[Now, he'd managed to find the right cove, he...assumed, and left some pretty shells about so that Sampo would know that he found the right one. And Gepard fretted that he had found the wrong cove, up until he saw a bottle that had something inside of it, paper, and he went ah! Ah. His idiot had left that for him.
The first note was promptly ruined by Gepard's too soggy hands as he tried to fish it out of the bottle. Drenched clean through. As was the second.
By the fourth, he had managed to figure out a way to dry his hands enough that he could pull out the note just enough to see what was on the paper and that was when Gepard had to accept that he actually- he-
He couldn't read. At least, not enough to-
Look.
Gepard knows some letters! Mostly stuff that had survived on statues which had sunk beneath the waves. And could kind of sound out some things! He gets that it's something to do with when Sampo was going to show up, he sees time and he sees numbers, which brings up the next problem which is just how, exactly, do humans tell time?
And Gepard knows that he's fucking things up when this keeps on happening. He shows up and no one's there. He shows up and there's a new note, or an empty bottle, or-
After a couple of weeks this is the point in which Gepard finds an excuse, goes to the fucking cove, and waits for however long until his idiot shows up because this is ridiculous, it's been far too long, they need to figure this shit out better, he needs to know how humans tell time. They need a system.]
[The first week or so, Sampo just figured that Gepard was probably busy-- and there were still little things being left for him, that must mean that his grumpy merman hadn't forgotten about him! But he wasn't actually showing up when Sampo said he'd be there. There's only so many times that Sampo could convince himself that it's just because Gepard's a busy merman, it gets a little disheartening when your aquatic boo can't manage a meetup.]
[He was starting to reconsider the whole message in a bottle thing. Maybe he was having a hard time getting to the messages? It's just hard to put something down in the cove without it getting wet, and wet paper doesn't last very long...]
[He comes down one evening both to check for any signs of Gepard and to pick up some packs of medical supplies that he'd smuggled in for Natasha. Since the cove had eroded away part of the cliff wall, there was a sheltered spot inside that was only accessible without swimming at low tide, but had enough space inside even when the tide came in again to store a small cache of goods without it all getting wet. The good doc'd wanted him to deliver her shipment tonight, so now's as good a time as any to bring them back up again.]
[When he arrives at the cove, everything looks normal. The water is calm, since it's well sheltered from the rest of the ocean, and with the tide out, the beach is covered in tide pools that have crabs and clams and all sorts of little fishes swimming around inside. It's kind of a nice place, or would be if Sampo wasn't continually disappointed by a lack of merman every time he went there.]
[He stands at the edge of the surf and looks out across the water, kind of halfheartedly looking for a blond head that he doesn't expect to find.]
Ah, I really need to try something else. [He's talking to himself. It's not like there's anyone else to hear him but the crabs and the gulls, right?] All this disappointment is bad for my heart.
[Now, he'd been determined to wait things out. To be strong! Endure, to yell at his idiot for coming up with a system that involved paper in bottles, and maybe to get some basic literacy lessons. His sister can read, he's just...he can't exactly say, "Hey sis, I'm meeting a forbidden human, but I have no idea of when I'm supposed to be there, help?" (The worst part is that he's not exactly sure she'd be opposed to it, but...well.)
So Gepard waited. And he waited. And then the air was warm and the day slow, and he decided to take a nap because, well, he hadn't been sleeping well what with all of the deceit, having to constantly lie about where he's going and what he's doing, trying to actually do his regular duties-
Anyway, point being, on this day off he fell asleep.
So there he is, gently snoring in a tide pool when he hears a voice and jerks awake-]
You're-
[There he is!]
You're here-
[Wait why is he in a tide pool, where did all of the water go, is he stuck? He's stu- he can't be stuck. This is the stupidest way to confront his idiot about their meet-up system. And sure, he's not going to die, unless a betrayal happens in the next few minutes, but he feels all...raw and dry and sensitive and- how is he supposed to act like he just got here when-
[That sounds like Gepard! Sampo follows the sound of his voice around a rock, and... yup, there he is, sprawled in one of the shallow tide pools. But that's not nearly deep enough for a whole merman, there are parts of him that are out of the water and look a little irritated from all the sun and air exposure.]
How did you get all the way up here? [The waterline is a good fifteen feet down the beach. It would be really difficult for Gepard to drag himself all the way just to hang around in a tide pool and get crawled on by crabs.] You look like you're drying out!
[He wades into the tide pool after him, little fishes darting out of the way as he moves through the water. It only comes up to a little over his knees, definitely not enough water for Gepard.]
Come on, let me carry you down to the water! It's going to be hours 'til the tide comes back in again. How long have you even been sitting here?
[It's cool, it's fine, it's not as if Gepard's being forced to confront the fact that he might kind of like a human too much if he waited for so long he ended up stuck in a tide pool, drying out and utterly miserable, and if someone who wasn't Sampo had shown up things might have taken a turn for the worse. Breathe in, out, in, out, he's reaching for Sampo like-
Like. He's reaching for Sampo like. If Sampo takes him in his arms he is absolutely going to curl up and hug him like-
Like like. Like that.]
