Opposites Attract!

[Ivory]

Akala laughed good-naturedly at his reaction.  "I didn't mean to startle you!"  She beamed down at him, terribly amused at his reaction.  "That is how I greet my friends!  We touch our noses together like that."  Well, almost like that; usually the other person didn't fall over!  "If you watch people all over Yoreiqi, you'll see them do that same thing.  That's what they're doing.  It's like saying hello." 

She grinned at him a moment more, then asked, "Are you alright?"

Once she had been reassured that he was, indeed, alright, she said, "A friend is someone like you.  You are my friend.  Friends are people -- not food."  She chuckled again quietly.

[Paradox]

Ha'aheo kept his nose hidden with his hand, " No touch nose. " He growled at her. It wasn't soft. It was a warning. She did not know what she could do if she were to hit it too hard or rub it. It would immobilize him for minutes, even an hour. Of course, what Akala was doing was actually pretty harmless but Ha'aheo's limited communication ability prevented either of them from understanding one another.

"It good," he replied in response to the question concerning his well-being. "It comes. See big boat. See persons. It comes to see. No see Akala. See now. It good to see Akala."

"Friend Ha'aheo. Friend people? Ohhhh..." So now he sorted this word once more in his mind. This title of "friend" applied only to living beings. Friends were not part of the group that was for eating. They were non-food. "It sees. Akala say Ha'aheo friend....Ha'aheo say Akala friend. Akala good. Help Ha'aheo see. See words. Talk. Ha'aheo no eat Akala. "

He gestured back over his shoulder to men, "No friend, Akala? What ...?" He had not the worlds to ask her about those men.

[Ivory]

Akala blinked her large eyes at him in alarm, even going so far as to hold out both of her hands, palms out.  "I'm sorry, Ha'aheo.  I didn't know it would upset you...  I won't touch your nose again.  I promise."  That was a strange reaction, she thought!  It was just so common amongst her people, that she had never considered it would somehow offend a mershark!

She bore his confusion over the word "friend" patiently, waiting for him to come to terms with what it meant.  When he gestured to the men out in the water (who were now, she saw, making their way towards the shore at a slow, laborious pace), she rose to her feet.  "No, they aren't my friends," she confirmed.  "I don't know why, but they were taking me out to the boat.  I didn't want to go, but they made me..."  Moreorless.

She smiled down at the mershark then, adding, "We should go before they come this way again.  I probably can't swim as fast as you, and you obviously can't come ashore and walk with me..."  Which did present a bit of a problem...

[Paradox]

Ooc: I don't really count non-detailed nudity as mature material >.>

ic:

"Akala and Ha'aheo go?" She wanted him to follow her? He was curious! What new discoveries were there to be found today. Then he frowned. He was tied to the water as she was tied to the land. They couldn't do much traveling together unless...

Magic. It was the only word one could use to describe what transpired before her eyes. His shark skin seemed to shed away almost like a snake's and left him with the lower half of a muscular but very naked man. Ha'aheo crouched there in the water for a moment then tried standing up to his full height, but it had been some time since he had tried moving like humans did and he lost his balance, falling back and landing with a splash on his bum.
"It walk bad," He frowned, and treated the entire situation as if nothing had changed at all!

[Ivory]

"Oh," Akala breathed out, first alarmed but then intrigued as the mershark's form shifted before her eyes.  A smile tugged up the corners of her mouth as she noticed his nakedness, then, and she pressed a hand against her lips as a giggle escaped.  Oh, my!

She was hesitant to be so quick to help him after his reaction to her greeting (she assumed mersharks maybe didn't like being touched and had no idea it had something to do with his nose, specifically).  The first problem, however, was a question of his decency.

Unlike many of her people, Akala chose to wear a top.  It was little more than a piece of cloth tied at the nape of her neck and at the small of her back, really.  She liked to have a spare bit of cloth on hand at all times -- a strip of cloth had a remarkable variety of uses, after all.  In this case, it would serve as a sort of a lop-sided loin cloth that would, in the very least, hide his naughty bits until she could find something better.

Untying the top now, she held it out towards him with a grin.  "You should tie this around your waist.  And then, if you want, I'll help you walk."

[Paradox]

Ha'aheo stared at her hand, at the offered cloth then looked up at her with a puzzled look on his face, "Huh?" He honestly had no clue what she was suggesting to him, but he took the cloth anyway and held it in his hands. He looked at her with his large blue eyes. Why did she give to him part of her skin!? That made no sense! She was strange! Weird!

He stood up, holding the cloth and feeling it's texture. Then , tentatively her reached out and poked Akala's shoulder, careful not to puncture her soft skin with his claw. He gasped at this revelation and looked down at the cloth he held in his hands. "What?" He pointed to the cloth. He had no idea what she expected from him.

