2021.02.04 - Under the Sea
This log follows the story from: 2021.01.17 - Beaches of Paradise Island
The mer-people village, not quite large enough for a city but more splendid than most towns manage, stretches across the ocean floor near Paradise Island's beaches. A few of the fish-tailed people happen to be going about their business, as the three visitors draw closer. A couple, noticing that one of them is very familiar, wave a greeting, which Dion returns with a smile.
It's not as simple to speak underwater, but there's not much need for it just now. Dion simply gestures for the others to follow him, if they would, and continues down to what is probably the town square, or the closest thing to it.
Where did Jon get a rebreather? It must have been tucked in those Amazon underpants he sports as he slips through the water, bubbles trailing after him. He follows Dion down, waving brightly at the mer-couple, offering a salute before descending further. He seems familiar with the village, even if he doesn't actually know this version of it. When they reach the town square, he floats there near the large sculpture at its center, and looks around, catching Jacob's gaze and hiking his eyebrows in amusement as if to say 'isn't this cool?'
Jacob doesn't have any need for a rebreather or such sorts of aparati when he's got such nice gills and fins and a tail and such! He glides through the water easily, following alongside with Jon and Dion, a blissful smile on his face. His natural markings glow a soft, pale blue in the water which make it easy to spot the mer-fellow as he curls and twists in the water. He looks excitedly around at the little town under the waves, beaming up at Jon and Dion both with barely-contained excitement.
Dion waves back to Jon and Jacob, letting them enjoy the various decorations and structures to observe. The merfolk living there don't seem terribly disturbed by it all, even with people who don't usually make an appearance. If they're with Dion, they should be okay.
Once they've spent a few minutes looking around, Dion signals again for them to follow, and he glides into a slightly different building than the rest of them. This one has something like an airlock, but not exactly; it is set up for air-breathers to be able to relax in it, though, with both air and water in the building.
"It would be a little presumptuous to call this an embassy, but it's an easier place we can talk," Dion explains, as he surfaces inside a large, circular room near the entrance. It's probably the main area of the structure.
Jon grins around his rebreather at Jacob's expression, and offers the younger man a thumbs up before continuing after Dion. He pops up in the circular room, looking around at the arching walls. He reaches up to pull the device from his mouth and offer a low-pitched whistle. "I don't think the village back home had one of these," he says. "Most of my dates with Darro were on the shore." He swims to the edge of the curved platform and hauls himself up to sit on it. Shaking water from his hair, he grins. "But then, we weren't exactly pursuing diplomatic relations."
Jacob follows along with Jon and Dion, smiling happily at the other mer-folk around. As they emerge within the circular room, Jacob remains in the water and looks around the place. "This is really an interesting location! Are there many places such as this?" he asks about the village in general. "I've never even thought much about the possibility of people like me, or that they're under the waves like this, in places like these." It's a lot to think about, and Jacob looks uncharacteristically pensive even as his tail swishes slowly in the water.
"There are many places like this, in the oceans of the world." Dion seems as comfortable in the water as on land or in the air, so he drifts around like the dolphins earlier. "Most of the sea folk are welcoming, but their cities and outposts aren't exactly the easiest for land-dwellers to access. The people here, though, are frequent visitors to us, and vice-versa. Jacob, if you'd like...perhaps you should speak with Aquaman sometime, or Namor the Sub-Mariner. They might be able to help you, if you're looking to learn more about the people under the water. You seem to have a gift that brings you closer to them."
A few of the mer-people have filtered in by now, though they remain in the fully submerged area, looking up on the surfacing room with smiles.
"Oh! I think some of my friends noticed your tail." Dion calls to Jacob. "Don't take that the wrong way." He motions for the tentative visitors to join them, though they seem a little shy.
"Dude. You should go to Tritonopolis," Jon says to Jacob, bobbing his head. "Or Poseidonis. There's lots of mer-folk there." He waves a hand around. "If you like this, those are actual -cities-." He grins, and saws his feet in the water as Dion speaks. "I don't know Namor, but King Orin on my world was a pretty decent fellow."
He offers a friendly wave to the merfolk who enter, and beckons them closer, if they want. "It's a pretty cute tail," he says to Dion, winking at Jacob. "It's worth noticing."
Jacob stares at Jon and Dion in awe as he listens to them speak of the hidden cities in the seas. "I've never heard of any of those places. I think I've heard Zachary mention Aquaman before, though. But...it's just so nice here," he says with a sheepish smile. And then, he notices that his tail has become noticed, and finds himself blushing a bit. "O-Oh, this is...just something that happens sometime. You don't have to worry about it or anything," he assures, his hand rubbing awkwardly against the back of his neck. "I'm still...getting used to it. It's kinda new, in a way."
The mer-people do surface, though they keep some distance between themselves and the newcomers. They don't seem exactly standoffish or frightened, just a little bashful.
"This is Jon, and this is Jacob. They're my new friends. They've helped me to stop some very unpleasant things from happening in the outside, surface world." Dion uses his hand to indicate the two, one at a time as he introduces them. "Jon, Jacob, this is Marina," he gestures to the blond mermaid, "and Jarro," then to her friend, a redheaded merman. "Your world is very new to Jacob, but he has a gift that I think is very special."
"Dude. Don't be embarrassed by that," Jon says of Jacob's tail. "It looks cool, especially underwater." He grins, and leans back on his hands. "And it is nice, here. I've only been here a couple of times, really. We mostly went to Poseidonis."
