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[Why is he still...]
I have to go. [Gepard keeps his voice level. Steady. Reassuring. Soothing, even. He pats Sampo's leg. Is that soothing? Probably not, actually, but he can pretend. And maybe it is? He never had legs. He doesn't know how it feels to have one patted like so. Also, something's telling him anything like an arm might keep him stuck longer, and that's bad. A leg? A bit safer. It's like stroking a whale.] I enjoyed our talk. I'm glad we met.
[He...thinks, but soothing, reassuring, steady. His gaze, level, his smile, fond yet distant. His guardsman's smile. Polite? Maybe a bit too polite. He should be a little less polite.] Perhaps one day we'll meet again? [Is that better?] If I ever get a chance, I'd like to talk to you again, but for now this is goodbye.
[...okay, now Gepard's going to head back into the ocean, with every intent of diving deep underwater and leaving, but he's got a nagging feeling, and for all he knows what he should do (get the hell out, swim away) he's...he's unfortunately invested in this really weird human who keeps on flirting with him for some reason. He can't just leave, at least, not without knowing how all of this ends.
Hopefully, Sampo thinks of all of this as a fever dream, but: Gepard grabs some seaweed to hide his unfortunately pale hair like a stupid hat, surfaces just enough from the water at a distance, and watches and waits for a rescue, and the second he hears that? Down and under and away, and he'll try to forget whatever it was that just happened.]
I have to go. [Gepard keeps his voice level. Steady. Reassuring. Soothing, even. He pats Sampo's leg. Is that soothing? Probably not, actually, but he can pretend. And maybe it is? He never had legs. He doesn't know how it feels to have one patted like so. Also, something's telling him anything like an arm might keep him stuck longer, and that's bad. A leg? A bit safer. It's like stroking a whale.] I enjoyed our talk. I'm glad we met.
[He...thinks, but soothing, reassuring, steady. His gaze, level, his smile, fond yet distant. His guardsman's smile. Polite? Maybe a bit too polite. He should be a little less polite.] Perhaps one day we'll meet again? [Is that better?] If I ever get a chance, I'd like to talk to you again, but for now this is goodbye.
[...okay, now Gepard's going to head back into the ocean, with every intent of diving deep underwater and leaving, but he's got a nagging feeling, and for all he knows what he should do (get the hell out, swim away) he's...he's unfortunately invested in this really weird human who keeps on flirting with him for some reason. He can't just leave, at least, not without knowing how all of this ends.
Hopefully, Sampo thinks of all of this as a fever dream, but: Gepard grabs some seaweed to hide his unfortunately pale hair like a stupid hat, surfaces just enough from the water at a distance, and watches and waits for a rescue, and the second he hears that? Down and under and away, and he'll try to forget whatever it was that just happened.]
[He listens like he's a small child, at one point scooting closer on the couch to Sampo - not too much closer, a little closer - and holds the mug with steady hands as he stares and watches. He makes sounds as Sampo tells his story. Worse, Gepard lets himself get lost in that story. It doesn't matter what his past history had been with Sampo, all that mattered was the moment. Here. Now. The sound of Sampo's voice, which is, for once, calming? It's calming. He laughs as Sampo tells a joke, a soft huff that escapes his lips, and Gepard would be surprised by it if he was paying attention.
But then, Sampo stops, and Gepard blinks. Spell broken, he also glances over and it takes a lot to keep from cussing when he sees what time it is. He meant to give Sampo some of his time, but did he really mean to give him that much?]
...you're right. [He can admit this much.] I lost track of the time.
[He puts his mug (mostly untouched, he drank at first and then got lost in the story) on the tray, gets up- was he this close to Sampo? He could've sworn he was a little further away...who knows, really, it's actually kind of embarrassing that he just forgot himself this much. He should be rushing to unlock the door, flip the sign over, reassure people who thought something had happened, but- first things first.] You're a very good storyteller, Koski.
[He can bask in the moment for a little bit longer without it being weird, right...?]
But then, Sampo stops, and Gepard blinks. Spell broken, he also glances over and it takes a lot to keep from cussing when he sees what time it is. He meant to give Sampo some of his time, but did he really mean to give him that much?]
...you're right. [He can admit this much.] I lost track of the time.
[He puts his mug (mostly untouched, he drank at first and then got lost in the story) on the tray, gets up- was he this close to Sampo? He could've sworn he was a little further away...who knows, really, it's actually kind of embarrassing that he just forgot himself this much. He should be rushing to unlock the door, flip the sign over, reassure people who thought something had happened, but- first things first.] You're a very good storyteller, Koski.
[He can bask in the moment for a little bit longer without it being weird, right...?]
[A cool hand touches his leg, and Sampo watches Gepard move away from him with an almost feverish rapture, like how penitent pilgrims gaze at relics of saints-- like he could burn his face into memory. Gepard even smiles at him like the statues of saints, his face beautiful and his smile a distant benediction. No pious man ever wanted to take an exalted saint's face in their hands and kiss them, probably, but Sampo never would've claimed to be one.]
[He'll find him again. If he can remember his face and that there are merfolk cities under the sea, he'll be able to find him.]
We will. You can count on it! [He tries to keep up the enthusiasm, but, well. It's hard when his lips are starting to get as blue as his hair.]
[The voices are getting closer now, close enough that Sampo can start to make out conversation, and Gepard's long, sleek body disappears into the surf. In the dim light, he vanishes into the dark water with ease, and Sampo wouldn't have been able to find him again even if he hadn't been freezing. It feels very lonely with him gone, with nothing else for Sampo to focus on but the unrelenting sound of the surf and the approaching voices and the way the cold keeps getting deeper into his bones.]
