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The afternoon sun painted the ocean in brilliant shades of blue and gold as gentle waves rolled lazily onto the shore.
Seagulls squacked overhead, their distant cries blending together with the steady rhythm of the sea, while the salty breeze carried the scent of seawater through the warm summer air.
Emu skipped barefoot across the sand, leaving behind a trail of cheerful footprints that were quickly swallowed by the incoming tide.
In one hand she carried a long driftwood stick she'd found earlier that morning, holding it proudly over her shoulder as though it were some kind of magical wand.
She finally reached a familiar patch of beach where the sand was smooth and untouched.
"Perfect!" she declared happily.
Rather than sitting down, Emu squatted near the edge of the water with both hands wrapped around the stick, her eyes fixed on the gentle waves stretching toward the horizon.
She waited. And waited. And waited.
Every few seconds she leaned forward just a little farther, staring so intensely at the water that she almost looked ready to dive in herself.
"I wonder if Nene-chan's awake yet," she murmured to herself before humming quietly.
A small wave rolled onto the shore.
Another followed behind it.
Then—
A tiny tuft of dark green hair peeked above the surface.
Emu's entire face lit up.
"Nene-chaaan!!"
The little tuft immediately disappeared beneath the water again.
A second later, it popped back up farther away.
Then a pair of pretty purple eyes cautiously peeked over the waves.
The moment she recognized the voice calling her name, she lifted her head out the water. The corners of her mouth lifted into a small smile.
"Emu." she greeted.
"You came!" Emu cheered as she waved both arms enthusiastically. "I was waiting!"
Nene swam closer, each graceful movement barely disturbing the water around her.
As the sea grew shallower, she gently pushed herself upward.
Water streamed from her long grayish-green hair as she rested both arms against one of the smooth rocks near the shoreline.
Then, with one smooth motion, she lifted herself onto it.
The sunlight immediately caught her tail.
Thousands of tiny scales shimmered like polished gemstones beneath the afternoon sun.
Soft teal melted into emerald green before fading into delicate hints of turquoise near the enormous fin at the end, each scale reflecting the light differently whenever she shifted even slightly.
Droplets of seawater rolled lazily across them before falling back into the ocean with tiny splashes.
Emu gasped as she hurried closer to the rock, dropping into a crouch beside it while her eyes grew wider with every passing second.
"So sparkly!" she exclaimed, leaning in until she was only a short distance away from Nene's shimmering tail. "So kira-kira☆!"
Without giving herself a chance to calm down, Emu threw both hands into the air and laughed. "Glittery!" she cheered before leaning even closer to inspect the way the sunlight danced across every scale.
"And fwiiiish!" she continued, swooping her arms through the air before grinning from ear to ear. "And twinkle twinkle sparkle sparkle!"
Nene stared at her for a long moment before letting out a quiet breath.
"...Those aren't words," she sighed, though there wasn't even the slightest hint of annoyance in her voice.
Emu puffed out her chest proudly and threw her hands out. "They are now, wonderhoy☆!" she insisted without hesitation.
Nene folded her arms atop the rock before resting her chin on them, watching the human with an amused expression.
The mermaid lowered her gaze toward the scales catching the afternoon sunlight before looking back at Emu's bright smile.
A faint warmth spread across her cheeks as she smiled just a little, despite turning her cheeks a more blue-ish color.
"...Thank you," she murmured softly.
Emu noticed the change almost instantly, gasping in excitement.
She leaned forward until she was nearly nose-to-nose with Nene before pointing excitedly at her face. "You blushed!"
Nene turned her face away, embarassed. Though the faint color remained.
"I didn't," she answered, trying to sound convincing.
Emu giggled before scooting even closer across the sand. "You did!"
Nene glanced toward the clear sky overhead before giving the first excuse that came to mind.
"The sun is warm," she replied as calmly as she could.
Emu tilted her head curiously.
"The sun made your cheeks all bluey?" she asked.
Nene gave a tiny nod while avoiding Emu's gaze still. "Mhm," she answered, though even she didn't sound convinced by her own explanation.
Emu laughed so brightly that it carried across the quiet shoreline.
"I think it's because I said your tail was pretty," she declared with complete certainty.
Nene quietly looked away toward the ocean, watching the waves roll in and out while the blush deepened ever so slightly.
After a few moments, she finally gave in with a tiny smile.
"Maybe a little," she admitted.
Emu beamed so brightly that it almost rivaled the sunlight reflecting off the sea. "I knew it!" she celebrated as she pointed at Nene again.
Nene let out the smallest sigh before smiling despite herself.
She shook her head fondly as she looked back toward Emu. "You always know," she admitted.
Emu nodded proudly before plopping down onto the warm sand with a soft thump.
"I do!" she replied before suddenly gasping as another thought popped into her head.
She hurriedly reached beside herself and grabbed the stick she'd brought earlier. "Oh! I have something!"
Nene tilted her head curiously while watching Emu hold the stick up like a prized treasure.
"The stick?" she asked, unable to hide the amusement in her voice.
Emu nodded enthusiastically as she raised it above her head. "Mhm!" she replied with a grin. "I found it this morning!"
Nene blinked once before looking between Emu and the ordinary piece of driftwood.
"...Congratulations?"
Emu shook her head before pointing the stick toward the sand. "It isn't just a stick,"
Nene raised an eyebrow. "No?" she asked.
Emu grinned before pressing one end into the damp sand. "Nope!" she answered as she carefully began drawing.
Nene rested her chin atop her folded arms again, watching every movement of the stick.
"What are you making?" she asked after a few moments.