He offers a wide smile when the mer-folk surface and Dion makes introduction. "It's nice to meet you," he says warmly, his eyes tracking over Jarro's torso before he offers another wide smile. "Thank you for having us." He falls silent as the focuse shifts to Jacob, but he offers the younger man an encouraging nudge of one wide foot, pressing firmly against the slick muscle of his tail.
Jacob smiles politely and bows his head to each of the mer-folk. "Hello, Marina. Hello, Jarro. I'm Jacob!" He feels a bit awkward, especially once it dawns on him that he's already been introduced by Dion. "You have...a very great place here," he adds with a sheepish smile. His tail ripples in the water slightly against the press of Jon's foot, causing Jacob to bow again. "T-Thank you for welcoming us," he adds, looking over to Jon to make sure he's greeting everyone properly. This is, after all, Jacob's first time meeting any sort of merpeople! "Dion, do you come here often?"
"I used to, when I was younger. Now, I spend most of my time in the outside world, sometimes called Man's World. But I do like to drop by when I'm in the neighborhood." Dion smiles at his little quip of sorts there.
Marina and Jarro nod and look very pleased, though they don't say a whole lot, as if they're not sure if they'll offend or presume too much. But Marina finally does speak up. "If you need anything, please just let us know! We're very happy to welcome you."
This prompts Jarro to join in. "Yes, we're very happy to have you! And if you ever want to swim together..."
"It's really nice," Jon agrees with Jacob, his eyes on Jarro. "Maybe we can go swimming together soon." He smiles a bit, and swings his legs. "This is really nice," he says to no one with a nod. "It's definitely a lot warmer than the Fortress, even down here."
"Yeah, I love swimming! I mean, thank you for the invitation. I'd really like that," he says, looking to Jon and Dion with a bright, beaming smile. "So...what else is there to see down here? Are there other buildings like this that you guys can breathe in?" he wonders, his hands roaming idly over Dion and Jon's chests and arms as he idly curls about in the water. "I really want to find more places like this. Wouldn't that be kinda fun? Just exploring in the ocean?"
"I don't really need to breathe while I'm down here," Dion explains. "I can hold my breath for a very long time." He doesn't seem to mind the touching at all, though it is a little curious to him. He doesn't ask, though. It can be assumed to be something that comforts Jacob, and whatever he needs, Dion feels is probably fair to give.
Jarro is very well-muscled and fit, which can't be surprising given where he lives and how he gets around. "We can go exploring if you want to! There are some ruins and caves nearby."
Dion immediately speaks up, lifting a hand. "But you must be careful. I've had to rescue more than a couple of would-be explorers. You must always remember to explore with caution and prudence."
"Like I said, I really haven't been -here-," Jon says with a shrug. "And when we went to Poseidonis, they used magic to make us able to breathe and speak down here." He doesn't seem to mind the touching, either, though it's less confusing to him, being used to it. "The rebreather is really more for convenience. Pop is pretty big on being prepared."
The offer to go exploring gets a wide grin, and he nudges Jacob again. "The hot ginger merman wants to explore a cave with you," he teases, waggling his eyebrows before shooting a sly look at Dion. "-Definitely- be prudent. Or not." He gives Jarro a long, appraising look. "He looks safe enough."
Jacob blushes and pats at Jon's chest nervously. "H-Hey, he just wants to explore the ruins," he protests, his tail flopping beneath the water as he tries to calm himself. "I, ah, well, yes! I would love to explore some ruins. And we will all go together, so as to be careful and....prudent," he says, smiling toward Dion. "This is really great," he cheerfully squeaks, his smile warming his face as he looks to Jarro. "I would love to see these ruins you speak of."
"The invitation was for both -- all of you!" Jarro catches himself, looking between Jacob and Jon, though he does give an almost apologetic look to Dion. "I didn't want to impose on Ronno's regular guest, after all."
And that makes Dion laugh. "That's very considerate of you. I probably should take care of a few things on the island, while you have fun. Jon, I can count on you to keep everyone safe, can't I?" He looks to Jon, still curious about the strange boy from another world, wondrous in so many ways of his own.
Jon grins at Jacob's reaction, and pokes the smaller youth in the side gently. "I bet," he teases again, and he gives Jarro a wink before sliding away in the water. "It sounds like fun, though."
He nods at Dion's question, holding up a thumb in the positive. "You bet! I can handle anything that comes up." He regards the older man for a long moment, his expression thoughtful. "I'll come and find you when we're done."
Jacob offers a kind smile to Jarro and looks over to Dion. "Oh, okay then. We'll handle the ruins, and you can handle the island, and we'll meet back later," he says as if trying to commit the plan to memory. He looks to Jon and pats the fellow's chest several times. "Are you excited? I'm excited," he says as he leans in against the fellow, his tail undulating beneath him as he all but squirms in his excitement. "Shall we go now? What kind of ruins are they? How old are they? And who left them there?"
"That sounds good. You all have fun, and be sure to check in before too long." Dion waves to them, smiling to the quartet heading out into the waters around Paradise Island. He's sure they will have a fun time, and they have all the power and intelligence they need to get themselves out of any threat.
Most threats, he corrects himself, before diving back into the water and gliding through it, heading back towards the surface. He'll speak to his father, who always has good advice. That will be an added benefit to this brief trip back home.
Jon and Jacob, with Marina and Jarro, have a new adventure ahead of them!