escordvi | closed 🌠⚡ it's far too easy to miss the beauty in the simple things

[Invisible eyebrows raise.]

And you think that we can help her with that? Would she even want our help?

[A small shrug.]

Maybe not, but couldn't hurt to try.

[Well now for the real question—]

What exactly do you have in mind?

[A low hum.]

I think just the effort might be enough... But maybe if you crawled along her back without the bubble? Then we could look for the ingredients for the lotion along with what we still need and you could give her a proper massage once you turn back.

Me? Crawl on her back?

[Tifa laughs a little at the image of that.]

I'm so small, I doubt she'd even feel me...! [She casts a wary glance at the whale.] But I guess we could give it a try. Or at least make the offer.

Worth a try. Worst she'll do is refuse.

[A small shrug, and it looks like she's finally finished because she's glaring at them before waving a fin. Seeing this, Eustace will swim them over and the whale will set down the bag with a loud thud.

"Some of these are the last of my stock, so be grateful."]

We are. Truly. Thank you for finding them for us.

[She puts on her nicest voice despite this very short thread of her patience.]

["Yeah, well. Money's money."

Tifa glances at Eustace then.]

We couldn't help but overhear...

[The old whale is already looking annoyed at the though they were eavesdropping, so Eustace just continues.]

You have a sore back and an issue with barnacles.

[The whale just glares at them.

"And? What's it to you?"]

Well.

[Tifa starts out slowly, trying to be careful about her choice of words and tone.]

I think we have a few ways that we can help with that. Especially if you can help us change me back. But even before that, I've got some ridges on my body that could loosen some of them.

[She gives a wiggle of her ears.]

And turning me back, I'm really good at massages.

[The whale stares at them for a moment, eyes narrowing. "And why would I trust you to take care of it?"]

No one else seems to have been able. The materials you need are found in smaller crevices that most whalefolk can't get through, aren't they?

And I can already pay for everything, so there's no other real benefit in our offer other than just to prove that you can trust us.

I may not know a lot about whales, but I want to at least try. And human hands can get places that I bet whale fins can't.

[They are met with more wary silence as she stares between the two of them, and Tifa can only give a hopeful look in return.

...

....

Before she sighs. "Eh, alright. So long as you can get me those ingredients..."]

[There's a light smile as he nods.]

We will.

[He then holds out Tifa. Did she want to try now still...?]

[Oh, right, that.

Tifa scoots forward in the bubble, and it rolls a bit through the water.]

We can still help a little now, if you're willing to let us try. Even if it isn't much, it might help ease some of the pain until we can get back.

[The whale just looks at them scornfully.

"And what can a tiny thing like you do, eh?"

But her eyes also don't leave Tifa, as if...carefully watching her. Even when the old whale looks away, her eye drifts back.

"Well if you think you can get back there. Might be some small things you can kick off if you can even make it."

At that, Eustace just arches a brow before looking at Tifa.]

Want to try?

[If she could shrug, she would.]

Might as well give it a shot, though I'm gonna need help getting out of here, and... over there.

[A quiet smile.]

Sure.

[Of course the whale will glare at Eustace suspiciously... But he's already at the counter, anyway, so with a grumble the whale turns slightly. Not revealing her whole back, but at least enough from the side, and Eustace will hold the bubble closer.]

She said you should be able to swim out... Do you need me to push you from the outside, too?

A little.

[She gives her fat bum a wiggle.]

Slugs aren't exactly known for their swimming. Pretty sure they crawl along the sea floor.

["She's right," the whale butts in with a bit of a snippy voice.]

Edited 2025-06-05 03:11 (UTC)

[Just ignoring—

And he'll hold her closer before pressing his thumb against her wiggling butt to push her against the bubble so she can pop out.]

[And out she goes, popping right through the bubble and spinning into the water. He might need to catch her, because the whale doesn't bother, just staring at the two of them with what looks like raised brows, if a whale had them.

"I think you might be able to at least clean off some of the barnacles right around my fin, with a size like that," she huffs.

Alright lady, she is trying to help, but she doesn't like being bossed around!!! But fine, she'll... clean the barnacles, and she stifles the tiniest 'ugh' that threatens to leave her.]

I'm going to need his help, if that's okay. At least at the start. Still not really used to this form.

[The whale just eyes Eustace warily, and is especially staring at his ears.

"As long as he doesn't use claws."

...He's a dog type not a cat—but well, wolves would have claws, too, so he just doesn't say anything.]

I'll be careful.

[And he won't really wait and swim up closer to Tifa where he can place her directly on the spot while also noticing the barnacles. Not just there, but all over her back. There are a few, and while not uncommon, with so many he can somewhat see why she would be so irritable.]

[Tifa scowls at the whale, unbeknownst to her, but Eustace might feel her tense against his hand before he places her on the whale's back. She has to work herself to get to where she needs to go, as there are some that are right in that tough spot between her back and her fin that any whale would have a hard time getting into.

And as she moves around and through them, she tries to shove one off to test.]

Do they hurt at all?

[The whale doesn't feel Tifa at all and just grunts at the question.

"No, just irritating. Like an annoying scab that won't fall off."

That fits with what he knows of barnacles. Ultimately harmless creatures that just latch on.]

But they can dig in deep... So we should only focus on ones that may be looser?

[At that the whale is silent as she stares at Eustace before there's a snort of bubbles.

"So you're not completely clueless... Aye, don't bother with the ones that are stuck on tight. The lotion will do better for it. But there are some loose ones that you should be able to pry off."

It's said a little begrudging, but at least it's a little more helpful for them, and Tifa will be able to see a small barnacle that looks like it's not fully attached onto the skin compared to most of the others.]

[She is silent with concentration as she weaves her way over the back, squeezing into really tight spaces in between the barnacles and almost disappearing before—

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Several of them come right off as she suddenly puffs up before she moves onto the next and does the same thing, even getting under some of the tighter clinging ones to push those ones off as well, her bristles doing some of the work while her more pliant body moves to the shape of them.

And she can't help but feel a little pleased when the whale gives a content sigh as more and more of them drift off into the water. "Damned things, I thought they'd never get off..."]

Told you.

[She's going to allow herself that much before she gets back to work. There are a few extremely stubborn ones, but by the time that she finishes in the area around her dorsal fin, most of them are gone, and she can move it more easily now.

"Amazing..." She realizes that she'd said it out loud, and clears her throat. "I mean, it's about damn time."

As Tifa wiggles her ears at Eustace for him to pick her up again!]

[Eustace watches Tifa at first with some curiosity and then some amusement and pride. Pride because she's proving her strength even in this form and amusement because...

...Well that should be obvious—

But he'll also help where he can, helping to pry and loosen up some of the tighter but removable barnacles so that Tifa can pop it off the rest of the way. He'll have scrape off some of the remnants with his nails, which the whale will also give a contented sigh of relief before clearing her throat and muttering about "claws."

Once they are through, he'll reach out and take Tifa onto his palm, smiling a bit.]

If you can tell us where the materials you need for the lotion, we'll try and get what we can.

[She catches that smile on his face, and she does puff out a little with pride before she nuzzles against his thumb as he holds her and she catches her breath.

"There's a place just outside of the village that the residents here like to call the Shimmering Fields. Can't miss it. But there are a lot of plants and grass. The thing that makes it shimmer is the glass in the sand. But you'll want to grab the sand from there, as well as the seaweed so that I can ground it up."]

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