I don't know. I fell asleep. [Obviously. Don't ask why he was there for so long that he decided to fall asleep.]
[Sampo does take him in his arms, of course he does-- what's he going to do, leave Gepard in this little tide pool to be miserable until the water comes back in? Or for someone else to find him and do who knows what to him?]
[Gepard is heavy, and his tail is so long that it's going to drag in the sand no matter what Sampo does, but he gathers the merman into his arms and starts wading his way out of the tide pool again. It's difficult-- the sand shifts under his feet and the rocky parts of the beach are slick and treacherous, but he's got precious cargo. That merits caution, so he goes slow and makes sure that he doesn't do something awful, like drop Gepard.]
You're lucky I decided to come down today! [He makes it the fifteen or so feet down to where the waterline is, and starts wading his way out into the deeper water. How long can merfolk last in shallow water without getting hurt? Is he injured, does he need medical attention?] You would've really been uncomfortable for a while. Did you get sunburned? I know a doctor, she might have something that'll make you feel better.
[He keeps going until he's in the water up to his waist, ignoring how cold it is in favor of getting Gepard somewhere that he can actually survive.]
Here we go, this should be better. [Down into the water you go, cute blond fishman.] Are you going to be okay?
[He's curled up as best as he can in Sampo's arms, which is to say...not very, he's a very long fish. Gepard knows this. But he tries. He keeps his eyes closed, breathing him in - in, out, in, out, in again - because this might be the point in which he's forced to really fucking realize some things he didn't want to realize, mainly about himself, some of them about Sampo, some of them about the both of them.
Sampo says he's lucky he decided to come down that day, and Gepard smiles, smothered against fabric and flesh and whatever else. Sampo asks questions. Is he fine? Was he sunburned?
Will he be okay? Gepard feels the cool touch of water and that's when he opens his eyes and forces himself to relax. He doesn't know if he's safe or not. That's not the worst part. The worst part is that despite not knowing if he's safe or not, that he feels safe in defiance of it all.
Sampo lowers him into the water.]
I- [He flexes his tail and winces.] Should be fine. [Eventually.] I told my family- my sisters I'd be gone for a few days. [Please don't ask why he took a few days vacation and promptly camped out in the cove.
And then Gepard yields to inevitability, because he feels...sore, crusty, raw in places. Not at all how he expected to meet his idiot again. He flexes his tail again and it feels better, but not good. Could he push himself? He could. He could probably swim back home. Should he?]
It seems that I'll probably be spending most of that time in here.
[When Gepard moves his tail, it looks stiff and uncomfortable, like it hurts when he does it. That would make it really difficult for him, he needs that tail to really get anywhere. At least he's here in the cove, where it's sheltered; nothing big really gets in, so he won't be menaced by any sharks or anything. But Sampo also doesn't know how much he needs to eat, too. Would he be able to live for a few days off of the small things that lived in these waters?]
[This is terrible. He didn't want his merman crush to come here and get injured, he'd picked this place because it had looked safe and secure!]
Why did you come in so early? I left a note, it said that I wouldn't be around until evening. [If the water had been high enough that Gepard could swim up the beach and get stranded in a tide pool, he might have been there hours in advance. Way too early for even someone who wanted to be prudent.] Did something happen to it? Did the bottle break? I know glass is kind of fragile, but it's good for keeping the paper from getting all wet.
[Maybe he could find a metal container? That would be stronger, it wouldn't break if it fell over or something.]
[Oh wow, now comes the embarrassing part, somehow this is worse than being carried in his idiot's manly arms into the water, what the heck, what the fuck. He came here to say, "I'm having problems reading what the hell you're trying to tell me, we need a better plan." And now here they are.
He stalls for time, of course. His tail roughly brushes against Sampo's legs, just, back and forth.]
I had problems understanding your notes. [Well, there it is.] We use pictographs? [He's going for it, just, admiring Sampo's not-his-face, some part of him that's not his face, explaining.] And I'm also rather...damp, so I ruined quite a few notes before I figured out a way to dry my hands with sand well enough to get them out of the bottle. [Yep.] And not to mention, if I'm deep enough I can't see the sun so I don't know what time it is if we work off of that. [Yeah. Yeah, he's starting to feel much less like a mystical legend of the ocean, mysterious and powerful, and more like a really dumb dude.]
Change of subject for a moment- [Enough about that.] We can get back to telling time in a second, but do you have anything like...fishing nets? We like to use those to make our hammocks, but as that requires stealing from a human we usually make do with kelp and weeds- it's more traditional, but the fishing nets are far better for our purposes.
[So Sampo hadn't really felt like Gepard's idiot up until this point, because he was worried about the paper getting wet but somehow completely forgot that Gepard is also wet. That's. That's a big thing to overlook, he gave paper to a fish and expected there to not be any problems? Is he stupid? Did he actually get brain damage from that hypothermia?]
