Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The deep sea has always been a conundrum to you- one that was able to harbour all the secrets within its universe. One that you were just waiting to explore. Species that you could never in your wildest dreams imagine, wondrous and exhilarating. However, as beautiful and wonderful as the deep sea was, it was also scary, dangerous, unpredictable- not that this was deterring your interest. If possible, these factors only amplified your fascination. A fascination, even now that you were older, you were never able to let go of.

Jellyfish, Whales, sharks, dolphins- so much to pick and choose from and so many special interests you had collected over the years.

So it came as no surprise to you nor your family or your friends when you chose the path of a marine biologist. It was as if this field was made for you, a perfect fit. And it was also the reason why you, after too many years of college finally moved to Linkon City. Honestly, it was a stroke of good fortune that you got the possibility to move there, one of the cities most famous for its research conducted on marine life. It was a job offer you had not expected, and it was one you could not say no to, even though you wanted to.

Because even though your grades were not too bad, the ever-present hurdle of procrastination had hindered your full potential. You did not doubt that you could have been getting straight A's if it weren't for the thoroughly theoretical analysis of seaweed in your second semester and similar topics.

But, in the end, they contacted you based on your final research, "How the increase of carbon monoxide was a prevalent factor in the decrease of life in Lemuria sapiens marines". Honestly, it had been a joke for the most part, you yourself never really believed in the existence of Mermaids, or Lemurians how the Scientists now labelled them.

Life, however, had worked in wondrous ways. It had solely been a mock-up for a fun evening in your friend group. You had planned a hilarious evening of presenting research papers of animals you wished would, could, or had existed within this world. Dragons- Faeries- even werewolves- and of course your 5 paged introduction paper on Mermaids had been presented that evening- along with a bit too much alcohol. The next morning, however, still not sober, you had decided to hand in your actual research introduction to your professor- only for you to send the wrong paper due to your naming skills. While the introduction to the paper you had forgotten by now already- something about the reduction of Co2 due to marine biology in plankton- was named something along the lines of "plsicantdothisnomore-kmpls", your paper for your friends night had been weirdly serious, and your drunk self had preferred sending the file named "Research_Paper_Special".

You had hoped to eradicate your mistake as soon as you woke up a bit more sober, however, the Professor who was to be overlooking your research had already sent you an enthusiastic E-Mail by that time. Something about how he had just been invited to a Seminar on Lemurians- as they later labelled the Mermaid species. So within days, you were sitting in one of the most well-hidden seminars that marine biology had to offer, with some of the most well-known Scientists and were discussing and brainstorming more information for your now specification.

And after some changes and evaluations and shadowing of pioneers in that topic, you had actually committed to something originally meant as a joke. Something that was by now, around one year later, confirmed research. Because you had been among a group of Researchers and Scientists that actually proved the existence, as well as extinction, of- well mermaids…

Luck and Stupidity have been what has brought you here now, into Linkon City, committing further to a chapter of your life you wanted to just bypass. But well, You were being paid handsomely and you did not even apply- the Research centre you would be joining in the coming weeks had scouted you, something not a lot of marine biologists could brag about themselves. But the way you succeeded had also awoken a dormant feeling within your chest, a voice consistently whispering into your mind: You were nothing but an impostor, a little girl in a grown-up world. And you would start your big girl job soon…

The week had been stressful to say the least, getting adjusted to a new city is always connected with more stress than one could imagine. And so it also struck you, even though you moved to the city sooner than your contract started to familiarise yourself with the immediate surroundings. A week filled with meeting new colleagues, and your superiors, getting to know the workplace, and lots of small talk riddled with expectations due to your research. It was draining you, to say the least. But finally, after all this work and after looking forward to it, it was time for the weekend. Although, due to the importance put upon your research, your superiors had ordered you to always be available- the curse of having a grown-up job in a capitalistic society- how much it aligned with your worker rights, you were unsure.

But still, for now, it meant: time for some self-care, which excluded most social interactions.

So, when you woke up today, you made sure that you could rest as much as possible, went out to brunch for your favourite comfort food and made your way down towards the seafront, to one of the country's most prestigious Aquariums. As cruelty-free as possible, and built as close as possible to the sea creatures' natural environment. Which meant, that bigger creatures were not allowed to be held, a big relief to you.

-

Arriving at the Aquarium was like breathing fresh air after staying in the same room for hours, it felt like finally letting loose and dropping constricting clothes- and it actually was breathing in the slightly salty air wafting over from the sear right next to the big building, where the illusion of a blue whale was swimming in the air. Catching the attention of not only you, but also all the bystanders just going about their day. It had little kids screaming, pulling their parents closer and pointing to the whale.

