Welcome to Gaia! ::

Minke had been studying his hands for the past few minutes, turning over in them a brightly colored shell he had just found near the edge of the water, just submerged below the surface so it was hidden from a wandering eye. What was his obsession with shells, he didn't quite know. Other than they were pretty and contained a part of the ocean with them, as if they were a gift from some ocean God. Not that he really believed in the Gods. Wasn't really sure where that one had come from, either. It wasn't like his parents were shoving anything at him so much that he had eventually rebelled against it. Even shared in his mother's rituals sometimes, just to be close to her when she was home. Which wasn't often enough, if he was honest with himself. He missed her when she was gone, off traveling the world and seeing all the sights.

The cool breeze hit Minke on the chest, causing a shiver to run down his spine at the sudden coolness of it. He hadn't taken a swim yet today, so there was no water clinging to his skin to make him feel cold. That might mean a sudden storm was on the way. Maybe he should check on his friends in the tidal pool one last time before going inside to wait it out. Make sure they had plenty of places to hide.

He put the shell in the pocket of his pants and started walking, ignoring the waves as they slowly grew larger.

The tidepool had become a place of solitude for Minke as of late. Few people went down to that side of the beach, unless they were looking for something. It was full of other pools, all containing tiny eco-systems that he watched over with care when he was able to get there. He loved to watch the tiny creatures swimming about in the water. Would even bring them extra food if he thought they looked rather thin. He knew he should let nature do its thing in peace, but he couldn't help it. He had come to think of the little pod of piplit as friends, even if they didn't quite understand what the large being was that visited them. He liked to think they did. He always had trouble connecting with other Earthlings. Animals never seemed to be a problem.

Than the worst happened. Someone else was on the beach with him. How could that be? He thought he was the only one who knew of this place. The instinct to avoid all contact with his own species was so strong, Minke almost turned around and went back the way he had come. But he couldn't do that. The clouds above him told of another storm coming. He needed to make sure the piplit would be okay before it had a chance to unleash itself.