[A few minutes later, there's a shout from the boardwalk-- someone's spotted him, and soon there are a few people walking down onto the beach to have a better look at him. Someone touches his cheek-- a woman with grey-blue hair-- and recoils at how cold he is. She gives a few orders to the others, and they start to move him; someone wraps him in their coat, to try to warm him up a little. They don't try to make him walk, but carry him off the beach, and he tries to look out at the water for as long as he can for just one last glimpse of a lovely savior.]
[As he's carried-- and my, someone's massive to be able to carry him like a child-- the woman keeps talking about hypothermia, something about possible concussions, he stopped trying to stay awake once the ocean was no longer in sight.]
[He'll find him again. If he can remember his face and that there are merfolk cities under the sea, he'll be able to find him.]
We will. You can count on it! [He tries to keep up the enthusiasm, but, well. It's hard when his lips are starting to get as blue as his hair.]
[The voices are getting closer now, close enough that Sampo can start to make out conversation, and Gepard's long, sleek body disappears into the surf. In the dim light, he vanishes into the dark water with ease, and Sampo wouldn't have been able to find him again even if he hadn't been freezing. It feels very lonely with him gone, with nothing else for Sampo to focus on but the unrelenting sound of the surf and the approaching voices and the way the cold keeps getting deeper into his bones.]
[A few minutes later, there's a shout from the boardwalk-- someone's spotted him, and soon there are a few people walking down onto the beach to have a better look at him. Someone touches his cheek-- a woman with grey-blue hair-- and recoils at how cold he is. She gives a few orders to the others, and they start to move him; someone wraps him in their coat, to try to warm him up a little. They don't try to make him walk, but carry him off the beach, and he tries to look out at the water for as long as he can for just one last glimpse of a lovely savior.]
[As he's carried-- and my, someone's massive to be able to carry him like a child-- the woman keeps talking about hypothermia, something about possible concussions, he stopped trying to stay awake once the ocean was no longer in sight.]
[Sampo is an actor, of course, and he loves to have an audience-- so it is a shame to break Gepard's rapt attention, but he really should let the guy actually open his store at some point. Maybe he doesn't exactly need this job, but if he hung around all day and never actually did it, he'd probably get in trouble! And Sampo doesn't really want to be the guy getting him in trouble, then Gepard will never want to do this again.]
I have a lot of stories to tell! [And not just ones about the Trailblazer and their little adventure. He's been back and forth across the galaxy in his time, and you can't help but collect stories along the way.]
[He stands and sets his cold mug of tea on the tray next to Gepard's. Looks like they were both a little too wrapped up in what they were doing to enjoy it very much. They're standing near each other again.]
Maybe I could come back another time and finish up? I'd hate you leave you without the ending. [Nothing worse than never getting to know what happened, right?] Before you open up shop, or during your lunch break?
[It would just be two friends meeting for lunch! Nothing strange about that, right?]
I have a lot of stories to tell! [And not just ones about the Trailblazer and their little adventure. He's been back and forth across the galaxy in his time, and you can't help but collect stories along the way.]
[He stands and sets his cold mug of tea on the tray next to Gepard's. Looks like they were both a little too wrapped up in what they were doing to enjoy it very much. They're standing near each other again.]
Maybe I could come back another time and finish up? I'd hate you leave you without the ending. [Nothing worse than never getting to know what happened, right?] Before you open up shop, or during your lunch break?
[It would just be two friends meeting for lunch! Nothing strange about that, right?]
[He waits far longer than he had intended to. At the first sight of humans finding his, uh. The man he rescued.
At the first sight of humans finding the man he rescued, Gepard dips underwater, but, well, he should watch the whole rescue because what's the point in rescuing a man if he doesn't confirm he's safe? So, he bobs back up ever so slightly, just in time to see Sampo get wrapped in a coat and carried off as humans said things he couldn't quite catch from out in the ocean. He can just hear the hint of noise. He waits until they're out of view, and then, satisfied in a job well done, Gepard dives underwater again and proceeds to ignore any feelings of being lonely.
...it's strange how incidental encounters can make someone feel strangely lonely. And curious. And want to know more. But he is a merman, and Sampo a human, and they never should have met, and what little time they had was enough, and so Gepard catches and eats a blackfish in contemplative silence and then goes back home.
No one questions where he's been. He's always been a good soldier. At worst, Dunn asks, "Where have you been?" (Paraphrased.) And Gepard says, "I ate a blackfish." (Extremely paraphrased.) And Dunn says, "Oh shit, it's that time of year? I gotta catch me a couple, thanks for the reminder." (Also still paraphrased.)
His sister, Serval, just gives him a sidelong look and passes him the seaweed, and Gepard doesn't know if he's glad she doesn't ask further questions or extremely wary. But even he knows she wouldn't guess what it was he actually had done, because there's a difference between going up to the human settlement...
...technically forbidden, but everyone knew everyone else had done it at least once, even golden children who were upheld as paragons of merfolk...
...and talking to a human at length.
Gepard returns to the beach three times, kind of. The first two times he bobs in the waters, ready to slip under at a moment's notice, but no one comes close enough for him to have to flee. He sees no one, and no one sees him.
The third time, he impulsively, recklessly, stupidly leaves a seashell where he and Sampo had talked. It's a nice seashell. Blue. Small. Easily missed. He tells himself that the tides will drag it back out again, or people will assume it just was there and has no significance, or someone who isn't his The Man He Rescued (somehow, Sampo had picked up capital letters along the way) will pick it up and wonder about the beauty of nature. It's hardly unique to merfolk - Gepard's definitely not reckless enough to pull off a few of his scales and leave them there as treasures. Even if his The Man He Rescued finds the shell, he might not even care. After all, a dream is just a dream, and mermen don't really exist. Right?
When he gets home, his sister nudges him with her tail and says she loves their music too, and Gepard awkwardly laughs, not sure if she's giving him an out and saw through him, or if she doesn't actually know what it was he was doing. And if she had seen through him, he wishes she'd tell him what he's doing, because he really doesn't know.]