Oh.
[Yeah, he's feeling Big Dumb right now. He doesn't know how deep merfolk live, but apparently deep enough to not be able to see the sun, so that also makes sense for the whole telling time thing. Maybe merfolk have a different way that they determine time? Something that works that far underwater? Why didn't he consider the possibility that they live too deep to see the sun, he knows that they try to avoid humans.]
[Gepard mercifully changes the subject before Sampo's ego can take an absolute pummeling.]
Fishing nets? Oh! Yeah, there are a ton of them up in Boulder Town. People fish all the time.
[It's like, half the economy of this place, technically. Island people do a lot of fishing, even in cold and turbulent waters.]
I have to run some things back up to my doctor friend, so I could get some nets for you if you'll be okay for a little while? I can run back up to town and be back in a little over an hour, maybe?
[He'd be hustling, but, y'know, he's got motivation. His aquatic boo is going to hang around for a while, this is basically like hosting a friend and not having blankets for them.]
Please, don't rush on my account. [He doesn't know human speeds but that seems fast? Not excessively so, but definitely hustling speed for people. Gepard's not a legs expert, he doesn't understand the ground in the same way a human does, but he's seen people rushing about and he's got an idea of how fast a person generally goes.
But it's nice. It's exciting. Sure, he's breaking so many laws at the moment, and, sure, he wishes it was under different circumstances like not hurting his tail like an idiot. But a sleepover with his, uh. Friend? Really nice. Very exciting.]
I wouldn't want you to hurt your legs after I- well, hurt my tail, like you slip and fall and then where would we be? And if you draw too much attention from hurrying, someone might find this place and we'd have to find somewhere else to meet.
[ :c And what would they do then! How many coves are there on this island? This should not be his priority! He's already breaking a lot of laws, why is he gearing up to break more, Sampo Koski is a bad influence. Truly terrible. What is this. From an innocent, law abiding merman to whatever he is now.]
Are you worried about little ol’ Sampo? [He puts a hand over his heart.] Ah, never fear. I’ll be extra careful, just for you!
[He couldn’t allow something as silly as a slip or nosy neighbors keep him from his merman friend, could he? After all this trouble he’s going through to keep meeting with him? Hopefully he’ll hear good news from one of his inquiries and then they won’t have to meet so clandestinely— he’ll be able to follow Gepard into the wide blue sea, never to be bothered by land folk again.]
Please be patient and wait for me. I’ll be back soon!
[There’s no greater motivator than trying to impress your crush. Don’t worry, Gepard, he’ll be back as soon as he can, bringing the medicine to Natasha and carrying back a pack full of fishing nets, plus gear for him to stay down at the cove overnight. He needs to have a sleepover with his favorite fish, after all. And, of course, the good doctor was pleased to get her shipment so quickly, and not suspicious at all.]
[He's somewhat submerged when Sampo returns, maybe just enough Sampo can't notice him, but the second Sampo returns Gepard's head pops up from beneath the water. He's here, he didn't go anywhere, he just needed to have a good soak.]
You're here! Welcome back. [That might sound excited, but he's excited, so. He swims as close as he can, which is a bit difficult given his tail, but he manages. (It's like walking on a sprained ankle, not that Geaprd knows what that's like.) This has definitely been a fucking slippery slope from 'mysterious enigmatic figure of the deep' to 'friendly fish' but it's fine. It's not like it's going to hurt anyone, probably. Maybe.]
You brought quite a bit with you. [Can't even fucking pretend to not be curious.] More than I expected?
[For a moment, when Sampo returned, he thought that Gepard had left-- there was no handsome merman visible from the shore. But then that blond head pokes up from the waves, proving that he hadn't left, he'd just been soaking for a little while to soothe his poor tail. Sampo would never admit it out loud, but he's relieved to see that pale head again.]
I'm here! [He hops down the rocks with his burdens, depositing some of them up the beach where it's still dry. The netting, he brings down to the water for his fishy friend.] I brought the net that you wanted. Is this enough? I got extra, I wasn't sure how much you needed.
[Because he wouldn't want to bring too little netting for Gepard to make his hammock and either have to have the poor guy shove himself into a small bed or have to go back up to town for more.]
The rest of the stuff is so that I can stay for a while! If you're stuck here, you might as well have company, right?
[So much stuff! A lot of it neat! He takes the netting with gratitude, admiring the make of it-]
That's more than enough. Thank you. We make- [He gestures with his free hand, a shape like a pocket or a bag.] -beds like this to keep us from drifting off into the ocean. The water cradles us, but without something to anchor us we might wake up somewhere we never wanted to be. Something like that has happened to me more than once.
[But that doesn't matter! What matters is...]
I'm glad you'll be here with me. It feels like it would be lonely if I was the only one in here.
