knew that they had more strengths than any earthling when it came to living along the ocean.

“Well you see I actually adore the water.” Teased Ephrym as his fingers curled around the warm teacup, the steam fragrant with the local herbs that he had started to recognize in most teas. “While I would prefer to not drown I would rather risk it than staying landbound. There’s just something about the ocean which draws me towards it.” He admitted. “I suppose it only worked out that our boundaries started to expand in time for me to captain a ship this way. I’ve been lucky. Plus I much prefer my chances in the ocean than falling from a Belrean airship. You know my people have ships that cut through the air but we cannot fly? How insane is that?”

And just like that his companion was hooked and they found themselves swapping stories for the next half hour before the bell chimed and announced the next rotation. Still, Ephrym found himself enjoying the little date and hoped that the next would be just as pleasant as the first.

[903]