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 Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2024 7:27 pm
Auli'i 1 The sand under her back and arms was hot from the sun, warming her body from two sides. The rain that was common in Matori had been absent for the last two days and Auli'i was making the best of it before it would drive her back inside. One would think, as an aquatic species, she wouldn't mind a little rain here or there. But if she decided to get drenched with water, there was an ocean an easy run away she could dive into when she wanted. It was so unpleasant being caught in the rain when she was out and not expecting it. Maybe she'd continue to get lucky and it wouldn't show up until the middle of the night, when she was tucked away in her bed.
Smiling up at the sky, eyes half closed against the glare, she waved her arms up and down slowly, pushing the sand into two lumps on either side of her, digging her toes into it. Matori was by far her favorite place that she had visited. The sun, the ocean, and the soft sand. There was no place quite like it. When her parents left to continue their adventures, she thought she'd remain here. Find a small shack for herself on the beach. Yeah. That sounded nice.
"I hear you've been working on your diving," she commented suddenly, purple eyes still watching that one cloud drift slowly across the sky.
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Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2024 2:09 pm
Minke 1 Nearby, but not too close, Minke sat with his legs criss-crossed in front of him, bending over a box of shells he was slowly looking through. Some were laid out on the sand in groups of unknown organization. Some were alone. Most were still in the box, the gentle clink of their shells against each other soft in his ears. He'd always liked the sound two shells made when they hit each other. He'd pick up a handful and put them in small pools of water where the waves could reach and gently push them around to create that musical sound. Before deciding which to return and which were too damaged. All of his shells were broken or chipped in such a way that they wouldn't be much use to the ocean except in helping to create more sand. Which even that he recognized as an important role in the ecosystem, so he made sure not to keep too many or to return them back later on. It was something he had always cared about, how everything in nature co-existed together. He didn't want to cause direct harm to it. There were enough who did that already.
The pale hybrid's gaze shot up from the colorful shells in his hands to the Hapuna beside him. He'd forgotten for the last few minutes that she'd even been there. That in itself was also strange. She was normally so noisy.
"Yes. I have." He said the words softly, looking back out over the ocean, imaging for a moment all the different creatures just below the surface. Than his gaze snapped back to her, his voice a little raised in anxiety. "Who told you that?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2024 2:16 pm
Auli'i 2 Auli'i stretched out her legs, feeling the sand falling out from between her toes as she brought her arms closer to her sides. "Mm. Secret." She turned her head towards him and gave a little wink, following it up with a giggle of amusement. She knew she shouldn't, but it was too hard not to tease him all the time. To see his pale face darkened so in a blush and the adorable way he looked away from her as if to hide it. As if she hadn't already seen it. As he would likely do now. She would never let on that it had been herself who had discovered what he had been doing on a few occasions she had roamed down this way. She would spy his familiar pale green head just dip below the surface, where he would remain for a longer time than she would expect of an Earthling before resurfacing, his lungs clearly strained for air. She'd hide behind the nearby pier, watching him practice for a few more dives before returning back the way she had come. She never intended on spying on him. It just happened.
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Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2024 6:01 pm
Minke 2 With a flick of his wrist, Minke tossed one of his shells out to sea, watching the small splash it made in the vastness of the pale water. It would be pushed along by the current soon enough, where it would crumple even further. Maybe one day pieces of it would once more reach the beach, where he had found it. He frowned at the Hapuna's remark, used to her sly answers to his questions by now and decided not to say anything further. He suspected that she would find a new subject to bring up, as it tended to go when she'd speak up for the first time after a long pause of silence.
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Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2024 9:02 pm
Auli'i 3 Rising up into a sitting position, stretching her arms above her head, the Hapuna looked over just in time to see the broken piece of the shell soaring through the air towards the water. She glanced back at Minke, noticing something that hadn't been as present until lately.
"You've been squinting a lot more lately, haven't you?" For once, the upbeat tone of her voice was gone, replaced by one of concern. It wasn't the first time she had noticed his eyes narrowing to see something in the distance. Up until now, she had mostly kept quiet about it. Until now. His eyes had been almost tiny slits in his face, following the path of the shell. She reached out to touch him, to inspect his face closer.
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Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2024 11:31 am
Minke 3 It was true. The course of the shell through the air had grown more and more fuzzy as it soared away from him, as if it were growing a very thick coat of fur protectively around it. He hadn't meant to, but he had squinted a little to watch it. Before, it hadn't been all that noticeable by anyone. At least no one else had said anything to him about his eyesight. Had his sister been here. she would have. She'd had glasses since a young age. Being twins, he guessed it was only inevitable that he would, too. Maybe it had taken a while for him since he didn't read as much as her.
Still, he wanted to prolong it as long as he could. So instead of admitting to it, Minke recoiled away from her hand, looking to the other side of him as he widened his eyes back to normal. "It's...Fine," he answered, as he answered most things with.
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Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2024 11:50 am
Auli'i 4 Pulling back her hand, Auli'i sat up on her knees facing the hybrid, hands now on her hips as fists. What an expected reaction from him. Always to deny when something was wrong. Because he didn't want anyone to worry or because he was embarrassed by the attention?
"It is not fine!" she boldly told him, using her most authoritative voice. Which didn't sound as intimidating from one as petite as her. "You could hurt yourself if it gets worse. You need to get it checked out."