And it might have been funny how he freaked out over her clothing but seemed to think his shapeshifting was perfectly normal!

[Ivory]

Of course he wouldn't really understand!  She grinned at him, amused, then lightly took the cloth back.

"I'll show you," she promised cheerfully.  "Humans can't walk around naked.  We wear clothing.  That's what this is.  We'll have to get you some better clothes later, but, right now, this will work."

She didn't really want to explain about naughty parts -- or to demonstrate, for that matter, and so, instead, she went to work tying it around his waist.  She moved slowly, watching him for any signs of the discomfort he had felt earlier and giving him plenty of time to pull away.

And as she worked, even though he probably didn't understand what she was saying, she explained it to him.

"I'm just going to reach around like this," she said, bringing the cloth around his waist.  "And we're going to tie it on your hip.  Like this."

[Paradox]

"Huh?" He watched her with a dubious expression on his face. She was right to think that he wasn't a particularly touchy-feely type. He did not think that she would try to harm him, but he was still nervous. Because her behavior was so odd and he had NO idea what she was about to do. He tolerated her closeness because he was merely curious about what she was up to. He stepped, turning to face her any time she tried to move around him. He did not like the idea of her getting behind him.

She managed to get her arms around him and tie the cloth to his waist. He looked down at it curiously and then back up at her. He pointed, "Ha'aheo no naked?"

[Ivory]

"Not anymore," she offered cheerfully.  "That's what this cloth is for.  I promise to find you better when we come to a village."

It wasn't the best solution -- but it at least would mostly cover what needed to be covered as long as one didn't look too close.

"Now," she said with a soft clap of her hands.  "Let's teach you to walk.  Have you ever done this before?  Made yourself look human?"

She assumed it was an innate gift and not the work of some strange spell laid upon him by the men from the big boat.  He wasn't panicking, after all...

"What can I do to help?"

[Paradox]

"Oh...." He didn't really understand, but he would ask her later why naked was bad. He thought he understood what naked meant,at least! He had no idea what her intentions were! She spoke a string of foreign words that had no meaning to him and he only nodded, thinking that if he just followed her lead that she might eventually help him understand.

"Ha'aheo walk little." He stated, puffing out his chest and sounding very proud of himself. "No help. Ha'aheo walk."  He took a step forward , his balance standing vertical was wavering. He nearly lost equilibrium again, but instead of falling backwards, this time he fell forwards! Hopefully, Akala had the sense to be out of the way and let Ha'aheo kiss the sandy water opposed to being crushed beneath him!

ooc: I vote no Akala pancake!

[Ivory]

"Oh, dear," Akala murmured worriedly as she peered down at the fallen mershark again.  That hadn't worked out so well, really.

"Are you sure you don't want just a bit of help?  I could help you keep your balance until you manage on your own."  She smiled brightly.  "I'm sure you need just a little more practice to remember how!"

She wasn't at all sure that was the problem, and she thought he might need a great deal more practice.  However, she didn't want to be the one to tell him that!

"In my village, we sing a song to babies learning to walk.  Now, how did that go...?"  She mulled over it a moment, then began, in a fine singing voice.  It was a merry tune, obviously meant for children with its cheerful, upbeat melody and silly rhymes.  "Baby's first step -- it's a big day!  Step one -- across the sand to find some fun!  Step two -- to the shore and ocean blue!  Step three -- swim with the fishes and out to sea!  Step four -- back again to Mother's door!"

[Paradox]

The song brought a smile to Ha'aheo's face and he tried to hum along though his tune sounded nothing like hers because he didn't know it. Or he might have been tone deaf! He made an odd rumbling sound in his throat that sounded similar to a feline's purr. He did like songs and music! Not more than eating though, naturally!

Now, Ha'ahaeo stood up again, still wobbly on his legs. When she asked if he was sure he didn't want to be helped, he turned his nose up, "Ha'aheo not little. Walk.." He told her with a stubborn growl. He was convinced that he could master this in no time. He didn't need to be taught! He was a shark! Sharks could do anything in his mind because they were big, strong, and awesome!

So he tried again but quickly found himself on the ground again. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment and looked up at his new friend imploringly, "Help ?"

[Ivory]

Big, strong, and awesome sharks may be -- but walking was not something they were good at, clearly!

"There's nothing to be ashamed of," Akala began, taking note of his blush.  "When humans are born, we can't walk either.  Or swim."  She helped him back up to his feet, then stepped back to consider what the best way to help him would be.