You should not be surprised by the money actually invested into this aquarium, by how extravagant this place was, but when you entered and a school of clown fish greeted you, while crabs were running around and some other schools of fishes were surrounding other visitors, you could not help but marvel. It was like magic, the inner child inside of you could not help but jump around, your heart starting a tandem with the jumps.

With wide eyes, your head racing from one sight to another, you slowly made your way towards the ticket counter but needed to halt yourself.

Right by the entrance towards the aquariums, there was a person, a big but loose backpack on his back, ruffling up the white dress shirt hiding away his slender waist. But that was not what mesmerised you, it was the way pink betta fish were circling him, as if to pull him deeper into the aquarium. You had to hold your breath for a moment when he raised his hand, reaching towards one of the betta, one with shining pink colouring and fins in perfect condition. And then he tried to poke the illusion. Of course, his hand just went through it, however, the way he started to laugh - for a second you thought you heard his laugh chiming like bells- and tipped his head back made your chest explode. Silently you lamented the fact, that you did not bring your camera. Because now you were unable to immortalise this image for future generations. To share with the stranger just how graceful he appeared.

"Ma'am?" of course, you could not forever look at the person that by now already disappeared into the tunnel, deeper into the Aquarium. So, the cashier at the ticket counter had perfect timing, disturbing your daydreaming. "A day ticket" with a softly added please, you only needed to wait for a second until she pressed a ticket into your hands, which made you turn towards the entrance tunnel. The clown fish that had greeted you at the beginning had never stopped circling you, and now, with a ticket in hand it was as if a command had started: Instead of solely circling you, the fish started going in the direction of the actual aquarium- and finally, you understood, these illusions were the guides of the Aquarium. Once again, you had to marvel at the exquisiteness of this aquarium.

So you followed the fishes, letting the excited kid in you take over. And wow, you wished you would be able to describe it in another way, but somehow the words were not coming to you: It was breathtaking. The details that went into the enclosures, the natural construction and the mix of marine life: You just knew that a lot of research and heart went into building this. It must be somebody's baby project. You would not complain if you had the possibility of working in this kind of environment. A heavy sight left your lips with this thought.

On and on you went, until you entered a room, the light was mostly depleted, while half of the ceiling was made out of glass, allowing you to easily look up from the seats that were in front of the glass- and right there you could see a person sitting, one leg pulled up while he was holding up a Sketch Pad and was crazily drawing something suspiciously looking like a whale, maybe a killer whale- less likely a dolphin. But it was still a sketch, from what you could see behind him. Curiosity packed you when you saw his head tilt sideways, his black- no purple- hair joining the movement making it look slightly comical.

You might not be the most social person, but somehow you felt the need to approach him, his pencil still in hand, fully focused on what he was drawing. And when you saw the unmistakable marking of a killer whale, Orcinus orca, you could not prevent your mouth from shutting up.

"Orcas actually have three lobes in their paralimbic system, as opposed to the one lobe found in humans…" You wanted to continue your tiny fun fact session, but the person in front of you had not even reacted besides putting down his pencil, and the fear of overstepping a boundary arose in you. When you were younger, people had often called you a "know-it-all", which had led to some problems with some of your peers. But instead of needing to dread rejection, a nearly angelic voice echoed in the empty room.

"It's responsible for their spatial memory and navigation sense, no?" he chuckled which lit a fire in you, nearly making you jump in happiness. Before you could say anything else- you were not even sure what to continue the conversation with- his voice started again while he pushed his backpack down from the seat next to him and placed it below his feet.

"Did you know, that orca calves are actually born with Whiskers?" Unsure whether to laugh, squeal or go into a rant on some more fun facts you stood next to him, awkwardly fiddling your thumbs while he started drawing again.

It took a moment- A silence falling upon you two, one that made you feel wrong and squeamy, wanting you to turn around and continue sightseeing, following the school of clown fish that was now mixing with the beta fishes which had led him further into the aquarium. A silence that forced your arms to cross in front of your chest, trying to be strong and get through this.

"They are like… cats of the ocean."

Would disintegrating into nothingness be a clever choice? Slowly, you started rocking back and forth trying to calm down.

However, before you could do anything more drastic or embarrassing, the beautiful stranger, godsend him, patted the bench next to him without lifting his head from the drawing. Silently you followed his invite and sat down next to him, highly interested in following his hand that had the rough sketch down- you could now follow him drawing the bone structure into the shape of the orca.

Maybe, your inner child was screaming, that that time 2 years ago when you memorised everything you could about killer whales would finally pay off- In one, as your friends had lovingly called it "Autistic accident", you had locked yourself in your room for roughly a week and studied everything there was about killer whales- anatomy, physiological factors, habits, fun facts, everything you were able to get your hands on.