That makes sense. We wouldn’t want you floating off overnight!
[Who knows where the tides and currents would carry him? Especially not with his tail injured.]
I’ll have to sleep higher up on the beach, otherwise I’ll get swamped when the tide comes back in. But until then, we can get to know each other a little better, right?
[Really become friends. Like him, Gepard, he wants you to be happy to see him when he gets his tail and yeets himself into the wild blue yonder.]
I know you aren’t supposed to talk to humans, but can you tell me a little bit about what it’s like living in the ocean?
[He’s already breaking mer law just by talking to Sampo, so in for a fish penny, in for a fish pound.]
[But here he is, swimming nice and close, because when he sleeps for the night he'll have to dive underwater - and deep enough so that he's not easily spotted, should someone else creep down into Sampo's little cave. So they need to enjoy their close time while he can.]
It's...nice? We have a city. I was told there was more, once, before we were forced to the north. I don't know how true that is or not. I-
[Where to begin?]
It's...not as dry as you're used to? [Terrible.] It's louder than you think. [Awful.] It's- honestly, I don't know what I should say. So much of it seems like it's the same sort of thing you probably do, but some of it is so different.
[What a rousing endorsement of your own hometown, Gepard. Really selling it to him, showing it in its best light. Sampo laughs, enjoying the depiction despite its terrible presentation.]
Well, what's it called? It has to have a name, right?
[And it would be useful to actually have a name to put to the place, rather than just referring to it as the mermaid city or something. Merpolis? New Mer City? Sampo could come up with a suitably annoying name if Gepard didn't have one on hand.]
Is everyone who lives there as pretty as you?
[But that can't really be true, he's just saying it to make Gepard blush. There's no way that there could be a whole city as pretty as him, someone as pretty as Gepard is a rare thing. You don't run across a true ten every day, nevertheless a whole gaggle of them.]
[wet, loud, and in the north makes him cringe, smile a little bit sheepishly, because- well, yes. But also no. But also no. And also he's not really good at talking about where he's from. He's not used to having to explain water to a human, who has legs and does leg things.
The name thing is easy enough.]
Belobog.
[But it's the flirting that gets him to submerge ever so slightly, looking ever so slightly away, maybe blushing shut up, shut up, fins fanning in an ever so slightly perturbed (sure, let's go with that) way.]
Indiscriminately flirting with everyone you meet is a very bad habit, Sampo.
[Is his flirting indiscriminate, Gepard? Because it's been very focused so far, falling pretty much entirely on blond mermen with strong arms and, apparently, an appetite for blackfish.]
Is it? I'd hate to be rude! I guess I'll just make sure that my flirting isn't indiscriminate, then.
[Don't worry, Gepard, he can be very discriminate with his flirtation.]
I should start building good habits right away. You'll help me, won't you?
[He bobs lower in the water with a blush and a furious little burble, before just- Gepard can't swim away, and doesn't want to swim away, but also does, and he wants to splash Sampo but it feels rude to splash his idiot because his idiot's spending the night with him (and that's very exciting, Sampo will wake up to see a pair of blue eyes staring at him with fascination before said head ducks back underwater to go back to sleep) and-
Well, anyway.]
Something tells me I won't have a choice.
[Because surely, his human's flirting with other people with legs and doing leg things with them and he can't see it because he's a fish. Right?]
Different question. [Change of subject.] Can you teach me how to read? I understand some of it, but I'd like to know more.
Oh! [Right, the reading thing. Sampo does have other things to do than just flirt outrageously with a handsome fishman.] Of course! You're in luck, I'm a great teacher. We'll have you reading in no time!
[He can, like, get some books or something back in town and bring those back. They taught kids how to read with them, how hard could it be for an adult to figure it out?]
[But that's a problem for another day. Today, he's got a handsome fishman to entertain and chat up and continue to flirt with. Maybe ask a question or two about that little trinket that he'd given him before, that little golden pendant. He'd gotten a chain for it, so that he could keep it around his neck. It would be rude not to wear a gift, right?]
[He'd written similar questions in a letter, sent it off to an acquaintance of an acquaintance. He's still waiting to see if that line of inquiry bears fruit. He's heard things about that woman, a Miss Black Swan, and maybe she'll be the one who comes through for him.]
[And said fishman is smiling at Sampo, because he's willing to teach him! He didn't make fun of him! And for a moment thinks that it's a shame they're not of the same species because then they could crowd around a book more easily, and then Gepard decides to not think about that too much. Sure, his tail is still kind of sore, but this is turning out to be so nice...
Speaking of nice, Gepard wiggles in, and gestures for Sampo to get close so he can just touch and hold and admire that chain that he got for the pendant.]
I'm glad you kept it. [Okay, alright, he can admit it.] I didn't know what I should get you, but I wanted to give you something.
