betta

[baited]

WHO: Shark & Yuma.
WHERE: (on the way to & at) The pet store.
WHEN: The 28th, Friday.
WARNINGS: Fish
WHAT: Shark & Yuma talk. Shark tests his powers on unsuspecting goldfish.
FORMAT: whatev



(from here)

Okay, so this wasn't how he'd planned the afternoon, but it sure was better than the original plan of "sit at home and contemplate how much everything sucks", so the impromptu trip to the pet store was sort of a welcome distraction. Sure, it felt ridiculous, but it might actually prove useful.

The whole powers thing was new territory but probably the kind of new territory that was important to know, considering that was meant to be their purpose or whatever. If there was any chance the fish deal was related to his powers, then it wasn't something he was going to put off.

Shark locked the door behind them, making his way to the stairwell without waiting up.

Comments

[soulbondee]

The vehemence probably shouldn't have taken Yuma by surprise, but he flinched at the volume, baring his teeth and shrinking back a little into his shoulders.

But, of course, turned right around and tried stretching himself taller and less cowed, hands in the air for a brief moment. "A lot of people say one thing and mean another, you know!" Shrinking once more, he continued walking with his arms crossed again, almost huffy, continuing with a quiet mutter under his breath. "Wouldn't be the first time someone's tried."

[baited]

Shark had been about to snap back something at Yuma after the first comment, but held his tongue just barely long enough to catch the next one. Hearing enough to make him pause his walking, turn just slightly, and glare - if there was things to mention beforehand, this was definitely one of them.

"Someone's tried to-- where, at the docks?" Shark spoke much quieter, less accusatory, still angry but with worry slipping into his tone.

[soulbondee]

Oh.

Had he said that aloud?

Immediately, as if it would somehow lessen just what he'd said, Yuma looked off to the side, avoiding Shark's glare. Deflection and self-preservation at its most transparent. "Sorta, maybe. It was a long time ago."

[baited]

"Go home," Shark growled through his teeth, turning back away and beginning to walk again. "'Cause I'm not pulling you back out if someone tries that again."

It wasn't a very convincing threat, but Shark was past trying to reason with Yuma. If a prior experience like that hadn't deterred him from the docks, nothing would, especially not anything Shark could say.

[soulbondee]

"I didn't have anyone dragging me out last time."

His hands buried themselves deep into his pockets, though the accompanying orca made one pocket a little too tight for comfort. As expected, he kept walking behind Shark.

"And if you think I'm gonna promise you the same thing back, you're dead wrong."

[baited]

His shoulders hunched slightly, and after that, Shark couldn't say anything. Keeping himself a few paces ahead of Yuma, silence was maintained until reaching the docks. The water wasn't exactly pleasant, but the air did have a slightly salty tang and that was enough. Or, at least he hoped.

"If you're going to be here, at least stay back."

[soulbondee]

That one was easy enough to oblige; Yuma lingered a couple yards behind Shark, one hand settling on his hip and the other tucking the orca plush into the hood of his vest. To be honest, he wasn't sure how this ability of Shark's was going to work, or what it would look like -- maybe he'd start making whale noises? That'd be weird. But still, why fish, of all things?

... Were sharks fish?

[baited]

Shark stepped out as close to the water as he could get, satisfied that Yuma was keeping his distance. He just wanted this to work, for something to happen - but already he was starting to have the same kind of feeling as he'd had at the aquarium, a weird push-and-pull sensation.

Kneeling, he rolled up a sleeve and bent to place the tips of his fingers into the water, as if it would help somehow. Shark could tell there weren't many fish in the dark bay, but the few that were gathered at the surface around him.

"It's working," he said, surprise in his voice.

[soulbondee]

"It is?"

Taking that for a cue, Yuma crossed the short distance in only a moment, straining to peer into the water.

"What're they doing?"

[baited]

Too stunned to really register Yuma's closer presence, Shark took his hand out of the water and watched as the fish remained. They were close enough to be clearly visible, small brown & shiny, picking up even the dull light.

"It's the same thing that happened at the aquarium," Shark responded, concentrating. "It's like they're waiting for me to tell them what to do."

[soulbondee]

Even their pod of plush whales weren't as friendly and docile as this little school of fish seemed to be; that, if nothing else, seemed to confirm that Shark really did have some supernatural partnership with the fish. Glancing between them, Yuma's attention eventually settled on Shark. "Why not ask 'em to do something?"

[baited]

"Because they're fish. It's not like they can do much aside from swim around."

And that was the frustrating part. Okay, so he could do... something... with fish. Probably not just fish, Shark realised, remembering Opal the octopus - but honestly, where was that going to get him? A job making fish jump onto boats to help the seafood industry?

"...jump."

The school of fish splashed out of the water, not very high, but definitely a jump.

[soulbondee]

"Woah!"