At the first sight of humans finding the man he rescued, Gepard dips underwater, but, well, he should watch the whole rescue because what's the point in rescuing a man if he doesn't confirm he's safe? So, he bobs back up ever so slightly, just in time to see Sampo get wrapped in a coat and carried off as humans said things he couldn't quite catch from out in the ocean. He can just hear the hint of noise. He waits until they're out of view, and then, satisfied in a job well done, Gepard dives underwater again and proceeds to ignore any feelings of being lonely.
...it's strange how incidental encounters can make someone feel strangely lonely. And curious. And want to know more. But he is a merman, and Sampo a human, and they never should have met, and what little time they had was enough, and so Gepard catches and eats a blackfish in contemplative silence and then goes back home.
No one questions where he's been. He's always been a good soldier. At worst, Dunn asks, "Where have you been?" (Paraphrased.) And Gepard says, "I ate a blackfish." (Extremely paraphrased.) And Dunn says, "Oh shit, it's that time of year? I gotta catch me a couple, thanks for the reminder." (Also still paraphrased.)
His sister, Serval, just gives him a sidelong look and passes him the seaweed, and Gepard doesn't know if he's glad she doesn't ask further questions or extremely wary. But even he knows she wouldn't guess what it was he actually had done, because there's a difference between going up to the human settlement...
...technically forbidden, but everyone knew everyone else had done it at least once, even golden children who were upheld as paragons of merfolk...
...and talking to a human at length.
Gepard returns to the beach three times, kind of. The first two times he bobs in the waters, ready to slip under at a moment's notice, but no one comes close enough for him to have to flee. He sees no one, and no one sees him.
The third time, he impulsively, recklessly, stupidly leaves a seashell where he and Sampo had talked. It's a nice seashell. Blue. Small. Easily missed. He tells himself that the tides will drag it back out again, or people will assume it just was there and has no significance, or someone who isn't his The Man He Rescued (somehow, Sampo had picked up capital letters along the way) will pick it up and wonder about the beauty of nature. It's hardly unique to merfolk - Gepard's definitely not reckless enough to pull off a few of his scales and leave them there as treasures. Even if his The Man He Rescued finds the shell, he might not even care. After all, a dream is just a dream, and mermen don't really exist. Right?
When he gets home, his sister nudges him with her tail and says she loves their music too, and Gepard awkwardly laughs, not sure if she's giving him an out and saw through him, or if she doesn't actually know what it was he was doing. And if she had seen through him, he wishes she'd tell him what he's doing, because he really doesn't know.]
Edited 2024-09-25 15:37 (UTC)
[Now, Gepard Landau wouldn't consider himself a bold man in certain respects. In all things professional, sure. He wouldn't have lasted as long as he had, survived as well as he did if he was anything short of bold.
Personal? A different story. He's not bold at all. If he was, maybe he wouldn't have been raising his daughter all alone for as many years as he had. Maybe his life would be different if he was bold. But, still.
Still.]
I'd like that. [It's doesn't take boldness to admit that he likes something.] Tomorrow, then? Before I open the store or for lunch, whichever is better for you. [After all, Sampo Koski had never struck him as a morning person, especially not with the hours Gepard liked to keep. He knew that he woke up long before Sampo ever would. Asking him to drag himself out of bed sounded miserable.
He should step away. Gepard knows this. He doesnt, at least, not yet.]
Either way, I wouldn't mind ordering in food, but there's something to be said for a change of scenery.
Personal? A different story. He's not bold at all. If he was, maybe he wouldn't have been raising his daughter all alone for as many years as he had. Maybe his life would be different if he was bold. But, still.
Still.]
I'd like that. [It's doesn't take boldness to admit that he likes something.] Tomorrow, then? Before I open the store or for lunch, whichever is better for you. [After all, Sampo Koski had never struck him as a morning person, especially not with the hours Gepard liked to keep. He knew that he woke up long before Sampo ever would. Asking him to drag himself out of bed sounded miserable.
He should step away. Gepard knows this. He doesnt, at least, not yet.]
Either way, I wouldn't mind ordering in food, but there's something to be said for a change of scenery.
[Gepard takes the bait, agreeing to meet with him again sometime outside of working hours. Victory for Sampo-- winning again at a game that Gepard doesn't know that he's playing. He can't get his attention anymore for a good chase, so he'll just have to get those eyes on him for different reasons.]
Lunch sounds great, let's do lunch. [It's true, he doesn't want to get up early if he doesn't have to. An early bird might get the worm, but blue-hairedconmen businessmen like to sleep in. Besides, depending on what kind of business he's doing and what planet the other party is on, he might be up late. And a guy needs his beauty sleep!]
[Aeons, especially these days. He's not getting any younger.]
Well! Time is money, and I won't take up any more of yours. [And the quicker he leaves, the less time Gepard has to come to his senses and tell him to take a hike.] I'll see you tomorrow, around noon.
[He makes his way towards the door, and turns to wave to Gepard before he goes.] Try not to miss me too much!
[Regret this decision yet, Gepard?]
Lunch sounds great, let's do lunch. [It's true, he doesn't want to get up early if he doesn't have to. An early bird might get the worm, but blue-haired
[Aeons, especially these days. He's not getting any younger.]
Well! Time is money, and I won't take up any more of yours. [And the quicker he leaves, the less time Gepard has to come to his senses and tell him to take a hike.] I'll see you tomorrow, around noon.
[He makes his way towards the door, and turns to wave to Gepard before he goes.] Try not to miss me too much!
[Regret this decision yet, Gepard?]
[Yes. Why does it feel like he's fallen for something?]
Get out, Koski.
[Sampo's already on his way out! It's not like kicking him out means anything. But- it's like all those times in which he brought in Sampo for some crime or another. He dragged him in, there was a complete and total lack of evidence, and Gepard ended up having to release him again, half-wondering all the while if all of this was just because Sampo Koski wanted to hang out in an interrogation room with him for an hour. It's like that. It's a reflexive exchange; he feels like he fell for something, Sampo's walking out, and he's hurrying to kick him out. It's almost bittersweet in how nostalgic it is.
