The ocean always calls to Myca. Louder and louder the closer he gets to it. For years now, he's visited this beach, never daring to let the water lap at his bare feet lest the tide's retreat pull him with it. It's not an area where humans come to swim. No, this stretch of beach is full of rocky outcroppings, both visibly and beneath the surface. Dangerous for an animal that isn't aquatic to navigate.
That's another reason Myca likes this specific area: it's often devoid of people and quiet. There's no one around to notice or care when he climbs onto those perilously sharp rocks. There's no one to question why he chooses to sit there and gaze out at the sea in silence, day after day, week after week, month after month.
It's late in the afternoon, nearing sunset and Myca's still perched on the rocks, sighing softly as he listens to the sea singing to him. He imagines the music of his fellow sirens, though they're impossible for him to hear this far away. But he remembers. Every note of every song. Every enchanted love who threw themselves into the sea and dashed themselves against the rocks. Every lap of bloodied seafoam against those same rocks.
Myca closed his eyes, shaking his head gently as if doing so could pry those memories loose so he could be rid of them forever. If only the steady lapping of the shore could wash his memory clean as it does the rocks. There's never any trace left of those poor, unfortunates who fall under a siren's spell. Only memories.
Usually, he leaves before the sun begins to noticeably sink towards the horizon. That's when the seals typically returned from their daily hunts to rest: when sand and rock were cooler and the cover of darkness added protection. Today, he'd gotten lost in thought. So he was only a little surprised when he turned to climb back down to the anchor of solid ground under his feet to spy a single seal in the water near the rocks.
Blinking a few times, Myca casts a careful glance around to ensure no one was within earshot. Seeing no human around, he smiled down at the seal and waved as if the animal would understand such a gesture.
"Hello little friend," he murmured in a soft, but lilting voice. "I'm just leaving so you can have these rocks if you want them."
Paio hadn't meant to end up on shore. Land was terrifying. But the waves had been a little strong for him. Distressed that he was stuck until the tide went away, he wiggled and flumped about in the water until he heard a voice. A startled little noise and the seal almost fell over in the water before looking up.
The face...looked nice. Not scary? The voice was nice. Making a soft noise, he ducked his head, really trying to assess if he was safe or not from this human creature that he could see. After all, he'd only known fish and selkies before so this had to be a human.
Oh! He startled the poor thing. Being from the sea himself, Myca understood how frightening the land could be. There were so many dangers here to those from the water. He's only been living on the land for some years and there was still so much to lean and so much to be wary of.
"It's okay," Myca assured, being still and quiet to not cause the seal any further distress. He wondered if it recognized him as a fellow sea creature or if he's spent so much time living like a human that that's the impression he gave. Canting his head curiously, he then asked, "Are you stuck?"
He was so nervous but the question... He looked to the ocean and to the water keeping him stuck in the shallows on the rocks. Then he looked up at the human. Really he should try swimming away again. Humans were dangerous. So dangerous... But...
Myca breathed out slowly. Helping meant he would have to get in the water. Could he resist the ocean's lure if he did that? His brow furrows and his lips press into a line as he considers it. But... he can't very well leave the seal stuck in these rocks among the shallows. It's unconscionable!
Shifting a little, Myca moved to dip his feet into the water to help the seal get... well, either on land fully or back into the sea, whichever the creature wanted.
"I'm not going to hurt you," he intoned, still soft and musical despite a sort of scratchy quality from lack of use. He barely uttered the words before he reached out, slowly, trying his best to telegraph his movements, to lay his hands on the seal.
Paio wanted to scoot away but something told him that he'd be safe. He had no idea what it was but he opted to trust him. So he swallowed and nodded then stayed where he was to let the human get closer to him, to touch him to move him.
Wait...should he remove his pelt? Would that help? Ohhhhh! Why did navigating what to do on land have to be so hard!
The water lapping at his legs made Myca ache to swim once more, to shed this human skin and go far, far from the land. The sensation was so much stronger, just as he always thought it would be. All the more reason to keep himself out of the ocean after this.
It felt like a little whirlpool in this space between the larger rocks. Perhaps that's what kept the little seal stuck. Well, with just a little guidance, he should be free soon. Of course, seals aren't light creatures and being more out of the water than in it made it more difficult for Myca to easily turn him around.
After a few minutes, Myca breathed out heavily. "Maybe we should wait for the tide to come back in," he murmured with a resigned expression.
This really was so hard. So he finally...just...shed his pelt. It fell away almost like a blanket to reveal Paio's human form. Shaking wet hair from his face, he chewed on his lip then clutched his pelt tight to him, scared to lose it.
Myca jumped, clapping his hands over his mouth to keep from making some shocked sound. A selkie! He's heard of them but he didn't know if he'd ever met any. How would he? It doesn't make sense to be in the deep of the ocean in a human form. Swimming is so much easier with fins and flippers!
More importantly, would talking to him in this form harm him? Myca wasn't sure. A human shape doesn't make the selkie human. He's still a creature of the sea, right? Sea creatures weren't wired to drown.
Swallowing hard, Myca blinked away his surprise and exhaled.