This would be your chance- you pep-talked yourself. Convince a beautiful stranger about all the knowledge you were able to retain in your brain! He seemed to be at least as invested as you- well maybe not as invested, but he was drawing one after all! Some interest must be present.

It seemed like the stranger, who out of his eyesight was still every now and then looking at you, knew that you were about to explode because, with another small chuckle he asked you a question, one you were burning to immediate answer.

"So, Miss Killer Whale Specialist, how many bones do they have?"

"250" You barely let him finish when the answer already shot out of your mouth. "They also have 48 teeth." You added this very much important information.

This made him finally put down his sketch pad and turn to you. A bright smile was stretched on his lips and his body engulfed in a mirth you had rarely seen. His eyes- they are indescribable to you. They seemed the colour of the descending sun meeting the deep sea, as soft as a sunny day out, and the feeling he unleashed in you- today seemed to be a day where everything took your breath away.

"Well, you tiny murder panda-" A gasp escaped your lips when that strange name left his lips. You did not know whether being offended or amused was supposed to be the right reaction, so instead you started worrying your lips. He was still talking to you, so that was supposed to be a good reaction, yes?

"Any more fun facts you want to share?" If that stranger would look close enough, he might see sparkles emerge from your eyes, because you felt like he just offered you the best possible outcome you could have wished for. Sharing- or well, oversharing information that not everybody was interested in.

"Do you know that killer whale calves are actually not black and white?" He hummed in acknowledgement while readjusting his pad and starting to draw again. While he mumbled a "Yeps" under his breath you already pushed on "They are black and pink…ish." And you went on, to explain how scientists think that it is because the blubber is not yet thick enough, so the blood vessels are able to taint the pure white- only after roughly a year would the colour change.

You don't know how long you kept on just stating random fun facts you remembered, but you both were talking for a while- well, you rambled on, while he hummed and asked some questions every now and then, more focused on his drawing than your conversation, maybe. Meanwhile, your legs continued to kick back and forth while you focused on the marine life in the enclosure.

Socialising in this city seemed easier than in your hometown if everybody would just let you talk this much.

"So, why are we talking so much about killer whales?" Just when a (finally) comfortable silence had engulfed you both, he caught you off guard.

"Because…" maybe socialising was not as easy as you had assumed "…we like killer whales?" Bells were chiming again when his laughter echoed through the room, some heads turning to the both of you.

"So, we like killer whales now? It's good to learn something new every day." While he had shattered a tiny part of your world, his hands reached out towards your forehead and he softly flicked forth. "I am Rafayel by the way." Okay, maybe your world was not that shattered. If he felt comfortable enough to share his name with you, it could only mean that he was enjoying your presence, right?

He waited for a second before he tipped his head towards you and gave you an expecting or maybe encouraging head nod, expecting something- Maybe you really should just disappear into the ground. While your cheeks started to heat up and you pulled in your head protectively, you muttered your name. Stutter or no stutter, you felt awkward and like a child next to him.

But he didn't mind at all, instead, his smile seemed to grow and a certain fondness filled his expression- you would be able to see it, if you would just look into his face, instead of everywhere but him.

"So, what is fascinating you so much about those… sea cats?" if possible, he should never stop talking. It was a shame that it had up till now mostly been your voice filling up this silence. You wouldn't mind just listening to him talk all day- maybe if you asked sweetly, he might read you fun facts about your newest hyper fixation?

"It's not necessarily killer whales- I mean- yes I really enjoyed looking into them-" This day had a pattern; it was leaving you searching for words. How were you supposed to explain that it was not necessarily killer whales that intrigued you? What intrigued you were the processes each organism needed to fulfil within the sea, how the food chain was made up, how just tiny adjustments could make the marine life flourish- and how easy it was to destroy those magical chains built over aeons. Destroyed by the one organism that thought itself better than any other.

It was the mystery of the deeper sea, it was the beauty that you wished could stay untouched forever. It was how the sea felt untouchable, strong and dangerous and yet so fragile.

Maybe, an easy "I just really like the sea-" was the best explanation you could give- for now. Until you were able to voice your fascination better. And maybe, this response resonated not only within yourself but also with him. The way his eyes zoomed into you as if reading an open book, it appeared like he knew just how hard it was to put into words the fascination that came along with something so complicated and intricate as the deep sea.

For the first time in a while, you finally dared to look in his direction, take him in. His drawing- with fascination, you were able to see the finished drawing; a gorgeous and healthy specimen of a killer whale, while every single bone had been accurately drawn into it- all the 250 bones you had previously mentioned, put down next to himself. Oddly stylised in your opinion, maybe he was an art student. Or he was also researching marine life, which would explain why he accurately drew a killer whale without the help of any additional sources. Something even you would never be able to do- even if your drawing skills were up to par.