Gepard does what he does best. He ignores his feelings as best as he can and cleans up the tea and scones. He unlocks the door, washes the pots and cups and things, puts the scones back where they came from, and spends the next however long being very bored. (Someone asks him why he opened so late, and he lies and says he met an old friend.)
It's a very slow morning, or what's left of it. And Gepard misses Sampo a little too much, though he shouldn't, but Sampo's like the first thaw after a very long winter, in which, against all odds, it feels like something shifted ever so slightly.
He goes to his cafe for a slightly late lunch, and sits and tries to read, and tries to ignore everything that just happened, but the only story he wants to hear is the end of what Sampo started.]
Get out, Koski.
[Sampo's already on his way out! It's not like kicking him out means anything. But- it's like all those times in which he brought in Sampo for some crime or another. He dragged him in, there was a complete and total lack of evidence, and Gepard ended up having to release him again, half-wondering all the while if all of this was just because Sampo Koski wanted to hang out in an interrogation room with him for an hour. It's like that. It's a reflexive exchange; he feels like he fell for something, Sampo's walking out, and he's hurrying to kick him out. It's almost bittersweet in how nostalgic it is.
Gepard does what he does best. He ignores his feelings as best as he can and cleans up the tea and scones. He unlocks the door, washes the pots and cups and things, puts the scones back where they came from, and spends the next however long being very bored. (Someone asks him why he opened so late, and he lies and says he met an old friend.)
It's a very slow morning, or what's left of it. And Gepard misses Sampo a little too much, though he shouldn't, but Sampo's like the first thaw after a very long winter, in which, against all odds, it feels like something shifted ever so slightly.
He goes to his cafe for a slightly late lunch, and sits and tries to read, and tries to ignore everything that just happened, but the only story he wants to hear is the end of what Sampo started.]
I can't just leave your picture blank. How about this, if you don't want to send me a selfie, draw yourself for me!
[You're an artist, Gepard, surely you can whip up a cute little doodle of yourself to send to your new friend, right?]
[You're an artist, Gepard, surely you can whip up a cute little doodle of yourself to send to your new friend, right?]
[After an appropriate amount of time, Gepard sends two things.
First, a Gepard da Vinci, a work of art done in a few minutes. And the second is a selfie.
The selfie is of him looking faintly embarrassed, unconsciously so, because- well. He's not good at taking selfies of himself. But it's fine. He can send a selfie of himself to his...
Buddy. His eager buddy.]
If the drawing isn't enough, here's a selfie.
My client is here so I won't be responding for a while. Sorry.
[He doesn't have a client (yet) this is a lie, but it's a white lie so it's okay.]
First, a Gepard da Vinci, a work of art done in a few minutes. And the second is a selfie.
The selfie is of him looking faintly embarrassed, unconsciously so, because- well. He's not good at taking selfies of himself. But it's fine. He can send a selfie of himself to his...
Buddy. His eager buddy.]
If the drawing isn't enough, here's a selfie.
My client is here so I won't be responding for a while. Sorry.
[He doesn't have a client (yet) this is a lie, but it's a white lie so it's okay.]
[Don't overthink it, Gepard. Just think about Sampo's hand in yours, and the route you have to take through the dim halls of the Landau estate to bring your secret lover to your hidden balcony. And once they're on that balcony-- well! They'll figure it out, right? One way or another, everything will be fine. Better than fine.]
I'm sure most of the staff are busy at the party. [The current master of the house is a very particular man, after all, and his wife is just as demanding. The staff will have their hands full just making sure that everything goes off without a hitch, and hopefully everyone will be too busy to notice Gepard's absence.]
There's still the matter of our game to resolve, too! Can't forget that.
[That's ultimately what will determine who wins, and who gets their naughty way. Whether it'll be Gepard offering up his ass to whatever Sampo wants to do with it, or Sampo submitting himself to the good Captain's desires. A fun time either way, regardless of who's in charge for the evening. And certainly a better time than what Gepard would've had on that dance floor, pretending to enjoy spending time with his father's choice of eligible bachelorettes.]
I'm sure most of the staff are busy at the party. [The current master of the house is a very particular man, after all, and his wife is just as demanding. The staff will have their hands full just making sure that everything goes off without a hitch, and hopefully everyone will be too busy to notice Gepard's absence.]
There's still the matter of our game to resolve, too! Can't forget that.
[That's ultimately what will determine who wins, and who gets their naughty way. Whether it'll be Gepard offering up his ass to whatever Sampo wants to do with it, or Sampo submitting himself to the good Captain's desires. A fun time either way, regardless of who's in charge for the evening. And certainly a better time than what Gepard would've had on that dance floor, pretending to enjoy spending time with his father's choice of eligible bachelorettes.]
[Ah, a firm get out, Koski. Be still his beating heart, it's like he never left.]
[For most of the day, Gepard will be without a blue-haired shadow-- while stalking the good former Captain is always a fun pastime, Sampo does actually have other things that he has to do. One of which is start to unpack his things, meager though his current possessions are after years of essentially nomadism, into his apartment. It's a little nicer than his old safehouses, mostly because he actually plans on hanging around for his quasi-retirement, so ditching at the first sign of trouble isn't part of the plan.]
[But he really needs to like. Unpack his clothes and such so that he's not showing up to his little not-date with Gepard wearing yesterday's things.]
[He does still watch Gepard's house that night, sitting on the opposite roof and watching the silhouettes behind the curtains move from room to room. There, he sits at the table and eats dinner with his daughter; later, they sit in the living room; later still, upstairs for her to wash up and go to bed. The light in Gepard's bedroom stays on longer, and Sampo can picture him sitting in bed, reading another chapter or so of one of his nightstand books.]