[Really, it’s a good thing that they’re in some pretty cold water, because he’s got a handsome fishman wiggling in close and that could’ve caused some problems if things were a little warmer. Sampo’s a healthy young(ish) man, it’s only natural! But thankfully he doesn’t have to explain anything weird to Gepard. For all he knows, mermen don’t even have dicks.]
[Huh. That’s a question that he might have to investigate at some point, since he plans on getting fishy. Losing his dick wasn’t part of his admittedly poorly thought out plan, but maybe he should be prepared for that.]
[For right now, he’s distracted by Gepard touching his chest to get a look at the chain that now holds his pendant. Even though he’d originally given it expecting Sampo to sell it, he’s pleased that he didn’t. And Sampo’s pleased that he’s pleased!]
I liked it too much to get rid of it. Don’t you think it looks good on me?
[Gepard looks good on him, too. Sampo could get used to having pretty mermen cuddled up to him.]
You don’t know anything else about it, do you? It’s pretty unusual!
[It does, in fact, make him happy, and he's glad that the pendant hangs close to where he thinks a human's heart is (maybe? people have hearts and he's pretty sure they're in chests...) and Gepard smiles and his smile's a small, tender thing.]
I suppose.
[This is in response to it looking good on Sampo, because he doesn't even know Sampo, really, but every instinct in his body is screaming at him and telling him he should be careful around this human. Specifically in regards to giving him praise.
...but, ah, that's a good question; also, ah, his waist is starting to hurt a little - it's hard to hold this angle, fish bodies aren't meant to do this, and so Gepard does what every single fish would do and just snuggles right in. Because at this point, it's pretty normal for the two of them? Sampo carries him, he drags Sampo around. And also because...
...because. Besides, this seems like a long, and maybe difficult conversation.]
What do you want to know? I imagine you're not interested in how my great grandfather wore it around or family stories of that nature.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2024-10-20 02:55 am (UTC)The first note was promptly ruined by Gepard's too soggy hands as he tried to fish it out of the bottle. Drenched clean through. As was the second.
By the fourth, he had managed to figure out a way to dry his hands enough that he could pull out the note just enough to see what was on the paper and that was when Gepard had to accept that he actually- he-
He couldn't read. At least, not enough to-
Look.
Gepard knows some letters! Mostly stuff that had survived on statues which had sunk beneath the waves. And could kind of sound out some things! He gets that it's something to do with when Sampo was going to show up, he sees time and he sees numbers, which brings up the next problem which is just how, exactly, do humans tell time?
And Gepard knows that he's fucking things up when this keeps on happening. He shows up and no one's there. He shows up and there's a new note, or an empty bottle, or-
After a couple of weeks this is the point in which Gepard finds an excuse, goes to the fucking cove, and waits for however long until his idiot shows up because this is ridiculous, it's been far too long, they need to figure this shit out better, he needs to know how humans tell time. They need a system.]
no subject
Date: 2024-10-20 03:23 am (UTC)[He was starting to reconsider the whole message in a bottle thing. Maybe he was having a hard time getting to the messages? It's just hard to put something down in the cove without it getting wet, and wet paper doesn't last very long...]
[He comes down one evening both to check for any signs of Gepard and to pick up some packs of medical supplies that he'd smuggled in for Natasha. Since the cove had eroded away part of the cliff wall, there was a sheltered spot inside that was only accessible without swimming at low tide, but had enough space inside even when the tide came in again to store a small cache of goods without it all getting wet. The good doc'd wanted him to deliver her shipment tonight, so now's as good a time as any to bring them back up again.]
[When he arrives at the cove, everything looks normal. The water is calm, since it's well sheltered from the rest of the ocean, and with the tide out, the beach is covered in tide pools that have crabs and clams and all sorts of little fishes swimming around inside. It's kind of a nice place, or would be if Sampo wasn't continually disappointed by a lack of merman every time he went there.]
[He stands at the edge of the surf and looks out across the water, kind of halfheartedly looking for a blond head that he doesn't expect to find.]
Ah, I really need to try something else. [He's talking to himself. It's not like there's anyone else to hear him but the crabs and the gulls, right?] All this disappointment is bad for my heart.
no subject
Date: 2024-10-20 03:39 am (UTC)So Gepard waited. And he waited. And then the air was warm and the day slow, and he decided to take a nap because, well, he hadn't been sleeping well what with all of the deceit, having to constantly lie about where he's going and what he's doing, trying to actually do his regular duties-
Anyway, point being, on this day off he fell asleep.
So there he is, gently snoring in a tide pool when he hears a voice and jerks awake-]
You're-
[There he is!]
You're here-
[Wait why is he in a tide pool, where did all of the water go, is he stuck? He's stu- he can't be stuck. This is the stupidest way to confront his idiot about their meet-up system. And sure, he's not going to die, unless a betrayal happens in the next few minutes, but he feels all...raw and dry and sensitive and- how is he supposed to act like he just got here when-
Where did all the water go?]
no subject
Date: 2024-10-20 03:48 am (UTC)[That sounds like Gepard! Sampo follows the sound of his voice around a rock, and... yup, there he is, sprawled in one of the shallow tide pools. But that's not nearly deep enough for a whole merman, there are parts of him that are out of the water and look a little irritated from all the sun and air exposure.]
