bsumone | ❝ Our greatest glory is not in never falling ❞

Gaja was practically across the world from Nam's river when the question of bellybuttons arose. Because he mimics the human body, of course Gaja has one when he's in that shape. He just assumed Nam does, too. But the question burns in his mind for hours, days, weeks. He's never had occasion to see Nam naked — why would he? It's their power to conjure up clothes when they shift forms... right? Has he ever actually seen Nam transform? Gaja can't remember (not surprising).

Eventually, the question prompts him to make the long journey back to pay his dear old crocodile a visit. It's urgent he finds out! So urgent he doesn't bother traveling like a human. Instead, he takes to the sky on flaming wings, soaring high above the clouds, out of sight of most mortal eyes. It only takes him a few days to traverse the globe in his true form.

He shifts one more into the shape of some mortal bird — always something easily as large as an albatross — before dipping out of the cloud cover. Gaja lands on the bank of Nam's river and transforms once more into the shape of a human. He bounds eagerly to the water's edge, crouching down to splash in it with one hand. To get Nam's attention, of course. It's like knocking, right?

"Nam~! Naaaam~"

As is usual when things have become quiet around the river, when there have been few humans who've come by to bother him with their increasingly trivial problems, Nam lays beneath the surface of the water. The rippling and rushing of the strong current as well as the way the light bounces off of his scales makes his long, serpent-like body nearly impossible to see unless one knows exactly what they're looking for.

At present, Nam is mostly laying upriver from where the bird has landed, but he still feels that hand splashing in the water. He can feel it from the end of his tail to the tip of his nose. It's different than water hitting the rocks or the occasional fish jumping up out of the river. He can tell it's not merely some animal splashing its way across from one bank to the other. It's the bird trying to get his attention.

Nam opens his eyes and twists himself around a little under the water to look back in the direction of the splashing. Then he just flicks his tail up near Gaja to splash back. An unsubtle way of telling Gaja that he has the dragon's attention and he can stop with that annoying splashing now.

Shifting into his human form beneath the water (today will not be the day Gaja gets to see the dragon transform, alas), Nam climbs up onto the riverbank and starts the walk back to the bird. He shakes the water out of his hair and pushes it back from his face with a quiet sigh. "I wasn't expecting you back just yet."

That’s something Gaja enjoys about flying above Nam’s river: he can make out the glistening shape of the dragon stretched out beneath the water. A truly wonderous sight every time he sees it. How very few get to see it, or would even know to look for that magnificent serpent under the shimmering water. A pity. Nam is a beautiful sight in his true body.

Not that he isn’t beautiful in his human shape either. It’s simply in his nature to be breathtaking.

“Gaaah!” Gaja yelps when Nam’s tail splashes him. He leaps back to get out of range (not that Nam couldn’t make a bigger splash to get him if he wants to). Being a fiery creature, Gaja’s never been particularly fond of water or being wet. At least today he’s bright and orange and thus not wearing one of his hats that Nam finds so odious.

The annoyance is fleeting, gone in the mere blink of an eye. How can he be annoyed when Nam’s already sliding out of the water all lovely and glistening. For a second, Gaja forgets human language.

Then he trots forward, full of bounding energy. His dark eyes are wide as the fix on the dragon, expression serious. “An urgent matter came up.”

The energy paired with the seriousness of the bird's expression is a bit of a confusing combination to the poor dragon. Before Gaja speaks, Nam isn't entirely sure what it is he's supposed to be reacting to, thus which direction his own reaction should be going in. Then the bird makes his announcement and it becomes a little- Well, not clearer, but close enough.

Light meets dark as Nam's eyes settle on Gaja's and he tips his head to one side, brows pulling together ever so slightly in a show of concern. And perhaps just a touch of confusion. While it's not the most uncommon occurrence, the dragon never expects the bird to come to him with urgent matters. What urgent matters could a fiery sky creature have that would need to involve a watery creature that keeps himself mostly tethered to the land?

"What urgent matter?"

It was all the bird could do to remain still, hands balling into fists at his sides so he didn’t just grab at the dragon. He deserves some praise for being so restrained. From the look on his face, this might be a matter of life and death. Alas, it’s only his inability to shake the curiosity about whether or not Nam’s human form has a bellybutton. Once something gets stuck in his head, that’s it. It’s all Gaja can focus on.

He took a lurching half-step closer, then stopped abruptly. Keep your hands to yourself, Gaja!

“Show me your stomach.”

Nam's gaze travels from the bird's face, down to his hands and then back to his face. Though his expression appears to remain mostly neutral, his growing concern is clear to anyone who knows the dragon well enough to know what they're looking for. How his brows pull together even further, the way his eyes grow just a little wider and his features seem to soften, he's deeply concerned by the way Gaja is acting right now. Concerned by him and for him.

Then all of that comes crashing down when the phoenix lurches forward, making his asinine demand. Even the barest trace of concern is entirely gone. He takes a step back from Gaja, his arms crossing his stomach. "Why?"

Gaja blinked several times in rapid succession at the question. Why? Hadn’t he already said it was urgent? Wasn’t he asking rather than simply grabbing at the dragon to find out for himself?