[He really probably shouldn't do this. But what's a little light stalking between friends?]
[Sampo gets to the bookshop at noon, like he said. Almost late because he'd slept longer than he wanted-- late night Gepard-watching really puts a dent in his sleep schedule-- but he'd managed to catch the tram at the very last second. He opens the door and sticks his stupid blue head into the shop, singsongs out,]
Did you miss me?
[For most of the day, Gepard will be without a blue-haired shadow-- while stalking the good former Captain is always a fun pastime, Sampo does actually have other things that he has to do. One of which is start to unpack his things, meager though his current possessions are after years of essentially nomadism, into his apartment. It's a little nicer than his old safehouses, mostly because he actually plans on hanging around for his quasi-retirement, so ditching at the first sign of trouble isn't part of the plan.]
[But he really needs to like. Unpack his clothes and such so that he's not showing up to his little not-date with Gepard wearing yesterday's things.]
[He does still watch Gepard's house that night, sitting on the opposite roof and watching the silhouettes behind the curtains move from room to room. There, he sits at the table and eats dinner with his daughter; later, they sit in the living room; later still, upstairs for her to wash up and go to bed. The light in Gepard's bedroom stays on longer, and Sampo can picture him sitting in bed, reading another chapter or so of one of his nightstand books.]
[He really probably shouldn't do this. But what's a little light stalking between friends?]
[Sampo gets to the bookshop at noon, like he said. Almost late because he'd slept longer than he wanted-- late night Gepard-watching really puts a dent in his sleep schedule-- but he'd managed to catch the tram at the very last second. He opens the door and sticks his stupid blue head into the shop, singsongs out,]
Did you miss me?
[Gepard buys himself a cactus and Vaska packs it up for him in a weather-proof container so that it'll survive the journey home through the cold Belobog weather. Congratulations, you're the proud father of a spiky desert plant while living on an iceball.]
[Surely this can't go wrong, right?]
[Vaska very cheerfully waves them off when they leave, and Sampo hooks his arm through Gepard's again and waves back at her because he's a little shit.]
I think you're going to have good luck with this one! [If 'good luck' has blue hair and calls itself Figaro. Sampo is absolutely going to have to save this poor cactus from being drowned, he can already tell.]
You should give it a name.
[Surely this can't go wrong, right?]
[Vaska very cheerfully waves them off when they leave, and Sampo hooks his arm through Gepard's again and waves back at her because he's a little shit.]
I think you're going to have good luck with this one! [If 'good luck' has blue hair and calls itself Figaro. Sampo is absolutely going to have to save this poor cactus from being drowned, he can already tell.]
You should give it a name.
[For several days after his rescue, Sampo wouldn't be able to meet up with Gepard at the beach, even if he wanted too-- he's recovering from his dip in the ocean, shivering in his restless sleep under the care of a patient doctor. It's a little while before he's well enough that the doctor-- Natasha-- will let him out of bed, and not without plenty of warnings about pushing himself too hard. She didn't want him to end up right back in her clinic because he overestimated himself.]
[He finds out the details of his rescue from her, at least the part of it that happened after the rain let up. That she and some others had come down from town to check on the boats and the beach, exactly for reasons like this-- sometimes boats sank in the storms, and because of how the tides ran, bodies would sometimes wash up on the beach. If they were very lucky, they would make it past the rocky cliffs and outcrops without being dashed to pieces against them, and would end up on the shore still alive. Sampo, apparently, is one of those lucky few.]
[But he knows better. He know it's not just luck that got him onto that beach, because even though his memory is a little hazy, he remembers blond hair and a firm chest and a comforting voice. He remembers that his rescuer had a fish tail and lived in the ocean, and while he would have said that he's too old for sentimental things, he is apparently exactly dramatic enough to still fall for the idea of love at first sight.]
[Once he's well enough, he takes walks on the beach down where he was found, looking out to sea in the vain hope that he might catch a glimpse of a pretty blond head. But even he's not quite foolish enough to think that he'd actually see him, it's just... the hope of it, maybe. And he does find a pretty blue shell once, and it reminds him of his merman savior, so he keeps it on the windowsill in the room that he rents.]
[If he takes an honest assessment of everything right now, he's honestly not terribly poorly off. Sure, being thrown overboard means that he's basically at square one when it comes to finances and material possessions, having basically nothing but the clothes on his back, a blue seashell, and a dream, but he's also far enough away from the kingdom that he'd been in that no one gives a shit about what he'd done. The Crown probably won't stop looking for him, but he has time. And, well.]
[No one would look for him under the sea.]
[It's an absolutely batshit stupid idea. Truly insane, he probably has saltwater poisoning or something and that's why he's even thinking about it. But even if Sampo hadn't believed any of the stories about merfolk before, he does now, and that means that he takes everything he'd heard in a new light. Among the stories of beautiful women with their tits out saving drowning sailors, there had also been ones that talked about witches with the power to change a man's form, including ones who could turn merfolk into humans. And if they could do that, than it stood to reason that they could do it the other way around, too.]
[So now he's Sampo Koski, a fugitive with a truly stupid dream. All he needs is a witch and he'll be ready to keep a promise that he made to a merman.]
[He finds out the details of his rescue from her, at least the part of it that happened after the rain let up. That she and some others had come down from town to check on the boats and the beach, exactly for reasons like this-- sometimes boats sank in the storms, and because of how the tides ran, bodies would sometimes wash up on the beach. If they were very lucky, they would make it past the rocky cliffs and outcrops without being dashed to pieces against them, and would end up on the shore still alive. Sampo, apparently, is one of those lucky few.]
[But he knows better. He know it's not just luck that got him onto that beach, because even though his memory is a little hazy, he remembers blond hair and a firm chest and a comforting voice. He remembers that his rescuer had a fish tail and lived in the ocean, and while he would have said that he's too old for sentimental things, he is apparently exactly dramatic enough to still fall for the idea of love at first sight.]