How did you get all the way up here? [The waterline is a good fifteen feet down the beach. It would be really difficult for Gepard to drag himself all the way just to hang around in a tide pool and get crawled on by crabs.] You look like you're drying out!
[He wades into the tide pool after him, little fishes darting out of the way as he moves through the water. It only comes up to a little over his knees, definitely not enough water for Gepard.]
Come on, let me carry you down to the water! It's going to be hours 'til the tide comes back in again. How long have you even been sitting here?
no subject
Date: 2024-10-20 04:08 am (UTC)[It's cool, it's fine, it's not as if Gepard's being forced to confront the fact that he might kind of like a human too much if he waited for so long he ended up stuck in a tide pool, drying out and utterly miserable, and if someone who wasn't Sampo had shown up things might have taken a turn for the worse. Breathe in, out, in, out, he's reaching for Sampo like-
Like. He's reaching for Sampo like. If Sampo takes him in his arms he is absolutely going to curl up and hug him like-
Like like. Like that.]
I don't know. I fell asleep. [Obviously. Don't ask why he was there for so long that he decided to fall asleep.]
no subject
Date: 2024-10-20 04:24 am (UTC)[Gepard is heavy, and his tail is so long that it's going to drag in the sand no matter what Sampo does, but he gathers the merman into his arms and starts wading his way out of the tide pool again. It's difficult-- the sand shifts under his feet and the rocky parts of the beach are slick and treacherous, but he's got precious cargo. That merits caution, so he goes slow and makes sure that he doesn't do something awful, like drop Gepard.]
You're lucky I decided to come down today! [He makes it the fifteen or so feet down to where the waterline is, and starts wading his way out into the deeper water. How long can merfolk last in shallow water without getting hurt? Is he injured, does he need medical attention?] You would've really been uncomfortable for a while. Did you get sunburned? I know a doctor, she might have something that'll make you feel better.
[He keeps going until he's in the water up to his waist, ignoring how cold it is in favor of getting Gepard somewhere that he can actually survive.]
Here we go, this should be better. [Down into the water you go, cute blond fishman.] Are you going to be okay?
no subject
Date: 2024-10-20 05:21 pm (UTC)Sampo says he's lucky he decided to come down that day, and Gepard smiles, smothered against fabric and flesh and whatever else. Sampo asks questions. Is he fine? Was he sunburned?
Will he be okay? Gepard feels the cool touch of water and that's when he opens his eyes and forces himself to relax. He doesn't know if he's safe or not. That's not the worst part. The worst part is that despite not knowing if he's safe or not, that he feels safe in defiance of it all.
Sampo lowers him into the water.]
I- [He flexes his tail and winces.] Should be fine. [Eventually.] I told my family- my sisters I'd be gone for a few days. [Please don't ask why he took a few days vacation and promptly camped out in the cove.
And then Gepard yields to inevitability, because he feels...sore, crusty, raw in places. Not at all how he expected to meet his idiot again. He flexes his tail again and it feels better, but not good. Could he push himself? He could. He could probably swim back home. Should he?]
It seems that I'll probably be spending most of that time in here.
no subject
Date: 2024-10-20 06:28 pm (UTC)[This is terrible. He didn't want his merman crush to come here and get injured, he'd picked this place because it had looked safe and secure!]
Why did you come in so early? I left a note, it said that I wouldn't be around until evening. [If the water had been high enough that Gepard could swim up the beach and get stranded in a tide pool, he might have been there hours in advance. Way too early for even someone who wanted to be prudent.] Did something happen to it? Did the bottle break? I know glass is kind of fragile, but it's good for keeping the paper from getting all wet.
[Maybe he could find a metal container? That would be stronger, it wouldn't break if it fell over or something.]
no subject
Date: 2024-10-20 06:51 pm (UTC)[Oh wow, now comes the embarrassing part, somehow this is worse than being carried in his idiot's manly arms into the water, what the heck, what the fuck. He came here to say, "I'm having problems reading what the hell you're trying to tell me, we need a better plan." And now here they are.
He stalls for time, of course. His tail roughly brushes against Sampo's legs, just, back and forth.]
I had problems understanding your notes. [Well, there it is.] We use pictographs? [He's going for it, just, admiring Sampo's not-his-face, some part of him that's not his face, explaining.] And I'm also rather...damp, so I ruined quite a few notes before I figured out a way to dry my hands with sand well enough to get them out of the bottle. [Yep.] And not to mention, if I'm deep enough I can't see the sun so I don't know what time it is if we work off of that. [Yeah. Yeah, he's starting to feel much less like a mystical legend of the ocean, mysterious and powerful, and more like a really dumb dude.]
