Opposites Attract!

[Ivory]

"They will," she answered simply.

But, of course, they were both right...

Before Akala turned away, she laughed out loud and murmured, "Hear that, Kai?  He called you smart."  She just had to rub in their little rivalry one last time...

Without a word more, she turned to bound after the mershark, pausing alongside him to ask, "Do you know where Ainu is, Ha'aheo?"

[Paradox]

"Hrrrn." Ha'aheo looked confused for a moment and then shook his head at the woman, "Ainu? What that?"

((Shortest post ever. I am so sorry. >>))

[Ivory]

"It's a port city.  The biggest on the island.  It's where ships and sailors from all over the world come and go."  And, most importantly...  "That's where I'll find a ship to leave Yoreiq."

In all her wanderings, she had never left the islands before...  Any sadness she felt was easily outweighed by her excitement, however, at the prospect of a new adventure, of meeting new people, of seeing new things...

But she was also a little bit out of her depth.

"You said you've gone other places, Ha'aheo.  So...  Where do you think we should go?"

[Paradox]

"Ohhh." Ha'aheo sort of understood but his knowledge was limited to knowing that humans needed to use ships to cross over the big water because they were terrible swimmers. Once again, Ha'aheo found himself staring at Akala with an almost sympathetic expression. Poor weak, land-bound Akala.He didn't envy her. Not one bit!

When she asked him where he thought they should go,  Ha'aheo frowned and pointed to the water, " Go water. Swim. " But then he looked at Akala  and frowned. "Not know if too far for Akala. Need boat, Ha'aheo think. Boat in port ? We go get boat!  "

(( rofl. So helpful!))

[Ivory]

Akala grinned and nodded slightly.  "Yes, we will certainly have to get a boat...  We have to get far away from the Island, so I guess that means it will have to be a pretty big boat."  She had never been on a big boat before, but she had seen them from a distance...  It would certainly be interesting...

"How will I know where to find you, Ha'aheo?"  It was a peculiar thought, then, that made her smile.  "Or are you going to just swim alongside the boat the whole time?"

[Paradox]

"Big boat... " Ha'aheo frowned at the idea of swimming near one. He'd never done this before but had seen other stupid and arrogant creatures do it like dolphins or mermaids. Really, they just liked to show off. Ha'aheo totally  NEVER showed off or gloated about how strong he was . Nope. Never once! The mershark tilted his head, " Ha'aheo no leave friend Akala. " She was completely hopless without him as far as he was concerned! It would be cruel to leave her, but he was also curious and begrudgingly admitted to himself that he needed her help with understanding all the new things about the world above his own.
He nodded, "Ha'aheo swim with boat. But...like..." He held up his hands to indicate space between them. "Is no good swim like this." He moved his hands side by side. "Man see Ha'aheo and want kill. Ha'aheo fast , Ha'aheo strong but no want make more bad things for Akala. Ha'aheo be good. Stay hidden in water but Ha'aheo be there. Akala no lose Ha'aheo. "

[Ivory]

Akala chuckled quietly at his description.  "I understand, Ha'aheo."  She was certain she wouldn't be lonely -- there would be others to talk to, after all -- but she was a little more concerned about him...  "I guess the spirits will tell us which way to go once we get to Ainu..."

Probably.

There was a more pressing matter at hand...  How were they supposed to get to Ainu?  She could travel over land well-enough, but Ha'aheo would not be able to follow...  And if he traveled by water, she could not follow...

...And there were other dangers, too, as a sudden burst of laughter from somewhere in front of them reminded them...  The pirates, obviously, and one of their look-out points...

Akala stopped with a puzzled frown.  Softly, she asked, "Ha'aheo, how did you sneak by them before?"

[Paradox]

At her question about how he'd managed to sneak past the pirates, Ha'aheo frowned. That was a hard question that he couldn't exactly answer."Not know.Ha'aheo think bad men see, but they no see. See man, see talk. No look. Ha'aheo go slow. No sound make. Hrngh. Ground make small sound but water make loud sound . No hear ground Ha'aheo moves. One bad man pirate stand ...away. Is watch. Guard? See Ha'aheo and try make sound. Ha'aheo make man quiet." He meant to say he'd killed the man before he'd made a sound but such vocabulary was beyond him.