At one point he had pulled both of his legs up and rested one cheek against his legs while looking at you. This kind of gesture seemed slightly intimidating and yet somehow very intimate. It was easy to imagine that the two of you were not in a public aquarium with people entering this room every now and then, but in a living room, having a heart-to-heart conversation.

This thought seemed to encourage you, it would be nice to get to know him. To have a friend in a new city on your first week- to have somebody you could rely on. Holding your heart in your hands, your curiosity lets you win mixed with the hope that maybe he would also like to see you as somebody closer. "So, if you don't like orcas, why would you draw one this fascinatingly?" He changed his position slightly, letting one of his arms hang over his knees, making his stance appear more open. Mischief appeared in his eyes while he looked at you.

"I just really like the sea" he shot back at you, making you halt for a moment. Yeah, maybe he also understood.

"Factually speaking, I am working right now." You were slightly disappointed but also intrigued. So he must be a marine biologist just like you, no? Apparently, he was able to read you better than a book, better than everybody you had ever known, even though he knew you for just about an hour. Because his next words were like a riddle. And you loved solving riddles. "Want to guess?" With an enthusiastic nod, you accepted his challenge.

"Marine biologist"- you received a negative reaction.

"An oceanographer?" - another shake of his head followed by a small laugh.

So you just kept on guessing, receiving a negative sign like a hum, or a shake of his head more often than not. It was frustrating, but it kept you on your toes, specifically when he was drawing out his responses, gifting you a slight hope to be a bit closer to the truth, only to shatter it all. It made you laugh alongside him.

"Something art-related?" It was vague, but you had exhausted all scientific jobs you were aware of that could go in a similar direction. And instead of the soul-crushing head shake, or the negative hum that had been replaying in your head for a while you were graced with a nod. "You're getting closer, Your Highness."

A slightly triumphal smile lit up your face- only to fall off of it after another round of guessing. You had not gotten that much closer to the truth.

"Let me guess-" he disrupted the rhythm the both of you had found comfort in. "You're a marine biologist." It was not a question, he was one-hundred percent certain and hit the bulls-eye just like that. Now, that was unfair.

With a pout you confirmed his suspicion, making him apparently the happiest man in this world. Or something like that.

Just when you wanted to continue your game of working up your brain, your pager (for the work you had not even started yet) made itself known, drawing the attention of you both towards the device that had been in your backpack. A deep sigh left you when you saw the message to come to your workplace- as soon as possible. Actively cutting the time with this gorgeous stranger short, how you wished it could last forever.

"Somebody needs to go?" If you didn't know it any better, you would have described him to look at you like a kicked puppy. Once again you gave a disappointing sigh as a confirmation while clasping your thighs and stemming yourself up.

"Yeah… got to go." You hesitated in grabbing your backpack, not wanting to leave yet. But work- was it even legal to come in yet, when your work contract would only start coming Monday?- was calling you. "Was nice getting to know you, Rafayel" With an awkward wave and hesitating steps you started to leave, unsure if it would be okay to ask for his number- or any kind of way to contact him. The clown fish now separating from his bettas and guiding you towards the exit.

Just before you were out of reach he caught up to you by calling your name- and handed you your entrance ticket to the aquarium.

"It was good to have company. Maybe next time we see each other, you will be able to guess my profession." Mischief seemed to run in his blood.

Chapter Text

Sometimes you wonder to yourself why you could not just let your mouth run wild, why it was so hard to fit into social settings and why it was so hard to get close to new people: The focus mainly in the missed opportunity to ask the man as captivating as the sea - Rafayel - for his personal contact information. Looking back, it had been the perfect opportunity.

Throughout the rest of the day, the matter had bothered you as you hurried to work and discussed new Lemurian discoveries. It was an interesting find: bones and even teeth that looked remarkably close to those of humans but made the hair on your arms rise and stand up in horror. As interesting as it was, the feeling of looking at something so similar yet different from a human arose something within you—a feeling of unease, which turned your stomach and made your head feel airy.

Your colleges had even encouraged you to inspect the found closer, an offer you had followed without a second thought, anticipation crawling under your skin and making it nearly impossible to sit still. So, with bated breath, you had held the bones in your protected hands so as not to damage any data that could be gained from an analysis. It was the only time your complete focus whisked away from the beautiful purple haired man.

With wonder you and your fellow researchers had tried to arrange the bones, finding a pattern, trying to understand how this specimen could have looked like in the long-forgotten past:

You however, were working on limited bones, the only really prominent, intact bones you had been handed were the Sternum, a Pelvis and something oddly similar to a Sacrum- however, instead of how the Sacrum of the human ended, it seemed to be connected and expand- to something you could not help but identify as another part of the Caudal vertebrae- part of a spinal column. However, the details signified a proper tail, more similar to marine life, like fish, shark, whales.