Change of subject for a moment- [Enough about that.] We can get back to telling time in a second, but do you have anything like...fishing nets? We like to use those to make our hammocks, but as that requires stealing from a human we usually make do with kelp and weeds- it's more traditional, but the fishing nets are far better for our purposes.
no subject
Date: 2024-10-20 07:38 pm (UTC)Oh.
[Yeah, he's feeling Big Dumb right now. He doesn't know how deep merfolk live, but apparently deep enough to not be able to see the sun, so that also makes sense for the whole telling time thing. Maybe merfolk have a different way that they determine time? Something that works that far underwater? Why didn't he consider the possibility that they live too deep to see the sun, he knows that they try to avoid humans.]
[Gepard mercifully changes the subject before Sampo's ego can take an absolute pummeling.]
Fishing nets? Oh! Yeah, there are a ton of them up in Boulder Town. People fish all the time.
[It's like, half the economy of this place, technically. Island people do a lot of fishing, even in cold and turbulent waters.]
I have to run some things back up to my doctor friend, so I could get some nets for you if you'll be okay for a little while? I can run back up to town and be back in a little over an hour, maybe?
[He'd be hustling, but, y'know, he's got motivation. His aquatic boo is going to hang around for a while, this is basically like hosting a friend and not having blankets for them.]
no subject
Date: 2024-10-22 01:54 am (UTC)But it's nice. It's exciting. Sure, he's breaking so many laws at the moment, and, sure, he wishes it was under different circumstances like not hurting his tail like an idiot. But a sleepover with his, uh. Friend? Really nice. Very exciting.]
I wouldn't want you to hurt your legs after I- well, hurt my tail, like you slip and fall and then where would we be? And if you draw too much attention from hurrying, someone might find this place and we'd have to find somewhere else to meet.
[ :c And what would they do then! How many coves are there on this island? This should not be his priority! He's already breaking a lot of laws, why is he gearing up to break more, Sampo Koski is a bad influence. Truly terrible. What is this. From an innocent, law abiding merman to whatever he is now.]
no subject
Date: 2024-10-26 05:02 am (UTC)[He couldn’t allow something as silly as a slip or nosy neighbors keep him from his merman friend, could he? After all this trouble he’s going through to keep meeting with him? Hopefully he’ll hear good news from one of his inquiries and then they won’t have to meet so clandestinely— he’ll be able to follow Gepard into the wide blue sea, never to be bothered by land folk again.]
Please be patient and wait for me. I’ll be back soon!
[There’s no greater motivator than trying to impress your crush. Don’t worry, Gepard, he’ll be back as soon as he can, bringing the medicine to Natasha and carrying back a pack full of fishing nets, plus gear for him to stay down at the cove overnight. He needs to have a sleepover with his favorite fish, after all. And, of course, the good doctor was pleased to get her shipment so quickly, and not suspicious at all.]
I hope you weren’t lonely while I was gone!
no subject
Date: 2024-10-27 12:54 am (UTC)You're here! Welcome back. [That might sound excited, but he's excited, so. He swims as close as he can, which is a bit difficult given his tail, but he manages. (It's like walking on a sprained ankle, not that Geaprd knows what that's like.) This has definitely been a fucking slippery slope from 'mysterious enigmatic figure of the deep' to 'friendly fish' but it's fine. It's not like it's going to hurt anyone, probably. Maybe.]
You brought quite a bit with you. [Can't even fucking pretend to not be curious.] More than I expected?
no subject
Date: 2024-10-28 01:38 am (UTC)I'm here! [He hops down the rocks with his burdens, depositing some of them up the beach where it's still dry. The netting, he brings down to the water for his fishy friend.] I brought the net that you wanted. Is this enough? I got extra, I wasn't sure how much you needed.
[Because he wouldn't want to bring too little netting for Gepard to make his hammock and either have to have the poor guy shove himself into a small bed or have to go back up to town for more.]
The rest of the stuff is so that I can stay for a while! If you're stuck here, you might as well have company, right?
no subject
Date: 2024-10-31 01:13 am (UTC)That's more than enough. Thank you. We make- [He gestures with his free hand, a shape like a pocket or a bag.] -beds like this to keep us from drifting off into the ocean. The water cradles us, but without something to anchor us we might wake up somewhere we never wanted to be. Something like that has happened to me more than once.
[But that doesn't matter! What matters is...]
I'm glad you'll be here with me. It feels like it would be lonely if I was the only one in here.
no subject
Date: 2024-11-03 07:29 pm (UTC)[Who knows where the tides and currents would carry him? Especially not with his tail injured.]
I’ll have to sleep higher up on the beach, otherwise I’ll get swamped when the tide comes back in. But until then, we can get to know each other a little better, right?
[Really become friends. Like him, Gepard, he wants you to be happy to see him when he gets his tail and yeets himself into the wild blue yonder.]
I know you aren’t supposed to talk to humans, but can you tell me a little bit about what it’s like living in the ocean?