"Not try this more. Ha'aheo go in water. Swim down. Pirates no see." He tilted his head, "Ha'aheo thinks Ha'aheo take Akala for swim. Small time. Ha'aheo know Yor-icky no good for swim down in water. Is okay? " 

[Ivory]

Akala looked a little sad when he mentioned he had made the man quiet -- because she could well-imagine what that entailed.  Given their circumstances, however...

She nodded slightly as she digested his words, believing she knew what he meant.  She thought about telling him she trusted him -- perhaps, according to Kai, much more than she should -- but that would only lead him to wonder what that word meant, and she wasn't quite sure how to explain it!

Instead, she only smiled slightly and nodded.  "Okay, Ha'aheo.  I know you'll keep me safe."  That pretty much amounted to the same thing...

(OOC: lawls, Navy Seals got nothing on Ha'aheo!)

[Paradox]

Ha'aheo gestured for her to follow him , wading quietly into the water until he was waist deep. He waited for her to join him before letting himself shift into his natural form. "Okay. Hrn. Ha'aheo no do this all time. " He considered how he was going to bring Akala with him and the only image he'd had of seeing humans travel with aquatic creatures was, quite frankly, sort of humiliating to him. But if it was the only way...

Ha'aheo sighed and pointed to the dorsal fin on his back, "Akala, this. " He stared at her hands for a moment then reached for it and guided it to his back. "Akala take. Akala hold. Make strong hold. No weak. Weak make Akala go bye-bye. "Which he really meant to say that if she didn't hold on tightly then she'd get lost in the ocean somewhere....

He let go of her hand and then pointed to the other, "Take that one. Make strong hold. Here." He tried to gesture to his neck and shoulders. Ha'aheo no like touch," he reminded her , "but Akala this time is okay. Ha'aheo make...ex-sepshion. " He had learned this word from Kai. It was a big word. He was quite proud of it.

He tilted his head, "Akala know what Ha'aheo say. Show." He settled down in the water horizontally.

((lol she tries to ride him like he's an inflatable pool toy...))   

[Ivory]

Akala looked suitably impressed -- as much for his use of such a big word as his willingness to let her hold on to him.  It was a bit of an honor, she thought, for him to trust her so much...

"Okay, Ha'aheo.  Like this?" she inquired, trying to follow his directions.  Her touch was gentle and a bit hesitant, her eyes looking down towards him to make sure she wasn't making him uncomfortable...  At least, not any more uncomfortable than what he already must be.

"What now?" she prompted, once she felt she was in place the way he wanted her.

[Paradox]

The positioning was correct , but he felt weakness in her grip. "Strong hold. Is okay. No hurt Ha'aheo." He assured her. And Akala was right to imagine that Ha'aheo felt uncomfortable. It was strange a feeling enough to let anything touch him and even stranger to let a human 'ride' him as though he were a damned dolphin or a whale or one of the friendlier merfolks. Akala may have felt the shark shudder.

"Kay. We go! Hold strong. Stop holding when Ha'aheo says." Ha'aheo started to swim forward , but then he remembered a very crucial part of his plan . "Ohhh. How much time Akala can no breathe?" He inquired, glancing back over his shoulder at her.   

[Ivory]

Akala nodded, a bit needlessly, and tightened her grip to the best of her ability.  Well, she wasn't particularly worried about hurting Ha'aheo by herself -- he was, after all, perhaps the toughest person she knew!

"Oh, um, not very long.  A few minutes, perhaps?"  Did he even know how to tell time?  "Here, I'll show you...  Starting, now!"  So saying, she took a deep breath and held it for as long as she could.

Compared to him, it was probably a bit pathetic...but she was only Yoreiqi, after all!