[Once he's well enough, he takes walks on the beach down where he was found, looking out to sea in the vain hope that he might catch a glimpse of a pretty blond head. But even he's not quite foolish enough to think that he'd actually see him, it's just... the hope of it, maybe. And he does find a pretty blue shell once, and it reminds him of his merman savior, so he keeps it on the windowsill in the room that he rents.]
[If he takes an honest assessment of everything right now, he's honestly not terribly poorly off. Sure, being thrown overboard means that he's basically at square one when it comes to finances and material possessions, having basically nothing but the clothes on his back, a blue seashell, and a dream, but he's also far enough away from the kingdom that he'd been in that no one gives a shit about what he'd done. The Crown probably won't stop looking for him, but he has time. And, well.]
[No one would look for him under the sea.]
[It's an absolutely batshit stupid idea. Truly insane, he probably has saltwater poisoning or something and that's why he's even thinking about it. But even if Sampo hadn't believed any of the stories about merfolk before, he does now, and that means that he takes everything he'd heard in a new light. Among the stories of beautiful women with their tits out saving drowning sailors, there had also been ones that talked about witches with the power to change a man's form, including ones who could turn merfolk into humans. And if they could do that, than it stood to reason that they could do it the other way around, too.]
[So now he's Sampo Koski, a fugitive with a truly stupid dream. All he needs is a witch and he'll be ready to keep a promise that he made to a merman.]
[...satisfied at a job well done, Gepard focuses on his work. Because he has a job. He's a defender and protector, which involves cutting fishing nets and setting any careless merfolk free (hasn't happened recently, occasionally it comes up, not all merfolk are as strong as he is and capable of ripping himself free) and patrolling and herding whales away and making sure nothing dangerous gets too close to the cities, making sure humans never learn of their existence, that sort of thing. Yeah. Just focusing on that. Definitely a career-oriented merman.
Yep. Focusing on his priorities.
His human is probably all healed up and on his way. (Gepard...thinks, he doesn't actually know how long it takes for a man to recover from near-drowning.) Except...does he have any money? Because when a guy gets washed overboard, they tend to lose everything - even Gepard knows that much. He knows currency is important to humans. They need coins to survive, trinkets to barter with, things to ensure a safe life and safe passage elsewhere.
And he is somewhat responsible for his human's continued existence, yes? When you save a life, you're responsible for what it does. He should check up on his human to make sure that his human is convinced that the rescue was just a fever dream brought on by the cold water and trauma of ending up on a beach. So, Gepard diligently goes through his things and picks out a golden pendant that never seemed to corrode no matter how long it was under the water and seemed to glow gently in the dark (perfect for bartering), and a handful of coins from a distant land (might be worth something, he doesn't know), and goes back to that beach and waits very patiently for a sign of his human so he can...
Throw them at the guy's head and vanish underwater again. Or something. Honestly, Gepard hadn't gotten much further than that in his planning, all of this is very impulsive which really isn't like him? (And if Serval knew, she'd say no, this is like him, he's stubborn to a fault.) Gepard's telling himself that he's seeing this (whatever this is) through to the end, and that's why he's so determined to throw some offering at his human's head and vanish again. Or. Something.]
Yep. Focusing on his priorities.
His human is probably all healed up and on his way. (Gepard...thinks, he doesn't actually know how long it takes for a man to recover from near-drowning.) Except...does he have any money? Because when a guy gets washed overboard, they tend to lose everything - even Gepard knows that much. He knows currency is important to humans. They need coins to survive, trinkets to barter with, things to ensure a safe life and safe passage elsewhere.
And he is somewhat responsible for his human's continued existence, yes? When you save a life, you're responsible for what it does. He should check up on his human to make sure that his human is convinced that the rescue was just a fever dream brought on by the cold water and trauma of ending up on a beach. So, Gepard diligently goes through his things and picks out a golden pendant that never seemed to corrode no matter how long it was under the water and seemed to glow gently in the dark (perfect for bartering), and a handful of coins from a distant land (might be worth something, he doesn't know), and goes back to that beach and waits very patiently for a sign of his human so he can...
Throw them at the guy's head and vanish underwater again. Or something. Honestly, Gepard hadn't gotten much further than that in his planning, all of this is very impulsive which really isn't like him? (And if Serval knew, she'd say no, this is like him, he's stubborn to a fault.) Gepard's telling himself that he's seeing this (whatever this is) through to the end, and that's why he's so determined to throw some offering at his human's head and vanish again. Or. Something.]
[...he gets up early - harder than it used to be, but not unbearably so - and goes for a brisk jog before Lily gets up. It's...nice, actually, and he gets back in time to wake up his daughter. Lily asks what papa was doing, and he says he went running, and she wants to go with him next time and he laughs and says maybe when she's older, but for now? Breakfast. They eat, Gepard settles back into his normal routine like it's a second skin, or like he's diving deep underwater, waiting to open his mouth and drown.
The bookstore opens on time. He sells...not that much, a couple of books, but that's what things are usually like at his store. He's in the middle of talking with an old woman, one of his regulars, a sweet old granny, when Sampo sticks his stupid head in the store and singsongs out his stupid question.]
Absolutely not, Koski.
[And looks back in time to see said granny flash him a sweet and understanding (what is she understanding) smile, and she croaks out that she should be going, and totters out before Gepard can fix whatever just happened, because he doesn't know what happened, but he knows she got the wrong idea about whatever-it-is.
She probably pats Sampo's arm on her way out.
This doesn't help.]
The bookstore opens on time. He sells...not that much, a couple of books, but that's what things are usually like at his store. He's in the middle of talking with an old woman, one of his regulars, a sweet old granny, when Sampo sticks his stupid head in the store and singsongs out his stupid question.]