Between the loud splash and the sudden emergence of fish, Yuma lost his crouched balance and tumbled backwards, legs kicking in the air in an astonishing display of grace.

But then he was right back on his knees, watching the water with keen interest.

[baited]

Shark's concentration broke, half-turning and raising a hand to grab Yuma if he fell. But as Yuma regained his balance Shark just frowned, dipping his hand back in the water and watching some of the littler fish try and nibble at his fingers. The school swam lazily around the edge of the dock, seemingly less alert as Shark paid them less attention.

"We should go back."

[soulbondee]

His eyes turned back to Shark when he spoke, but this wasn't the same backing-out or embarrassment from before; he wasn't giving up halfway. They'd accomplished what they came for, even if Yuma still didn't understand what the hell was so different about harbor fish and pet shop fish. "Yeah, suppose so."

Yuma slid weight forward onto his hands, and backwards in a jolt to his feet, standing and stretching in the salted breeze. The water wasn't as pristine as those by Heartland, and even the smell of the ocean was all wrong. Nearly a year later, and the small differences still caught him off guard.

"Heh heh, guess you won't need me pulling you to shore after all," he added, tone somewhere between friendly teasing and reassurance. "You'll have a sea full of friends to help you out."

[baited]

Shark couldn't stop the corners of his mouth quirking up at Yuma's comment, the hair falling in front of his face hopefully hiding the expression as he stood up. He turned and watched the fish slowly scatter, returning to their normal fishy lives.

"Sure," Shark started, finally responding, "That'd be story of the week. 'Fish Rescue Kid'."

[soulbondee]

His hand moved to his hood to verify that the orca was still with him, then burrowed deep into his pockets. This wasn't how he'd imagined the afternoon going, but Yuma couldn't think of trading it for a different one.

Maybe drag Astral along for the trip, but if Astral were here, he would've wanted to buy some of those fish at the store. He tried not to think too hard about how much he still missed that idiot, instead turning his attention back to Shark and the water behind them.

"It cod be worse." Yuma smiled, shrugging his shoulders a little, starting the walk back to the apartments. "Hey, if you got enough of 'em, you think you could surf on 'em?"

[baited]

"Of course not. That only happens on TV."

Affixing Yuma with an unimpressed side-eye, before hanging back just long enough to take the orca plush out of Yuma's hood, Shark turned his gaze to that instead.

"Maybe if I could find something as big as this, though."

He shook the orca for emphasis, before offering it back to Yuma. Now that he'd found out that he did in fact have some kind of (surprisingly accurate) control, Shark felt a little less useless than he'd initially thought he would. He felt... calmer, and for the first time in weeks, almost relaxed. How surprising.

[soulbondee]

He felt the weight of the toy leaving his hood, and for a startled second Yuma thought it was simply falling out; his hands flailed a little as he turned, trying to catch the toy, but found only Shark playing with it.

He took the offered toy back without protest. "Shark, king of the seas." Easily more impressive than rice balls, for sure.

[baited]

Shark baulked at the title, barely stopping himself from tripping. He pressed a hand to his forehead and shut his eyes, refusing to turn around and reveal to Yuma how embarrassed he looked.

"No! None of that. "Shark" is enough of a nickname, I don't need anything built off it."

[soulbondee]

It earned a laugh from Yuma regardless, bright and only a little bit teasing. "Alright, alright. Hehe, I'll leave the nicknames to the fishes."

The streets passed by slowly as they walked, Yuma entertained enough by making the orca swim through the air. It moved more like an airplane than a mammal.

"You better not let Astral know you can do that," he added suddenly, arms extended to the sides like a trapeze artist on a high wire as he walked along the low curb.

[baited]

The quiet was appreciated, the ambient street noise enough to distract Shark from his thoughts. The MAC wasn't far now, and with the sun starting to lower in the sky, it seemed like the entire trip had good timing.

It took Shark a few seconds to register the request, snapped out of the quiet daze he'd somehow sunk into.

"Why shouldn't I?"

[soulbondee]

"He'll start begging you to take him to the aquarium every week. He's obsessed!" For the almost disparaging words, the tone was fond.

He spoke like it was a guarantee that Astral would be back. "And if you go, the whole trip'll be 'Shark. Shark. Make them come over here. Shark. Look at them. Aren't they fantastic? Shark. Shark.' "

[baited]

As Yuma spoke, Shark listened, hands in his pockets and watching the other boy carefully. It seemed like Yuma had calmed down a lot since their first conversation a few weeks ago, and actually listened to what Shark had told him. That was good, he reasoned, that the last few weeks hadn't made him lose hope.

"Fine, I won't tell him. But if you can't keep your mouth shut, he'll find out anyway, won't he?"

[soulbondee]

Yuma shook his head, pointing at Shark with the toy. "I won't say a word about it if you don't!"