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

[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."]

[He'll gently stroke the top of Tifa's head and back as he listens. Shimmering glass in the sand and the seaweed...]

Sounds simple enough.

[And he'll hold out the bubble for Tifa to re-enter.]

[She looks at him, and then at the bubble, before she gives a small shake of her head.]

... Think I could stay out of it for a while? Was getting kind of stuffy in there. At least until we get outside.

You sure?

[He can't help but look at her a little concerned. After all, she did get caught in that current earlier...]

I am.

[She nudges his thumb with her head, and shrinks a little when she feels the whale's eyes still on them. She lowers her voice.]

I think this is fine for now? If you're up to it.

[He's still concerned, but... He also understands she's been feeling frustrated by it, so he finally relents.]

All right. You can always move to the bag if you need to.

[Speaking of, he'll make the payment and take the items and the list back, the whale just grumbling.

"The rest of what you need should be near in the area. It's safe so she should be fine, but watch the dolphins. Rowdy lot like to swim through and cause a ruckus."

He hadn't expected it, but he nods in appreciation.]

Thanks, we'll keep an eye out.

[And when Tifa is ready, he'll hold her close as he swims back to the waiting seahorse.]

[Tifa gives her ears a little wave in thanks before Eustace swims away, and she scoots and scoots over so that she's leaning against his fingers cradling her.]

It's like... being stuck inside a really stuffy room all day. [She starts to explain, giving him another nuzzle.] Except instead of air, the room is made of water.

I can only imagine how frustrating that must be.

[He continues to gently pet the top of her head, and maaaybe finding some amusement when her little body squishes a little from it before mounting the seahorse.]

I just don't want you to get caught again...

[He's not going to say it, but it had been a little terrifying watching her just carried off.]

I know that if I do, you'll catch me. Besides...

[Squish squish squish, she shimmies along in his palm to show off.]

I think I'm getting the hang of it a little more.

[There's just a quiet laugh.]

Careful, I don't want you to start forgetting what you really are and wanting to stay as a little bunny slug.

[And now here comes the most important question of all...]

Would you still love me if I stayed a bunny slug?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

[A low, drawn out hum as if he has to actually think about it before he laughs before she can actually get too upset at him.]

I would—but I'd still find a way to change you back.

[She'd just been about to give him a playful gasp when she shrinks with satisfaction at his answer.]

Good. I was about to say that you're walking on thin ice here!

[Her giggle is so high-pitched that she even hears the difference in her own head for that one.]

Well. Hopefully once this is done, I can finally swim beside you again...

I hope so, too.

[He gives her another little pet before setting her on top of his head.]

So let's get these materials. Ready?

[She settles in easily, just like she had before... only this time, she wriggles her way into the thick locks of his hair as it wisps around from the water. A little nest, if you will.]

Okay. I'm nice and snug, but just ease into it.

[He can somewhat feel her settle in, a slight ticklish feeling.]

Hang on.

[And with that the seahorse moves forward, first at a nice slow walk and increasing slowly until they're at a safe and steady speed to get through the town. Fortunately most people will move out of the way, and it won't take long before they are out of the town and swimming through the road that would lead towards the fields of that seagrass. And as the old whale had said, the sand and the grass seems to shimmer with the glass hidden beneath.]

There's not too much more that we need to find out here, so shouldn't take too long.

It's so pretty...

[Her little eyes "widen" at the sight in front of them. The way that the glass shimmers in the soft, white sand, and the seaweed that billows in the currents of the water. The way that they dance makes it look like the sand is quite literally sparkling with how the light hits it.

And now she's even more sad that she can't swim around here with him, and her ears droop.]

... Should definitely come back here later.

[He doesn't see those ears since she's still on his head, but he can hear it in her voice.]

We will, I promise.

[And once they reach a good place, he'll dismount and reach up to take her back into his hand.]

... Do you think we could pick up a few pieces of the glass here?

[Can he hear that pleading look in her voice, too?]

Maybe we can grab some pretty ones for the whale, too.

[There's a quiet laugh as he swims them over to the field.]

Of course we can. Do you want to try and find some...?

[...Or would that be a mistake. Should he tie the ribbon around her body and use the bubble as a tracking balloon instead—]

[No, she can swim fine!!! As long as he stays close.]

I can swim around while you collect the seaweed and sand? Since I'm not gonna be all that useful there.

All right.

[Still eyeing her.]

I should tie the ribbon around you just in case...

[JUST GOING TO VOICE IT OUT LOUD.]

[There are one, two, three, and then several more bristles that pop up on her back one by one, as if to "threaten" him.]

No ribbons today. Worst case scenario? I get tangled up in the seaweed, and given our track record, wouldn't be surprised.

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