Absolutely not, Koski.
[And looks back in time to see said granny flash him a sweet and understanding (what is she understanding) smile, and she croaks out that she should be going, and totters out before Gepard can fix whatever just happened, because he doesn't know what happened, but he knows she got the wrong idea about whatever-it-is.
She probably pats Sampo's arm on her way out.
This doesn't help.]
[...he'd been hoping that Sampo would forget about their game, because then he could indulge in his curiosity without having to acknowledge a few things about himself, like how much trust he's putting into Sampo's hands and what that means, or the fact that the further away they get from the party the more he feels...
He feels lighter. The world feels lighter. They're together and the world feels just a bit lighter.]
Haven't you won already? [Gepard grumbles that out instead as they walk, hand in hand, to the secret balcony.] I suppose if I pin you down and search you I can get my medal back, assuming you have it with you, but that feels like cheating at this point.
[And in case Sampo doesn't get it, Gepard tries (and fails) to glare at him. It's more fond exasperation. He doesn't know. Don't tell him.] We're holding hands. It'll be difficult for you to get away from me now.
He feels lighter. The world feels lighter. They're together and the world feels just a bit lighter.]
Haven't you won already? [Gepard grumbles that out instead as they walk, hand in hand, to the secret balcony.] I suppose if I pin you down and search you I can get my medal back, assuming you have it with you, but that feels like cheating at this point.
[And in case Sampo doesn't get it, Gepard tries (and fails) to glare at him. It's more fond exasperation. He doesn't know. Don't tell him.] We're holding hands. It'll be difficult for you to get away from me now.
Don't be such a grump, Geppie!
[Sampo holds the door open for the sweet and lovely granny as she exits, and gives her an absolutely beaming smile and a wink when she pats him on the arm. She calls him a scamp as she goes, and it makes his day. With the undoubtedly gossipy old woman wandering her way off down the street, Sampo moseys on in to the store where his delightful lunch partner is probably regretting all of his choices.]
Ready for lunch? [He could use a meal, his breakfast consisted of a slug of hot instant coffee right before he went out the door.] Or do you have some other old ladies hanging around back here?
[Sampo would be great with your customers, Gepard! And he'd be so glad to help.]
[Sampo holds the door open for the sweet and lovely granny as she exits, and gives her an absolutely beaming smile and a wink when she pats him on the arm. She calls him a scamp as she goes, and it makes his day. With the undoubtedly gossipy old woman wandering her way off down the street, Sampo moseys on in to the store where his delightful lunch partner is probably regretting all of his choices.]
Ready for lunch? [He could use a meal, his breakfast consisted of a slug of hot instant coffee right before he went out the door.] Or do you have some other old ladies hanging around back here?
[Sampo would be great with your customers, Gepard! And he'd be so glad to help.]
[Money certainly is a thing, and it's a thing that Sampo Koski will acquire in the usual Sampo Koski way-- with a combination of legitimate and illegitimate business dealings. This little town that he's landed in has a bit of a problem getting goods that it needs, and Sampo is just the man to get those goods for them, one way or another. A man who can get things done! That's Sampo Koski.]
[He still finds time to go down to the beach, though. Just to walk. And that's not weird at all, a lot of people go to the beach to walk and clear their thoughts! Very good for the brain and the lungs. A little healthy sea air never hurt anyone, even if Sampo is a little more preoccupied with looking out at the ocean than he is necessarily with strolling.]
[But that's his business.]
[On this particular day, he's sitting on the pier rather than down on the beach proper, letting his legs dangle down towards the water. The ocean is calm, the sea breeze is cool and brisk; if he was going to see anything, this would be a good day for it, right? The perfect time for a pretty blond head to pop out of the water, if one was ever to show up.]
[Assuming that a pretty blond head ever would show up. Who knows if his merman savior would ever show his face back at shore again? Sampo vaguely remembers him saying something about merfolk law and humans, probably to keep them separate. Maybe he really wouldn't ever come back, and Sampo wouldn't see him until he finally figured out how to get a fish tail of his own.]
[He still finds time to go down to the beach, though. Just to walk. And that's not weird at all, a lot of people go to the beach to walk and clear their thoughts! Very good for the brain and the lungs. A little healthy sea air never hurt anyone, even if Sampo is a little more preoccupied with looking out at the ocean than he is necessarily with strolling.]
[But that's his business.]
[On this particular day, he's sitting on the pier rather than down on the beach proper, letting his legs dangle down towards the water. The ocean is calm, the sea breeze is cool and brisk; if he was going to see anything, this would be a good day for it, right? The perfect time for a pretty blond head to pop out of the water, if one was ever to show up.]
[Assuming that a pretty blond head ever would show up. Who knows if his merman savior would ever show his face back at shore again? Sampo vaguely remembers him saying something about merfolk law and humans, probably to keep them separate. Maybe he really wouldn't ever come back, and Sampo wouldn't see him until he finally figured out how to get a fish tail of his own.]
[Once he learns how seedy this particular human is, Gepard will be fucking disappointed. But for now: ignorance is bliss. Ignorance is bliss, and Gepard swims close to the island- but not too close, no, just close enough that he can see the shore.
He pops his head up, prepared to calmly scan the area for signs of his human, prepared to see nothing, fully expecting to have to come up with a Plan B. But it's a calm day. Weather? Fucking amazing. He locks eyes with Sampo and Gepard freezes...
...before he dives underwater again. Swim, swim, swim, swim, swim-
Sampo might expect to be disappointed, but then he probably hears a thonk under him, which is the sign of a guy surfacing a little too quickly and hitting his head against some boards. And then he hears some cursing, probably, just in case he didn't know what that thonk is.]
Is anyone else around? [That fucking hurt. Ow.] Did anyone else see me?
He pops his head up, prepared to calmly scan the area for signs of his human, prepared to see nothing, fully expecting to have to come up with a Plan B. But it's a calm day. Weather? Fucking amazing. He locks eyes with Sampo and Gepard freezes...