All in all, the final result was a proper outline of a mermaid, of a Lemuria sapiens marines, even through the fins and other indicators to pull further connections have not yet been found or reconstructed. For now, it was only a based indicator- nothing you could publish a paper about yet.

One thing, however, that had caught you off guard was the sheer size this specimen must have reached. A good guess that you and your co-workers had given was that those extinct beings had at least reached the length of 3 meters, but you were ready to correct it upwards any given time.

Alone the Sternum, which was scaringly similar to that of a human, was bigger than any found in human skeletons, even with a quick glance you were sure of that.

Questions, like how the Sacrum connected to the spine and how the fins should connect to the femur- which you did not have, remained unanswered. It took you and your team a whole week to at least build up theories and make up possible sketches of a proper skeleton- your team had worked overtime so much that your work ethics invaded even your dreams.

So it came to no surprise that on the next Saturday you woke up from your fever dream by the blinding sun after turning and tossing around for hours. And by the time you had fully processed your dream- a mix about Rafayel and Lemurian anatomy; of him sketching a weirdly interesting anatomy mock up which you tried to replicate- it was already two o'clock in the afternoon.

With the same backpack you brought along to the Aquarium last week, you were ready to get out and enjoy the sea breeze a bit, explore the stores around and maybe see if you can spy anything interesting. With a decided agenda, you started a journey, taking a random bus to its destination: Whitesand Bay.

-

Your eyes had widened, your lungs expanded further than in a long time, and your heart had eased up- all by simply stepping out of the bus and taking in the beautiful scenery. A constant sea breeze, few people and an unending beach on one side, and beautiful, idyllic houses on the other.

The stress of the week was leaving your bones, your haunched shoulders were slowly relaxing and the missing crowd did wonders for your anxiety. Lifting a stone from your heart. So you just walked, following to where your heart leaded you, now and then one could see a tiny spring in your steps.

And surprisingly, instead of the beach, you ended up lost in the complex of houses, admiring one house after another. The people owning property here must be rich, with how much space they could take up and the sheer construction of their houses, something you ogled with wide eyes.

What came to you as a surprised were the tiny, hidden shops now and then, some selling ceramics, stationary or clothing. You had even spotted one or two, mostly private, artist shops.

It had moved the inner artist in you, going through all the shops you could find, enjoying the inspiration taken from the closeness to the sea. Sea shell plates, mugs with octopi, jewellery themed by marine life, tote bags with various motifs, and art pieces that drew the most gorgeous underwater scenery possible. As if the artist had been there personally, as if his eyes had seen the darkness deep within the ocean and still been able to see the life flourishing. If you had already gotten your pay check, maybe none of it would remain. But instead of buying whatever your greedy hands could grab, you were forced to open your map app and put a marker down.

Immediately, this place had become one of your favourites. You were sure that you would keep on returning, just to enjoy the feeling engulfing you right at this moment. The sheer amount of marine life inspired goods you could enjoy- even when not all of them were anatomically correct or had some other flaw, you just wished you could lament to the creator- made this day already perfect. The peace was another added bonus, because in a city as big and prevalent as Linkon City it was hard to find peace, to escape the masses.

The next shop that you found- it took you awhile after the last art gallery you went through- was a pleasant surprise to say the least. You had already been debating about turning around after 15 minutes of walking, simply enjoying the sun shining down on you and filling the vitamin d gauge that had been neglected the last… months.

But then you found it. Not a simple shop, instead what caught your attention were all the drawings hung in the showcase window. Even if you wanted to, it was not in your ability to stop your legs from walking up to the window, looking at all the different sketches. Some in colour, some in black and white, but what they all had in common was the motif: Marine life.

Jellyfish, seahorses, fish, whales, sharks- your eyes drifted over another sketch, forcing your heart to stop pumping blood just for a second. And then start in overtime. A killer whale sketch.

And opposed to all the other sketches, it had a date at the right corner: just last week, the same day you had enjoyed Rafael's presence. Another thing highlighting the drawing for you- well less a drawing and more a tattoo stencil- was a note right next to the date:

The cat of the ocean.

This must be what it feels like to be hit by lightning, a sudden push of energy through your body, making it hard for you not to jump up to the door that announced your entrance with a chiming- lucky you, the door opened just like that. Apparently, somebody was still in the studio.

However, nobody was in the entrance area to greet you, so making yourself busy, you had to satisfy yourself by looking at all the sketches distributed through the room. This was not good for you, nor your wallet, you were aware- it has always been a wish of yours to let a tattoo (or a thousand) adorn your skin. One perfectly catered to you and your interests. So this was like a sign from a higher being.