He gave several quick nods. Oh should he be revealing that actually? He realized belatedly maybe that was a terrible idea. But in the end it was too late wasn't it. He'd already admitted to it. So instead he just chewed his lip and nodded again.
Yes, he was a selkie. Evidenced by the pelt that Paio was currently clinging to in that moment.
The selkie revealing his human shape didn't make Myca less inclined to help him get back to the sea. He held out a hand, stopping just short of touching Paio's arm above the elbow. He didn't want to alarm the selkie or make him think he was reaching for the pelt. With his other hand, Myca gestured to the rocks on which they were and then pointed to the ocean. He wanted to help the other get off the rocks safely so he could swim back to his colony.
Looking to where he gestured, he nodded then went to follow after him. It was hard to climb holding his pelt but he did his very best. If they could just get up to safety then he'd be able to... To do what? He wasn't sure. But he could still do something! Maybe. Hopefully.
Indeed, the world outside the water is very big and very different. Myca's been there for a while now. Ah, but the sea still calls to him, tugs at his heart the way the moon tugs at the tides. Being this close makes the longing to go home even greater. But there's such a sadness for Myca in the sea. So much blood in the water because of him...
Gingerly, slowly, he reached out to take the selkie's arm just above his elbow to help him keep his foot on the wet rocks. There's a gentler slow which where Myca climbed up onto them near the sand, so he guides Paio in that direction. At least on the smooth sand, he could move better in whichever form he chose.
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PLACEHOLDER
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Choose your own adventure
for @timidcuriosity
That's another reason Myca likes this specific area: it's often devoid of people and quiet. There's no one around to notice or care when he climbs onto those perilously sharp rocks. There's no one to question why he chooses to sit there and gaze out at the sea in silence, day after day, week after week, month after month.
It's late in the afternoon, nearing sunset and Myca's still perched on the rocks, sighing softly as he listens to the sea singing to him. He imagines the music of his fellow sirens, though they're impossible for him to hear this far away. But he remembers. Every note of every song. Every enchanted love who threw themselves into the sea and dashed themselves against the rocks. Every lap of bloodied seafoam against those same rocks.
Myca closed his eyes, shaking his head gently as if doing so could pry those memories loose so he could be rid of them forever. If only the steady lapping of the shore could wash his memory clean as it does the rocks. There's never any trace left of those poor, unfortunates who fall under a siren's spell. Only memories.
Usually, he leaves before the sun begins to noticeably sink towards the horizon. That's when the seals typically returned from their daily hunts to rest: when sand and rock were cooler and the cover of darkness added protection. Today, he'd gotten lost in thought. So he was only a little surprised when he turned to climb back down to the anchor of solid ground under his feet to spy a single seal in the water near the rocks.
Blinking a few times, Myca casts a careful glance around to ensure no one was within earshot. Seeing no human around, he smiled down at the seal and waved as if the animal would understand such a gesture.
"Hello little friend," he murmured in a soft, but lilting voice. "I'm just leaving so you can have these rocks if you want them."
no subject
The face...looked nice. Not scary? The voice was nice. Making a soft noise, he ducked his head, really trying to assess if he was safe or not from this human creature that he could see. After all, he'd only known fish and selkies before so this had to be a human.
Right?
no subject
"It's okay," Myca assured, being still and quiet to not cause the seal any further distress. He wondered if it recognized him as a fellow sea creature or if he's spent so much time living like a human that that's the impression he gave. Canting his head curiously, he then asked, "Are you stuck?"
no subject
The seal nodded. He was very stuck.
no subject
Shifting a little, Myca moved to dip his feet into the water to help the seal get... well, either on land fully or back into the sea, whichever the creature wanted.
"I'm not going to hurt you," he intoned, still soft and musical despite a sort of scratchy quality from lack of use. He barely uttered the words before he reached out, slowly, trying his best to telegraph his movements, to lay his hands on the seal.
no subject
Wait...should he remove his pelt? Would that help? Ohhhhh! Why did navigating what to do on land have to be so hard!
no subject
It felt like a little whirlpool in this space between the larger rocks. Perhaps that's what kept the little seal stuck. Well, with just a little guidance, he should be free soon. Of course, seals aren't light creatures and being more out of the water than in it made it more difficult for Myca to easily turn him around.
After a few minutes, Myca breathed out heavily. "Maybe we should wait for the tide to come back in," he murmured with a resigned expression.
no subject
"Will...will this help?"
Moving with this body?
no subject
More importantly, would talking to him in this form harm him? Myca wasn't sure. A human shape doesn't make the selkie human. He's still a creature of the sea, right? Sea creatures weren't wired to drown.
Swallowing hard, Myca blinked away his surprise and exhaled.
"Selkie?" he whispered oh-so-softly.
no subject
Yes, he was a selkie. Evidenced by the pelt that Paio was currently clinging to in that moment.
no subject
no subject
The world was so big outside the water...
no subject
Gingerly, slowly, he reached out to take the selkie's arm just above his elbow to help him keep his foot on the wet rocks. There's a gentler slow which where Myca climbed up onto them near the sand, so he guides Paio in that direction. At least on the smooth sand, he could move better in whichever form he chose.