...before he dives underwater again. Swim, swim, swim, swim, swim-
Sampo might expect to be disappointed, but then he probably hears a thonk under him, which is the sign of a guy surfacing a little too quickly and hitting his head against some boards. And then he hears some cursing, probably, just in case he didn't know what that thonk is.]
Is anyone else around? [That fucking hurt. Ow.] Did anyone else see me?
Edited 2024-09-29 20:52 (UTC)
[Yeah, Gepard's regretting a lot right now.]
Don't call me that.
[Geppie. Geppie! At least when he was with the Silvermane Guard, he could take the title of Captain and shove it between the two of them. He misses that, right now, a layer of formality shoved between the two of them, a status difference that kept them wedged firmly apart instead of whatever-this-is.]
And if you're really offering to help me with my customers? I might just take you up on it.
[For all his grumbling, though, Gepard's clearly locking up for lunch. So. Sampo can take that however he wants.]
Don't call me that.
[Geppie. Geppie! At least when he was with the Silvermane Guard, he could take the title of Captain and shove it between the two of them. He misses that, right now, a layer of formality shoved between the two of them, a status difference that kept them wedged firmly apart instead of whatever-this-is.]
And if you're really offering to help me with my customers? I might just take you up on it.
[For all his grumbling, though, Gepard's clearly locking up for lunch. So. Sampo can take that however he wants.]
[There’s a moment when Sampo is looking out to sea that he spots it— a very human looking head popping above the blue-grey water, a flash of blond that quickly disappears again. Sampo sits up, leaning forward as though he could catch another glimpse. But it seems as though Gepard has disappeared under the water again. Scared off? Too cautious to approach?]
[There’s a thunk from underneath the pier and curses in a familiar voice.]
[He scrambles to his knees, leaning over to look underneath the pier, searching for the source of the voice.]
It’s just me! [Just your good friend, Sampo Koski.] Don’t worry, nobody can see you.
[Just him! Just Sampo. Way to make a guy feel special, Gepard.]
[There’s a thunk from underneath the pier and curses in a familiar voice.]
[He scrambles to his knees, leaning over to look underneath the pier, searching for the source of the voice.]
It’s just me! [Just your good friend, Sampo Koski.] Don’t worry, nobody can see you.
[Just him! Just Sampo. Way to make a guy feel special, Gepard.]
[His eyes glow ever so slightly in the dark. Nothing special, just an everyday part of merfolk anatomy. Gepard stares at Sampo, then, nods. He swims out a little, not quite out into the open, but not quite so hidden under the pier. It's to make it easier for Sampo to look at him; it also makes it easier for him to look at Sampo.
If Sampo's staring under the pier, it'll draw attention and cut whatever-this-is short.]
You seem to have healed well. [Gepard...assumes, honestly, he has no idea.] I'm a little surprised you're still here.
If Sampo's staring under the pier, it'll draw attention and cut whatever-this-is short.]
You seem to have healed well. [Gepard...assumes, honestly, he has no idea.] I'm a little surprised you're still here.
[Gepard’s eyes are visible in the darkness underneath the pier, glowing pale blue in his pale face. It would be startling if he didn’t know that it’s Gepard; it’s pretty because he does.]
[When his merman acquaintance swims out a bit, Sampo sits back on his heels to talk to him a little more normally. It probably would’ve looked a little weird to any passerby for him to be leaning over the pier.]
It’ll take more than a little shipwreck to keep ol’ Sampo Koski down!
[Actually a shipwreck totally could keep him down, but he was fortuitously rescued.]
I think I’ll be hanging around for a little while. I don’t have a whole lot of cash on me, and, anyway, this seems like a pretty good place to lay low. So you can keep coming back, if you want a little conversation! Or if you want me to get anything for you.
[Surely there has to be something that would pique Gepard’s interest after watching humans.]
[When his merman acquaintance swims out a bit, Sampo sits back on his heels to talk to him a little more normally. It probably would’ve looked a little weird to any passerby for him to be leaning over the pier.]
It’ll take more than a little shipwreck to keep ol’ Sampo Koski down!
[Actually a shipwreck totally could keep him down, but he was fortuitously rescued.]
I think I’ll be hanging around for a little while. I don’t have a whole lot of cash on me, and, anyway, this seems like a pretty good place to lay low. So you can keep coming back, if you want a little conversation! Or if you want me to get anything for you.
[Surely there has to be something that would pique Gepard’s interest after watching humans.]
It'll be easier for us to meet if you can find somewhere a little less out in the open.
[Because, unfortunately, there's something that's piqued his interest and it's Sampo Koski- but Gepard's not going to admit that to himself, much less to the man himself. No. Absolutely not.]
Coming out here is difficult as is. Meeting with you more so, especially if I'm trying to not be noticed. [By anyone but Sampo, that is. Which brings up the question of why he came out here, and he could just say, "I picked through my treasures and found something I thought you'd like, or could at least use." But.
...does he want to speed up Sampo leaving? If he gives him the things he picked out, Sampo could use them to trade his way off of the island- maybe he should hold onto them a bit longer. Maybe? Or maybe not. Maybe he's overthinking things.]
[Because, unfortunately, there's something that's piqued his interest and it's Sampo Koski- but Gepard's not going to admit that to himself, much less to the man himself. No. Absolutely not.]
Coming out here is difficult as is. Meeting with you more so, especially if I'm trying to not be noticed. [By anyone but Sampo, that is. Which brings up the question of why he came out here, and he could just say, "I picked through my treasures and found something I thought you'd like, or could at least use." But.
...does he want to speed up Sampo leaving? If he gives him the things he picked out, Sampo could use them to trade his way off of the island- maybe he should hold onto them a bit longer. Maybe? Or maybe not. Maybe he's overthinking things.]
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