Disclaimer: I don't own Hanazuki; Full of Treasures!
Title: Going with the Flowchi
Summary: Water isn't really a thing on Hanazuki's moon. Neither is swimming, in any sense of the word. That's going to have to change, with Maroshi's moon literally melting on her's.
...
"You have to understand," Hanazuki pleaded, hesitant to dip her feet into the clear liquid. "Goo isn't for moving in here. Goo can be edible, depending on what kinda goo you got, but it's not for going into."
Maroshi nonchalantly held up a hand. He was chest deep in the stuff, arms holding him up slightly with the rim of the crater, and to Hanazuki the whole scene looked fairly unnatural. "I gotcha, dude. No worries. But this ain't goo, y'see. It's water."
The youngest Moonflower glanced at her companions, hoping to find solidarity, but Kiyoshi was knee deep and Kiazuki was in to her ankles, sitting quietly on the edge. "Are you sure water isn't just a runny goo?"
"Not goo," Maroshi repeated. "And I'm not moving in water. I'm swimming."
"Technically," Kiyoshi hesitantly lifted a hand to garner their attention, "you're floating."
The Moonflower clicked his tongue and aimed a finger gun at the boy. "You right, you right."
"What's the difference?" Hanazuki asked, eyebrow raised. She was becoming more and more confused by water moon terminology as the day went on.
"Swimming is basically moving, only with water in the way," Kiazuki piped up. She sounded drained, but otherwise her usual blunt self. Hanazuki thought that was to be expected of her; the elder Moonflower sister had been on her own for sparkles-knew-how-long now, trying to be strong, and it wasn't like anyone could change overnight. "Floating is like standing still, only with water in the way. It's basically just movements with water."
Hanazuki nodded to show she understood, then slowly, slowly brought a finger out to touch the surface. Rings flowed from the contact, and she just as slowly drew her finger away. To her, that seemed a bit like the water was telling her to back off. "Are you sure it's safe? I mean, it can like Maroshi and not like me."
"It's safe," Kiazuki grunted. "Just look."
She pushed off the crater and into the water without hesitation, sending up a spray that got Hanazuki up to the knee. She sunk down to the very bottom, touched down, and used her feet to push off, calmly floating to the surface. Kiazuki broke through and took in a deep breath, looking unhurt. "See? It's not painful or anything. Just messy."
"Nice dive, K!" Maroshi held out a fist, which Kiazuki purposefully left un-bumped. "A little flat, but super practical."
Kiyoshi put a hand on her arm. His grip was feather-light as always, like he was hesitating to even initiate contact. That's fair. Kiyoshi is a pretty hesitant guy. "You- you wanna go in together? Kiazuki did the same thing when I was first learning to swim. It makes things a little less scary."
Hanazuki hesitated. "What about you? Do you like water?"
"I mean, I don't not like it?" He shrugged, biting his lip. "My moon is more about magic than it is goop or water or whatever, but it's all good. Does on three sound alright?"
She looked at her hands, contemplating. If the water ended up not liking her, it might pull Kiyoshi down in its rage. She didn't like the idea of going out and taking a Moonflower with her.
"Are you coming in or what?" Kiazuki snapped.
"Give 'em time," Maroshi soothed, patting her shoulder like Hanazuki did her Hemkas; short, quick little taps. "Being all freaked is not good when water gets involved."
Hanazuki wasn't hurt by her words. If anything, they made her relax a little. "Okay, let's go on three."
The first thing she noticed was when the water was above her head, and it was that it made her hair float. The only thing that had ever moved her hair before was wind. The second was that it didn't seem interested in grabbing her; rather, it appeared to be wholly disinterested in her presence, flowing around and above with ease. It was a bit chilly, but the ice had been that way too, so Hanazuki figured that was just how it was supposed to be. Kiyoshi tapped her elbow and pointed up. She nodded, scrunched her knees, and did the submerged equivalent of jumping. It worked about as well as you might expect.
Hanazuki won't pretend she was graceful. She wasn't. She floundered and almost did a whole flip, whipping her limbs back and forth. Kiyoshi showed her how to cup her hands so she could push through the water. By the time they reached the surface Hanazuki was taking in deep mouthfuls of air, limbs shaking from effort they had never known before.
"That was... weird," she commented, wary of offending Maroshi. She didn't think the Moonflower was hurt often or easily, but she didn't want to cause such emotions either. "But I think I'm best suited for ground, y'know?"
"You're missing out," Maroshi shrugged. "But no big either way."
Hanazuki shakes her head. Her ears clear out, and she can hear Lime Green much better now. Not that his shrieking is any less heartbreaking when muffled. "Hey, hey, hey! I'm alright, guy! Look, see?" Here, she nudged Kiyoshi. "Can we swim over to him?"
"We can float over to him, yeah."
"Ugh. Words are confusing."
Kiyoshi helps her over. Hanazuki pulls herself out, soaking wet, and offers up her lap for the distraught Hemka to fall onto, cradling him with her arms. Lime Green had never enjoyed new things, perhaps even less so than she did, and he enjoyed new things even less when she was doing them without him. "Okay, I think that's enough adventure for me today."
Author's Note: Basically the Moonflowers are having a pool party and Hanazuki is new to pretty much everything.
-Mandaree1