[He’s already breaking mer law just by talking to Sampo, so in for a fish penny, in for a fish pound.]
no subject
Date: 2024-11-07 03:14 am (UTC)[But here he is, swimming nice and close, because when he sleeps for the night he'll have to dive underwater - and deep enough so that he's not easily spotted, should someone else creep down into Sampo's little cave. So they need to enjoy their close time while he can.]
It's...nice? We have a city. I was told there was more, once, before we were forced to the north. I don't know how true that is or not. I-
[Where to begin?]
It's...not as dry as you're used to? [Terrible.] It's louder than you think. [Awful.] It's- honestly, I don't know what I should say. So much of it seems like it's the same sort of thing you probably do, but some of it is so different.
no subject
Date: 2024-11-11 07:23 pm (UTC)[What a rousing endorsement of your own hometown, Gepard. Really selling it to him, showing it in its best light. Sampo laughs, enjoying the depiction despite its terrible presentation.]
Well, what's it called? It has to have a name, right?
[And it would be useful to actually have a name to put to the place, rather than just referring to it as the mermaid city or something. Merpolis? New Mer City? Sampo could come up with a suitably annoying name if Gepard didn't have one on hand.]
Is everyone who lives there as pretty as you?
[But that can't really be true, he's just saying it to make Gepard blush. There's no way that there could be a whole city as pretty as him, someone as pretty as Gepard is a rare thing. You don't run across a true ten every day, nevertheless a whole gaggle of them.]
no subject
Date: 2024-11-12 01:35 am (UTC)The name thing is easy enough.]
Belobog.
[But it's the flirting that gets him to submerge ever so slightly, looking ever so slightly away, maybe blushing shut up, shut up, fins fanning in an ever so slightly perturbed (sure, let's go with that) way.]
Indiscriminately flirting with everyone you meet is a very bad habit, Sampo.
no subject
Date: 2024-11-13 04:42 am (UTC)Is it? I'd hate to be rude! I guess I'll just make sure that my flirting isn't indiscriminate, then.
[Don't worry, Gepard, he can be very discriminate with his flirtation.]
I should start building good habits right away. You'll help me, won't you?
no subject
Date: 2024-11-13 05:02 am (UTC)Well, anyway.]
Something tells me I won't have a choice.
[Because surely, his human's flirting with other people with legs and doing leg things with them and he can't see it because he's a fish. Right?]
Different question. [Change of subject.] Can you teach me how to read? I understand some of it, but I'd like to know more.
no subject
Date: 2024-11-20 01:37 am (UTC)[He can, like, get some books or something back in town and bring those back. They taught kids how to read with them, how hard could it be for an adult to figure it out?]
[But that's a problem for another day. Today, he's got a handsome fishman to entertain and chat up and continue to flirt with. Maybe ask a question or two about that little trinket that he'd given him before, that little golden pendant. He'd gotten a chain for it, so that he could keep it around his neck. It would be rude not to wear a gift, right?]
[He'd written similar questions in a letter, sent it off to an acquaintance of an acquaintance. He's still waiting to see if that line of inquiry bears fruit. He's heard things about that woman, a Miss Black Swan, and maybe she'll be the one who comes through for him.]
no subject
Date: 2024-11-20 02:50 am (UTC)Speaking of nice, Gepard wiggles in, and gestures for Sampo to get close so he can just touch and hold and admire that chain that he got for the pendant.]
I'm glad you kept it. [Okay, alright, he can admit it.] I didn't know what I should get you, but I wanted to give you something.
no subject
Date: 2024-11-20 03:54 am (UTC)[Huh. That’s a question that he might have to investigate at some point, since he plans on getting fishy. Losing his dick wasn’t part of his admittedly poorly thought out plan, but maybe he should be prepared for that.]
[For right now, he’s distracted by Gepard touching his chest to get a look at the chain that now holds his pendant. Even though he’d originally given it expecting Sampo to sell it, he’s pleased that he didn’t. And Sampo’s pleased that he’s pleased!]
I liked it too much to get rid of it. Don’t you think it looks good on me?
[Gepard looks good on him, too. Sampo could get used to having pretty mermen cuddled up to him.]
You don’t know anything else about it, do you? It’s pretty unusual!
no subject
Date: 2024-11-21 03:24 am (UTC)I suppose.
[This is in response to it looking good on Sampo, because he doesn't even know Sampo, really, but every instinct in his body is screaming at him and telling him he should be careful around this human. Specifically in regards to giving him praise.
...but, ah, that's a good question; also, ah, his waist is starting to hurt a little - it's hard to hold this angle, fish bodies aren't meant to do this, and so Gepard does what every single fish would do and just snuggles right in. Because at this point, it's pretty normal for the two of them? Sampo carries him, he drags Sampo around. And also because...
...because. Besides, this seems like a long, and maybe difficult conversation.]
What do you want to know? I imagine you're not interested in how my great grandfather wore it around or family stories of that nature.
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From: