unknownballad | ❝ I, in my corner, with my monstrous needs ❞

That Aqua can't register him as a bigger and badder predator than the average human is probably to Su-jin's benefit. He does so enjoy making friends with other creatures. There are some things he just can't even begin to bring up in conversations with even the most open-minded human. But he also can't reveal that he knows (strongly suspects) Aqua isn't human. Putting another creature in an awkward position like that isn't something he enjoys.

"Noon is a time," he explains as if it's not a strange thing to have to explain. "Mid-day. When the sun is directly overhead." He even uses his free hand to point straight up above them. "It's around the time a lot of people have their lunch meal."

It's to Aqua's benefit too, it seems. Had he been able to tell that Su-jin is a much bigger predator than a regular human, Aqua probably would've avoided him. He would've missed out on these interactions and would've missed out on the chance to learn how to read! He would've pre-judged someone who is being very kind to him based solely on scent. Not a terrible thing for an animal that is often prey, but not great for a human-shaped animal who wants to befriend those on land.

Aqua blinks up at Su-jin, then looks in the direction he's pointing before doing the same with his own free hand, pointing straight above them. "Oh. Noon is a mid-day time when the sun is straight overhead. Let's meet around noon time tomorrow!"

"Do you tell time differently?" A gentle inquiry without judgement. One that suggests maybe human people have different ways to reckon time, too. Maybe a subtle way to glean more information about what Aqua might actually be. He smells heavily of the sea and perhaps sea creature without access to human clocks and bells and even as much access to sunlight do reckon time differently.

Aqua lowers his hand when Su-jin poses the question, tapping his chin thoughtfully. He looks at Su-jin, then back up toward the sky. "I tell time using the sun." He just doesn't really call it anything. He doesn't have a specific word for a time of day like 'noon'. He just knows. "And shadows too. And some smells help. And watching the plants and animals around me." Much like on the surface, the ocean's flora and fauna are more or less active at certain times of the day. It's not an exact science, of course, but it's enough to have a rough idea of when it is during the day. "I can kind of know what time it is by how tired I am, too."

"Mm," he hums in understanding. "Humans used to do that, too. They'd tell what time of day or even what part of the year it was based on the sun and moon and light and cold and plants and animals around them. But they invented clocks and made up new ways to divide time."

As they continue walking, Su-jin points up again, this time just quickly. "The time we see the sun is day and the time without it is night. Days and nights are divided into smaller segments called hours. Noon is one such hour. Does that make sense?"

Aqua points up again just as Su-jin does, just as quickly, though his eyes barely leave the other monster as he does it. They're just pointing up at the sky again, right? Su-jin holds every ounce of Aqua's attention as he goes through his explanation, which means that Aqua is trusting him to make sure he doesn't want into anything. Aqua starts to smile as Su-jin speaks more, his expression growing brighter as he goes on. "Oh, I know night and day!" The words as well as the concept, itself.

"Hours. Noon is an hour." Aqua nods as he says it, repeating those same words a few times over. Committing them to memory. "I think it makes sense. Can we learn more hours after we learn how to read?"

It's a good thing Su-jin heightened senses keep him very aware of movement around him. It allows him to keep either of them from walking into anyone or anything as they chat. Seeing Aqua lighting up at learning a few things is definitely pleasant. Not everyone takes joy in learning. Su-jin does, though.

"We certainly can. Reading and telling time are both skills that will make things easier for you." Things being interacting with humans. "Do you like to eat? If we're meeting at noon, we could have a small meal while we're learning. What kinds of things do you enjoy eating?"

Maybe once Aqua grows a little more accustomed to being on the surface, he can start to trust his own senses a little more. Right now, they're a little too overwhelmed by all of this new information they're taking in. It's a lot. So he'll gladly put his trust in Su-jin. He already seems worthy of at least that much trust.

"Oh, we can? Thank you!" Reading and being able to tell the time in the precise way that humans do would certainly make existence on land at least a little easier for him. It would eliminate a lot of confusion for him, it would eliminate a lot of questions that point to him not knowing things that maybe other humans would naturally know. And getting to learn something new is exciting. He likes to learn new things.

"I love to eat! Fish especially. I like a lot of different seafood, but fish are my favourite!"

Su-jin can't say he's surprised. Aqua smells deeply of the sea and the monster's presumed that's where the boy is from. Ergo, an unsurprising revelation that Aqua enjoys fish.

"How fortunate that we live in a place where fresh fish is bountiful, yes?"

Aqua's love for fish (or just seafood in general, really) is probably one of the least surprising things about him! The selkie nods his head excitedly and then looks in the direction of the ocean. His home. His safe space. He can easily still hear it from here, can hear the honks and barks of seals on the beach as they settle in to nap for a little while. It makes him smile. How fortunate indeed that they live so near to the ocean where the fish are plentiful.

Or in the ocean.

"Yes! It's really nice." Aqua tears his eyes away from his beloved ocean to look back up at his new friend. "What sorts of things do you like to eat?"

"Meat." Not wholly untrue. The fresher the better. "I'm not terribly picky," he then admits. He'll eat fish or human food. He can eat them, they just don't really do much to sustain him.

"Meat," he repeats with a sharp nod of his head as though that settles everything. He's made a decision and he won't be allowing anyone to change his mind. Unless, of course, Su-jin really doesn't like his decision, then Aqua's mind can be changed very easily. He just wants to be accommodating. "Let's have meat and fish for our meal tomorrow. I've never really had meat before." A sea creature who only dines on smaller sea creatures or simply a young man who was brought up pescatarian? At least someone whose senses aren't quite as keen as Su-jin's would probably just think the second option.

"I'll bring a variety for you to try." And they'll have fish, too, in case Aqua doesn't enjoy the meats. He'll bring some other bites for the selkie to try, too. Like grapes and crackers. Maybe some cheese? It might be a lot of food, but it won't go to waste. Su-jin can eat his weight or more, it seems.

❝ I, in my corner, with my monstrous needs ❞

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