Twenty minutes seemed to fly by without anybody greeting you. It made your skin crawl, made you feel like backing up the way you came from and leave. Instead, you tried holding onto the hope that maybe the man you had met in the aquarium was really here- or at least working here- and you could try to establish a way of communicating. Even when both possibilities made you pull your arms closer to your chest and forced you to anxiously tip-toe on your feet while admiring a tattoo stencil of two morays intervening.

The last weeks you had dealt a lot with the fight-or-flight response your body loved to put you through; waiting for a clerk to return to the counter should be no biggie then. You hoped.

"Did you know that some Morays like cuddles?"

With a tiny jump, your heart standing still and a silent gasp you turned around, the angelic voice- maybe you should stop comparing him to otherworldly beauty- of the stranger that had occupied your thoughts, surprising you. Either the design had fascinated you too much, or Rafayel just knew how to sneak up on people.

"Rafayel!"

Mustering up a big smile, you greeted him, something inside you preening up, being very proud. Happy accidents apparently do happen, and most importantly they happened to you! If you were a puppy, he would have most likely been able to see your tail swish back and forth- but luckily for, you were still human. Even through, Rafayel was very well able to see the similarity of you and the puppy in question.

"What brought the Orca Overlord to this humble abode?" Stifling a giggle you needed to admit that maybe, you were not ready. One could never be ready for how unpredictable social interactions are gonna be.

"I kind of just stumbled around here." Softly swaying, you tried to focus on him.

"Nice place, right?" When he made this encouraging head movement that you could recognise from last time again, you could physically feel tons of rock be thrown off of your chest. Breathing seemed just a tad bit easier, and the anxiety that had ranked its claws into your mind had to retreat. He seemed… happy to see you. If you could trust your interpretation of his body language.

So with an enthusiastic nod you began to ramble about all the places you had found around here, all the shops that had caught your interest and how you really really wished that your paycheck would come sooner- A voice in the back of your mind however was slowly getting louder, overshadowing his hums and nods, noting, blaming you for over sharing.

"I take it that you enjoy this area, then?" You had to nod, feeling your cheeks heat up, feeling like you had burned yourself. "How about my studio, eh?" Stars. His eyes, gorgeous and fascinating, the colour of drowning flames, were shining brighter than the stars. Something you did not know possible, for the first time making you wish that you could forever look into his eyes.

"It's-" honestly you were missing the words. Yes, the Ocean theme of the entrance was nice, but what was really standing out was the art- the possibility of the tattoos that were whispering to you, making you want to sign a deal with the devil just to have each and every one of those etched into your skin. But how do you describe a feeling like this? "- special." That sounded wrong. "Its just, wow." better, not perfect but better.

But Rafayel did not seem to mind your tongue tied-ness, instead he had tipped his head towards the Moray Tattoo stencil.

"That flash has been here for quite a while. 's was one of my first tattoos I did." The mind worked in wondrous ways, because instead of complimenting his- how did he call it?- flash, you had instead filled out a mental note and finally solved the riddle.

"You are a tattoo artist!" Rewarded with another one of his chuckles, he reached over to you and flicked your forehead carefully. By now you had understood that it was a playful act of his. "Yeah, you're correct. Full points for the second hand Einstein." It was not throwing you off this time, the way he was bouncing through different names, searching for one that would stick. Apparently, so far, none did.

Feeling cheeky, you hit him with a "So when do I get my reward", and afterwards poked out your tongue at him. Theatrically he put a hand up his heart, grasping his chest. "Reward?" You nodded, feeling like matching his energy, even if it might cost you nights awake, scolding yourself for making a clown out of yourself.

Making friends, you encouraged yourself. And, if you succeed it would mean instead of sleepless nights and dying inside, you would have somebody to talk to. Preferably somebody to rant with about your newest hyper-fixation.

"I guessed it in one try, of course I should get a reward." More like one hundred and one tries, but the both of you seemed to tactically ignore the truth.

"Hmm, you're right…" he hummed. This might be your chance, you cheered. Ask him for his socials, which would be a very smooth move— maybe. Maybe it would come across as creepy. But it was worth a shot.

"How about your Phone number then?" Another chuckle of his was making you float higher, reaching a new high that you never knew reachable when socialising. Of course you had done it with friends a lot, but most of those friendships you build were through being thrown together in groups. It usually included already having a way to contact each other- It usually also included a certain amount of safety, because in group settings it is more forgiving to make missteps. And everybody had been just as eager as you to make friends. So, this was different.

But it was fun. Exhilarating.

And then he did a 'tut' sound- which ripped you away from the high and made your blood freeze. A certain look of disappointment made itself onto his face and you were very close to getting on your knees and asking for forgiveness, explaining that you did not mean to be creepy but that you really just enjoyed your interactions and wanted to maybe get to know him better. To have a friend in this new place, maybe a local to show you all the good places. But there was no need, because he turned around and started speaking while walking to the counter.