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Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2024 4:29 pm
Minke 4 Panic rose in the hybrid's chest, threatening to take his breath away as his chest rose and fell more quickly than normal. He opened his mouth to make it easier, taking deeper breaths with each inhale to try and calm himself down. He couldn't go see someone. Even now, at his age, he still fought the healers, preferring to take care of his scraps on his own or let a cold run its course. It wasn't as if bad eyes didn't already run in his family. If he could figure out for himself the degree that it was getting worse, he could find some glasses on his own. And than what? How could he continue to swim, let alone dive, with glasses not falling off his face? Nor could he without them. Not anymore.
Unable to answer back, he sat with his head turned away, taking his slow breaths, his heart hammering in his chest. How could she suggest such a thing. She knew how he felt about people.
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Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2024 4:46 pm
Auli'i 5 So stubborn. Why was he so stubborn?
Auli'i harrumphed, banging her fists against her hips. She couldn't force him. Not at her size. If Elias wasn't such a softie, he could easily do it. Though he and Minke were of a similar height, he had arms twice as thick around than the paler hybrid did. Minke wouldn't stand a chance. If she could somehow convince Elias to do it, which she very much doubted she ever could.
With another grunt of disapproval, the Hapuna dropped to her butt on the sand, crossing her arms over her chest. She allowed the silence to stretch on, knowing Minke would never break it on his own. Finally, she looked back over at him, his face still turned away from her, and said, "How about we go diving and you show me how much you've improved."
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Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2024 5:20 pm
Minke 5 The quiet was fine with Minke. In fact, he basked in it, his attention now on the water in front of him and the lap of the waves against the sand. Slowly, as he focused on that sound, his breathing returned to normal and his heartbeat stilled to a rhythm only felt when he put a hand on his chest. So he was, by the time Auli'i finally broke the silence, completely calm once more and able to focus on what she said.
Which caused him to look over at her, blinking a few times. He had expected more of a fight. Usually she fought so hard for something she thought was right or that she wanted. It made him narrow his eyes slightly at her, not trusting this. Still, he couldn't pass up the opportunity to go into the water.
"Yes...I would like that."
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Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2024 5:32 pm
Auli'i 6 "Good. Not that I thought you'd say no," she couldn't help teasing as she rose from the sand, brushing at her backside and legs. Normally she preferred to wear a long skirt, but for today she had left them all at home, choosing instead the mid-thigh shorts she'd sometimes wear underneath them in case of spontaneous diving. As she was known to do even when she was alone. These Earthlings didn't quite understand the thrill of the ocean that came from one such as she, for they could never be as close to Her as her people were. She had to admit, though, that some did come close.
Giggling, she took a few hops towards the waves, looking back over her shoulder to see if he was following. Already the worries of before were forgotten. She wanted to see how good he was now at holding his breath. Maybe she could make a Kahi out of him yet.
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Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2024 6:27 pm
Minke 6 Of course he wasn't going to say no. It was difficult to refuse even a stranger's invitation to go into the water, such was his intense love for it. At least in the water, he could also swim away from anything or anyone that was stressing him. Even the fear of his encroaching lack of sight wasn't enough to penetrate the quickening of excitement he felt at the prospect of what he might find underneath the waves today. At least he could still see enough to enjoy it. But what of when he couldn't? Minke shook his head, trying to shake away those thoughts. No, let him have this time while he had it. He wouldn't let it ruin his favorite thing in the world. Rising to his feet, he easily shrugged off his shirt and joined Auli'i, smiling a little at her enthusiasm that so matched his own.
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Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2024 4:43 pm
Auli'i 7 The call of the ocean was great, washing away all of Auli'i's own worries as she danced to meet her, her feet light upon the sand. She made a few twirls, arms spread out wide, wish she had a long skirt on so that it could flare out around her. She always liked that about the dancers who wore the light, split skirts for dancing. Especially when there were multiple layers. It was quite a sight to look at, all the swirling of colors around thin legs.
Looking back at Minke, the Hapuna extended her hand, forgetting in her pleasure that it was highly unlikely that he would take her hand. But she didn't care. She was suddenly filled with joy, such were her fickle emotions.
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Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2024 5:46 pm
Minke 7 Much more quietly followed Minke, walking much more slowly with no outward signs to whether he was enjoying himself or not. In truth, though the anticipation of his favorite activity was looming closer, he couldn't help but feel worried. It was becoming harder to pretend like nothing was wrong when it was increasingly more difficult to see at a distance. Auli'i would once more notice if he started squinting down there, as he tried to make out the various shapes of the animals and flora that inhabited the ocean. For a moment, it made him pause, just a few feet beyond the maximum reach of the waves. He didn't even noticed the hand held out towards him, hovering just a few inches from his chest now. The hybrid looked down at it, than back up at the girl. His own hands made no move where they rested down by his thighs and he walked past her silently, muttering a very soft apology.
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Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2024 6:53 pm
Auli'i 8 Auli'i turned her head slowly to follow the progress of the hybrid towards the water, dropping her hand slowly to her side. With a shrug, she followed, not bothered at all by the apparent rudeness. "It's okay," she tried to reassure him, following in step beside him. Her feet hit the water and she gave a shiver at the slight coldness of it. Minke however didn't pause, walking all the way to his thighs before stopping. She waded in to stand beside him. Off in the distance, a whale surfaced, the spray of water easy to see from the beach. "How far out would you like to go today?"
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