"You'll see~"
The stick moved steadily through the sand, forming circles, lines, little dots, hair, and tiny smiling faces. Nene watched the picture slowly take shape until realization finally dawned on her face.
She leaned forward slightly before pointing toward one of the little figures. "...Is that you?" she asked.
Emu nodded happily while continuing to draw. "Mhm!" she replied before drawing another little figure beside it, this time with a fishtail. "And this is Nene-chan!"
A quiet laugh escaped her before she could stop it. "My tail's bigger than I am," she observed with amusement.
Emu looked up proudly before nodding as though that had been entirely intentional. "It is!" she declared.
Nene smiled softly while studying the drawing again. "I don't think that's accurate," she replied, plapping her tail against the shallow water.
Emu finished the final lines before carefully pressing several little seashells around the heart decorating the picture.
She hopped back onto her feet and proudly admired her masterpiece before turning toward Nene with sparkling eyes.
"There!" she announced.
Nene lowered her gaze toward the drawing resting between them.
Her expression softened almost immediately as she quietly took it all in. "...You made this?" she asked.
Emu nodded without the slightest hesitation. "Mhm!" she replied brightly.
Nene looked back at the drawing before lifting her eyes toward Emu again. "Of us?"
"Mhm!" she answered again.
Nene couldn't help smiling as she looked between the drawing and Emu.
"You really like drawing us together," she observed gently.
It was true!
Emu did this every time, ever since she met the mermaid.
It was a ritual at this point.
Sheplanted the stick upright in the sand like a tiny flag before folding her hands behind her back.
"I do!" Emu admitted cheerfully. "I like spending time with Nene-chan."
The words came so naturally that Nene's heart skipped before she even realized it had happened.
She lowered her eyes toward the drawing once more before smiling to herself. "I like spending time with you too," she admitted.
Emu's eyes lit up as she leaned closer again.
"Really?"
Nene reached down and gently brushed one fingertip across one of the tiny shells decorating the edge of the heart.
"Mhm"
Emu scooted across the sand until she was sitting right beside the rock.
She hugged her knees against her chest before smiling so brightly that it seemed impossible for anyone to look away.
"I'm happy!"
Nene turned toward her and smiled just as warmly.
"Me too,"
A comfortable silence settled naturally between them as the waves rolled lazily onto the shore before slipping back into the sea again.
Seagulls squacked overhead again, while the breeze carried the salty scent of the ocean across the beach.
After quietly watching the water for a while, Emu rested her chin atop her knees before glancing toward her friend. "Nene-chan?" she asked softly.
Nene lifted her eyes from the drawing in the sand and looked at Emu. "Hm?" she replied.
Emu looked out across the endless blue horizon before smiling thoughtfully.
"What do you like?" she asked.
Nene remained quiet for several moments as she considered the question. She watched sunlight glitter across the waves before speaking in a calm, thoughtful voice.
"I like singing,"
She let her gaze wander farther across the ocean before continuing.
"I like swimming where the water's clear enough to see the coral,"
Nene reached beside the rock and picked up a tiny spiral shell, gently rolling it between her fingertips as she admired its shape.
"I like collecting pretty shells... well—that one's because I met you," she continued.
Emu let out a giggle.
Nene looked toward the sea once more, her expression becoming peaceful. "I like listening to whales sing," she said quietly.
After another brief pause, Nene turned her head back toward Emu.
Her smile softened into something even gentler as she met Emu's eyes.
"And I like when you visit," she admitted.
Emu's entire face brightened with happiness as she hugged her knees tighter. "I like visiting!" she replied immediately.
She pointed enthusiastically toward the endless sea before smiling at Nene again. "I like hearing all your stories,"
Her finger drifted toward Nene's shimmering tail, and her eyes sparkled all over again. "I like your tail,"
Then her finger lifted until it pointed gently toward Nene herself. "I like your smile,"
Nene blinked in surprise before instinctively looking away again.
She raised one hand to hide the warmth spreading across her cheeks and let out a tiny, embarrassed laugh. "...You're doing that on purpose," she murmured.
Emu tilted her head innocently, looking genuinely puzzled. "What?" she asked.
Nene peeked at her through her fingers before smiling bashfully.
"Making me blush,"
Emu quickly shook her head.
"I'm not!" she insisted.
Nene let out another quiet laugh before lowering her hand slightly. "You definitely are," she replied.
Emu smiled as warmly as ever before lightly resting both hands on the sand. "I just like those things," she explained simply.
Nene covered part of her face again while laughing under her breath.
"That's unfair," she admitted with obvious affection.
Emu tilted her head curiously. "Why?" she asked.
Nene slowly lowered her hand before looking down at the heart drawn between them.
"Because I don't know how to answer things like that,"
Emu pointed happily toward the drawing resting in the sand. "You already did, Nene-chan!" she replied.
Nene blinked before following the direction of Emu's finger. "I did?" she asked.
Emu nodded enthusiastically while smiling at her.
"Mhm! You said a lottt of stuff!" she reminded her.
Nene looked quietly at the little heart that sat untouched by the tide before smiling to herself. "I suppose I did,"
Emu suddenly leaned forward again, excitement returning to her eyes.
"What do you want to do?" she asked.
Nene blinked once before looking around at the quiet beach surrounding them.
"Right now?" she asked.
Emu nodded eagerly. "Mhm!"
Nene looked toward the endless ocean behind her, then toward the peaceful stretch of sand, and finally back at Emu sitting beside her.
A quiet contentment settled over her as she smiled.
"I'd like to stay here," she answered softly.
Emu's smile became just a little brighter as she leaned comfortably against the side of the rock.
"Me too!" she replied happily.