"Why ask for something you already have?" At the counter he grabbed a card lying there, playing with it- a business card. That threw you off- you asked for his number, not for his business's number. Because you wanted to talk to him, not to his business.

"I did not mean your business-" he shook his head and laughed. "I know, don't you worry, cutie." Playfully he kept twisting it only to do some kind of magic trick- honestly if you would have paid more attention instead of overthinking you would have seen how he switched his business card- and made the aquarium ticket appear, with which he kept twirling.

"If you think too much, I heard your brain can overheat. Doesn't sound like a funny way to go out, no? So, stop thinking too much." You wanted to disagree, but had to stop yourself and instead laughed awkwardly.

"You put it on my ticket." With the right conclusion in hand, you somehow were still able to phrase it like a question. Which he answered with a cheeky smile and a quick, "finally noticed?"

But you did not believe him, you had inspected the ticket closely while making your way to the Linkon Marine Research Institute. Had played with it, twirled and rubbed and tapped the paper while your brain had run a marathon or two. And never once had you noticed any kind of message on the ticket. "I do not think so, Raf-" Before you could finish your own sentence, he countered you with a-

"If I am right, you need to take me out for a coffee." And so you lost your reward when you opened your emotional support backpack- the one backpack that you loved taking everywhere, which included last week's aquarium, because of which the ticket still remained inside- and pulled out the ticket.

To no one's surprise but your own, right there on the front side was a phone number with an orca scribble. Had you been so much in your head that you, for real, did not see the addition written in blue ink?

"One coffee for me then!" The flabbergasted expression on your face must have given you away, or maybe, a voice chimed, it was because he was the one that actually did the first step and gave you his contact information. But it did not matter, even though you just lost your reward, you were still glowing.

Him leaving his number behind still meant one thing- he was not the only one that had enjoyed your little interaction. All the rambling had not been for vain, the late evenings trying to replicate how you could have improved.

"One coffee for you, it is." You agreed with him. But instead of him leading the conversation, he was leaning against the counter and staring at you. Waiting for something, forcing your insecurity to show its crown.

Until he chuckled and prompted, "Maybe you should add that first, we don't want it to vanish again." And as fast as possible, you pulled your phone out, typed in his number and saved it. Uncertain, you looked at the Name- Rafayel- unsure how you should save his number.

With furrowed brows, you did not notice the sneak attack of his, stealing your phone while muttering a "lemme see" and typing something. The familiarity with which he treated you made you feel special, like you knew him for years by now.

Luckily, when you got your phone back, you could see that he had simply added the emoji of a pink fish behind his name. "Now let's go." Happily, you followed his invite- to where? You were not sure.

However, after only fifteen minutes, you were close to the sea again, which forced you to tighten the jacket around yourself a bit. The walk had been filled with mostly comfortable silence, Rafayel seemed to hum now and then something happily to himself while guiding you to a cafe that was right at the shore.

Smoothly, he held the door for you open, ushered you in and ordered something for himself, the familiarity he had with this place and the person behind the cashier showed the regularity of which he probably visited this place. With a quick glance at the card laid out on the counter, you murmured your order for a drink and were ready to pull out some cash to pay- but Rafayel had been faster and pulled out his phone.

With an offended gasp you were about to protest but he just grabbed the pager and pushed you around a corner, a staircase opening up the way to the second floor, where a glass front allowed the two of you to view the sea from. Like he had been here a thousand times, he pushed you to a table for two and put his stuff down.

"But I was supposed to pay," you muttered while marvelling at the glass front. "And you will, next time. So you got at least a tiny reward." Your heart did a double beat, heat travelling through your body once again. That sounded like a comfortable solution.

"A tattoo artist, huh?"-"A marine biologist, hm?"

The both of you asked simultaneously, breaking the silence that had been gnawing at your bones, which had you shifting in your place. It brought a smile onto your lips, seeing him just like you grasp for straws to keep the conversation somehow going- or maybe he really was interested in you and what you were doing. Couldn't be sure.

With an encouraging smile and nod- a combo you already knew by heart from him by now- he asked you to go first, even while you had a muttered a quick "sorry, you go first." A short, patient silence spread until you started again.

"Did not expect that orca to become a tattoo…" you muttered, which made him lean forward, resting his face on his hand.

"And somehow it did, just finished that client three days ago. Nice tattoo tho, right?" You nodded, while he pulled out his phone and put it on the desk. "I think you might enjoy the end result." With speedy hands, reminding him of a raccoon, you grabbed the phone on the table, zooming on to the details.

A simple black and white outlined the frame of the orca, easy enough. However, the eye-catcher was the skeleton, not in black, but in blue- pulling one's attention to its unique style and coordination.