[Paradox]

Ha'aheo observed and he was not impressed. In fact, the shark man looked concerned. " Hrrrrn. Is no good , Akala!" Not only was he going to have to make sure that she ate more, but now it seemed that her lungs needed training as well! How she survived, he had no idea! Of course, again, he was forgetting that she was a creature of land and had no need of such things.

He shook his head. Okay, he would just have to adjust the plan. "Is okay. Ha'aheo have other idea. Swim down small time. Ha'aheo move faster down. Then, swim up for air for Akala. Akala make Ha'aheo know when need air?"

[Ivory]

(OOC: I really thought I'd replied to this.  *headdesk*  But it was just buried in my bookmarks instead!  I also need to add that it's really adorable how they each feel they're looking after the other one.  <3  I think they both need an adult!)

Akala nodded slightly.  "I'll let you know."  Through flailing, probably!  This was all beginning to seem awful dramatic -- even for her -- but she trusted Ha'aheo -- and he had yet to let her down in that trust.

Besides, he had already sneaked by the men once -- and that was more than she had done!  Obviously, he must know what he was talking about!

"Thanks for helping me, Ha'aheo."  Even if, by extension, he was really helping himself!

[Paradox]

"Is not for long time, "Ha'aheo explained, wishing he had the right words to communicate his ideas to her with. He shook his head, "Is only for time Fire-sticks no can hurt .Then no need swim down. "

He stared stupidly up and back over his shoulder at her when she thanked him. He was trying to remember what that word meant .It was so weird, this concept of gratitude! What was the proper response? He forgot! Ah well. "Okay! We go !" And without waiting for Akala to tell him whether she was ready or not, the shark dove underwater, submersing them both completely. Once they were underwater, Ha'aheo changed direction and shot forward through the water like a speeding arrow , swimming away from shore and the dangers that lingered on it.

He remained underwater for almost longer than Akala might have been able to stand before he broke the surface . Now, he was confident that the firesticks couldn't reach them. And he wasn't wrong.  "Akala good?" He asked as he continued to swim, keeping himself partially above the water's surface now so the human could breathe.






ooc: Adults are for noobs!

Forgive the post. Just trying to get back into the habit of writing things so...there will be a few craptastic posts before I get back into writing something decent once more. :P

[Ivory]

(OOC: Your post is not craptastic!  It is a good post -- and, more importantly, it moves the story along!  These things are so important!)

Ha'aheo wasn't entirely at fault; Akala may have waited a bit long to notify him that she needed air; she was so caught up in the feeling of traveling so quickly underwater -- and half-afraid that if she released her grip on him, she'd be lost to the waves -- that she tarried a bit...

As they broke the surface, she inhaled deeply to soothe the burning sensation in her lungs, then looked down at him with an expression of awe.  "I'm fine.  Do you always swim so fast?"

[Paradox]

It did not occur to Ha'aeho that he could have killed her. He'd assumed she was fine but at hearing her affirmation, he nodded slightly and stated the obvious, "Is...good, Akala."

Amusingly enough , he misunderstood the second part of the conversation and was surprised that she'd make such a request. Not that he minded because he normally moved much faster than this,  "Hrrrrn. Want swim fast? Ok!" And , again, before Akala could get in a word of protest, he increased his swimming speed. Hopefully, the poor woman had the sense to hold on tightly!

((They really do need an adult. Oh well!))

[Ivory]

Akala yipped in surprise at the sudden jump forward, instinctively grasping him more tightly to keep from flying off and vanishing into the sea!

Once her initial surprise had faded, however, she relaxed (a little) and laughed joyously as salt-water sprayed around them.

"Do you know where you're going, Ha'aheo?"  She wasn't entirely sure she knew where they were headed, for that matter!

[Paradox]

At this question, Ha'aeho's swimming slowed . The shark-man wrinkled his nose and snorted , " Ask Ha'aheo knows? Ha'aheo know! " And this made him wonder, " Akala not know?" Though he was certain with her poor swimming abilities and her people's little boats, they probably did not get to see much of the ocean. And this was a terrible thing, he thought! It was too bad she could not move from water to land as he could. There were many things she would probably not get to eat that he thought were very tasty.