"Now, I know you don't care to be touched, but I think this might be the only way.  We'll take one step at a time.  Do you understand what that means?  Step?  That's when you move your leg like this."  She demonstrated.  "See?  Step.  Step.  We'll go slow."

So saying, she extended her hands towards him with a smile.  "Give me your hands.  You can lean on me while you walk for more stability."

[Paradox]

"Oh. Ha'aheo see, " He reached out to her and grasped her hands a bit tightly. He may have been nervous or he might not have realized his own strength. Perhaps it might have been both things.

"Step," he said and , tentatively he raised his leg and took a shaky step forward.  He leaned on her a bit and raised his hindmost positioned leg to bring it alongside the other, as he had seen her do. "Step," He said and then he looked down and grinned because he'd taken two whole steps without falling. His expression lit up with a child's enthusiasm. "Ha'aeho walk. Step, step. "

He might have been getting a little ahead of himself though.

[Ivory]

"That's great!" Akala answered, every bit as excited as he was.  After all, she was helping someone to learn to walk -- and that was no small task!  "That's it.  Just take it easy!"

Her fingers were beginning to feel a little numb, though, from being squeezed so tight!

"Okay, let's stop for just a second, okay?  You don't have to hold on so tight."  More softly, she added, "I'm not going anywhere.  I'll stay here and help you for as long as you need."

After all, why else had the Gods led her to him -- or he to her -- in the first place?  He was clearly misunderstood -- and he was such a sweet and clever creature that he deserved a chance to belong somewhere!

"Should we try again?  We can sing this time if you like."  The song, sung to countless babies taking their first steps, had a certain rhythm or cadence that went along with a toddler's -- or a mershark's -- careful first steps.  And he had seemed to like it the first time -- as did most babies, for that matter...

[Paradox]

"Oh," Ha'aheo loosened his grip on the young woman's hands. He had not been aware that he had been grasping on so hard. He didn't have the right words to offer an apology. After all, he didn't mean any harm. He looked at her curiously when she told him that she wasn't going anywhere, that she would be there as long as he needed her.

But he didn't really need her. He didn't need to understand humans or learn how to walk. Would she really waste her time on him like this? Did she not have other things in her life? He wasn't about to turn down these free lessons though!

"Again, " Ha'aheo nodded enthusiastically.

[Ivory]

"Good," she answered warmly.  She squared her shoulders, then, prepared to begin again.  This time, she hummed the melody of the song cheerfully as she led him onwards.  He was slowly finding his balance and having to rely a little less on her to stay upright.

In point of fact, no, she had nowhere else to be.  If she was here now, it meant that the gods wanted her to be here now -- they obviously had a plan for Ha'aheo.  Ultimately, that was what she was here for: to aid the Gods by helping their people.

"Do you want to try by yourself?" she inquired.  "I think you're ready."

OOC: Lame post is lame.  Sorry!

[Paradox]

Ha'aheo hummed along discordantly and grew more confident with every step he took. At last, he felt ready and when Akala asked him if he wanted to try to walk on his own, he nodded. He released his old of the woman's hands and took a couple strides forward. And he grinned at his progress because he did not stumble or waver once. He took more steps now, his strides long though not quite as fluid or as graceful as someone whom was natural to walking.  It did not matter though. Ha'aheo had learned or remembered how to walk faster than an infant, at least.

"Walk! It walks!" Ha'aheo was quite pleased with himself . He turned his head back over his shoulder to look at Akala and...he tripped over his own feet and fell down face first in the sand.

He wasn't quite ready to walk without looking where he was going!

[Ivory]

Akala clapped her hands together, positively delighted at his progress -- until he landed face-first in the sand.  She winced, then made her way over to him.

"Are you alright?" she asked, crouching down beside him.  "Don't be discouraged.  You're doing so well.  We'll have you skipping and jumping and running in no time!"

Looking past him, she suddenly realized that she could see the small boat the men had been towing ashore -- but none of the men.  She had been so busy concentrating on teaching him how to walk that she had momentarily forgotten them...

"Ha'aheo, did you see where the men went?"

[Paradox]

Ha'aheo popped up quickly and nodded at her, "No ouch, " He assured her. "Ha'aheo no see. See Akala. See earth. " At least he could admit when he'd made an error!

He quirked a dark brow at her question about the men. "Bad men? " He twisted his torso around, glancing over his tanned shoulder at the empty boat. He did not seem nearly as concerned about their whereabouts as she was. After all, what did he have to worry about? He was a shark and those men had not seemed as intelligent or skilled with a weapon as the hunters from the island peoples!

"Akala...what..." He tried to think of an adequate word. It took him a minute, "What wrong?"

Yes, he was pretty sure he'd used that word in the right context. Maybe.