However, while you were captivated by the Tattoo, Rafayel was observing you, noting your intense focus on his creation, your wide, starlit eyes, and the way your body relaxed. Losing the tension it loved to protect you with. As if you finally let loose, seeing a glimpse of the women he had seen just a week prior, an excited one, with lots of interests, a lot of knowledge and so much to talk about. You did not know, but he had enjoyed the company that day, loved how he could focus on his drawing while listen to you ramble on and on.

It showed to him that others could, just like him, be armoured by the fascination of the sea. And the childlike excitement, one he had rarely seen on another face, had lit something that felt like he had felt a kindred soul.

"Rafayel-" After an appropriate amount of time, you turned to him "this is just- gorgeous." And you had spent a lot of evenings looking up tattoo ideas, inspirations, to inspire and make you dream about marking your skin with perfection.

"Then you would probably really like my Social Media Account." Your head whipped to him, which sparked a laugh from him- a loud laugh, not a chuckle, not something artificially forced out. A pure laugh of amusement, not hindered by social etiquette.

"C'mon, just look up 'Mo's Studio', should probably pop up as one of the first results." And you obeyed, looking it up on your phone and being greeted with an account you could immediately recognise after having seen his store-front. The first account, with nearly 1 million followers- it was like your soul was leaving your body when you saw just how many people were following him. He was basically famous, right?

"All these people… they follow your studio, right, not you?" It could not be that all these people were here just for his tattoos, he must be sharing the Studio with other Artists. That must be it.

"The studio is me and I am the studio, darling." he laughed under his breath, catching your drift. "I'm the only artist they would be following."

You had been fascinated by the drawings he had created, the reason as to why you had felt comfortable enough to talk to him, but knowing that not only you but so many other people were armoured by him and his style was- scary. Amazing.

"That's amazing, Raf-" once again, before you could finish calling his name, he disrupted you. with a quick, nonchalant "nothing special" and dismissed your praise. But your eyes spied the way his ears were lighting up in a reddish hue, how his cheeks seemed to be filled with just a bit more colour.

Maybe, to switch the topic away from him, he circled back to the question he had asked you earlier, the icebreaker. "So, you are a marine biologist?" You tried hiding away your laugh, but it was harder to do when all the anxiety had abandoned you and everything seemed to be all fishes and corals. Who would have known that the mischievous artist you had met in the Aquarium would be embarrassed by a little bit of praise from you? It was like a high you would not be able to come down from for a while.

"Yeah!" Enthusiastically you started talking about how you had survived university- talking about your friend group and all the dumb stuff you guys had been up to, leaving out the social struggle that you had been facing even with them. Only the good things- It made your heart throb, reminding just what you had left behind to move to the next step of your life. Leaving behind your safety system, the people who you knew and who knew you, being allowed to see the deeper you.

Homesickness was an ugly thing, only rearing its head when reminding you of the good things, when you were alone, or when you were already down- but the way he kept you engaged, asked about more details and was laughing alongside you and enjoying stories of the old you defeated the darkness that had licked at your heart and brain.

It was okay, because slowly you were rebuilding a life here. In Linkon City, and you really hoped that the purple-haired angel in front of you could be part of it.

And when you mentioned that you were working at the LMRI- Linkon Marine Research Institute- now, his eyes went wide, and the chiming of bells caught your ears. "So you really are Einstein, but only for Marine Biology?" he laughed, shaking his head slightly. Your eyes never leaving his face, subtly noting how amazement had changed his features. Subconsciously, you also noted the moles that you finally could see; one on his nose, one beside his eye, and one on his cheek.

"Not Einstein, maybe Darwin." you played along, stopping your mischievous hands from poking at him by playing- fidgeting- with your phone.

"Nah, but for real, it's like the most prestigious research facility there is." He pointed out, making you bashfully look away from him. Heat moving up your body, tinting your cheeks and ears in red, leaving you only the possibility to mutter an embarrassed agreement.

"How'd you get there?" He inquired, digging a deeper pit for you. "Luck and…" you searched for the right word, but the only one you knew how to describe your position right now was "Stupidity." Which made the both of you laugh, him shaking his head.

"I don't believe you." So, it was time for you to tell him the embarrassing way, that you had wiggled your way into the research facility- completely forgetting that no closer information had been released to the broader crowd yet. That it had not yet been made public, how the hushed stories of mermaids might be more than fairy tales.

But Rafayel did not seem to be too bothered, with a rough "Lemurians, huh?" he had encouraged you to go on, entertained listening to you and how you explained it had only been a joke for friends that somehow snowballed into making it your whole career.

While you were engaged in your storytelling, however, you failed to notice the way Rafayel's eyes had sharpened and his jaw clenched.

Until the pager made himself noticeable, calling you guys to pick up the drinks that seemingly took hours to finish.