“It’s urgent,” he repeated. “Someone was asking about human-shaped creatures and why they have bellybuttons. So I started wondering if you have one in your human form, too.” Since Gaja made the conscious choice to mimic human bodies, his human form has one. And then he got to wondering if Nam had one and, once the idea got stuck in his head Gaja simply couldn’t put it to rest.

“Can I see?”

Clearly, their definitions of the word 'urgent' are vastly different. Though perhaps the fact that Gaja did, in fact, ask instead of just grabbing at Nam means that he doesn't even know his own definition of the word 'urgent'. It can't really be that urgent if he's managing to restrain himself!

Nam takes another half step back from Gaja, tightening his arms a little around his mid-section, should the bird's impatience get the best of him. He'd prefer to not have some pheasant grabbing at him, thank you. Even if it's this particular pheasant.

"Why was someone asking about human-shaped creatures?"

Why does Nam need so much context? Gaja whines quietly and stamps his foot like a petulant human child. But, doing so keeps him from closing the space Nam's put between them. Somehow, he's holding back. Maybe because he actually cares about the old crocodile's comfort. Surely Nam won't be pleased if Gaja just grabs at him.

"Curiosity," he snaps impatiently. What else prompts humans to question things?

The most magnificent pout bows his lips and Gaja rocks back on his heels, needing to do something to get all his energy out.

"Let me see, please?"

Surely Nam won't be pleased if Gaja just grabs at him is right! He spends the majority of his time on his own and even when others come to see him (aside from Gaja, who is the exception), they always keep a certain distance from the dragon. They approach with caution and then give him space. So while he doesn't necessarily react poorly to someone suddenly grabbing at him, he can. But mostly, it just makes him uncomfortable.

"And you didn't stop to question that this person knows about creatures that can take human shape? Instead of focusing on the ridiculous question?"

Nam feels nothing in the face of your pout, bird.

"And if I say no?"

"Why would I question that? I've met plenty of normal humans who know about us." Sometimes in detail, but mostly in the vaguest of sense. "Of course, an antisocial homebody like you might not know that."

POUT!

"If you won't show me, will you at least tell me if you have one?"

"They shouldn't know about us." Said as though those living in close proximity to the river don't know about him. They may not know that this young man is the dragon, himself (he suspects that many don't believe the dragon is actually real, having never seen it for themselves) but most of them know he's something other than human. Especially the older ones who've been coming to see him since they were children. It's hard to ignore the fact that they all got older but he never did.

"Whether or not I do shouldn't be that important to you."

"You're focusing on the wrong thing!" One in a couple hundred is nothing! One ina couple hundred, isolated from others who know or believe in their existence, is no danger. But that's not even the point!

Gaja puffs out his cheeks and finally stomps his foot before crumpling dramatically to the ground. He flops onto his back and very nearly kicks his legs in a childish tantrum. Then he goes still and huffs a sigh.

"I might die if you don't tell me!"

"No, I believe you're the one focusing on the wrong thing." Because that thing that he's focusing on is under the dragon's clothes and he doesn't like that. Even if it is rather innocent. But that doesn't mean he has to give in to the demands of a silly bird.

Taking a few steps to the side, Nam steps back into the river and takes a seat on a large rock with his arms still circled tightly around his middle. Is sitting in the water being used as an extra layer of defense against the bird's potentially grabby hands, or no more than an easy way to get off of his feet while Gaja has his meltdown? Yes.

"Don't be so dramatic. Besides, you'll die eventually even if I do tell you."

"But I'll die satisfied!"

Gaja lays there for quite a while, heaving sighs and huffing before he pushes himself back to his feet. He actually throws a glare in Nam's direction before stalking away from the river. If the dragon wants to be cruel, that's his business. Gaja doesn't have to subject himself to it.

"I won't bother you again."

It's actually more likely that he'll die with neither one of them even remembering this unimportant conversation. It's one of thousands they'll have before the bird goes up in flames. Even the dragon with his long memory can't possibly remember them all, especially one that's come about as a fleeting interest of the bird.

Nam simply watches Gaja with his huffs and heavy sighs and when he gets up to stalk off, the dragon strongly considers just letting him go. It's not like this would truly be the last he'd see of the phoenix and it would free him of this ridiculous fixation.

"I told you not to be dramatic." Nam not wanting to answer a question would hardly be considered cruel by most. What's cruel is feeling like he's being manipulated into an answer, whether it's Gaja's intention or not. He should just let him go. "I do have one, by the way. There would be questions if it were noticed by anyone who doesn't know what I really am, so it's simpler that way."

Manipulation, indeed. That would require a sort of brain function and no small amount of malic Gaja simply doesn't possess. Nam isn't privy to Gaja's fits of fixation since, well, they've never involved him specifically. Old and wise as a phoenix is claimed to be, he's still just a bird at heart. A very large one. There's a reason why calling someone bird-brained is an insult.

He pauses in his step. Only for a few seconds. Only long enough to mutter a quiet 'thank you' before continuing on. Hadn't he just said he wouldn't bother Nam anymore? Let him keep his word.

❝ Our greatest glory is not in never falling ❞

Bellybutton!

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I'm so sorry Nam has to deal with this clown

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