I leaned back and closed my eyes for a moment as I tried my best to keep my connection with the water around us calm. Lili seemed to consider my being as she held the submarine at an effective speed that wouldn't ache me too much. I smiled at the thought despite a dull ache creeping up behind my eyes.
Obvious that she cares at least. Good partners have that kind of silent but understanding bond anyway. Frazie and I always had that growing up, but the style of it that Lili and I have is unique. It could be the fact that it's a relatively new connection, but I have this nagging feeling that's going to be like nothing I've ever had before. That something between us is just so... different and beautiful. It feels so strong too. Kinda like the relationship the moon has with the tide.
I opened my eyes slowly before glancing over to see that she was relaxed beside me. Her brown eyes were glued to the waterway before her, but her figure was noticeably less tense as she kept us going steady.
Guess I'm the water then and she's my moon? It sounds a bit too soon to say, but she is definitely the best friend I never thought I would get to have. She understands me and doesn't mind when there's something odd or new to learn about me. She's a calming presence despite her sarcastic and chaotic tendencies.
She's Lili and I honestly love it.
I smiled wide before closing my eyes once more.
Ma always said that I would have to find someone to put up with my curiosity and my tendency to get myself thrown into the worst kinds of situations. I guess I already have. Mom would like her, I know that for sure. She always teased me that I would have to find someone to stick up for myself since being Aquato meant I couldn't really do that nor did I have that kind of bone in my body.
And now I have.
Though I know she would start teasing me in different ways if she met Lili anytime soon.
I blushed at the thought as I tried my best to keep my composure so Lili didn't panic about me.
If I hear the words 'little girlfriend' come out of my sister or mother when referring to Lili, I might actually die from embarrassment.
I opened my eyes and turned my attention toward Lili once more as a single word ran through my head.
Girlfriend...
Huh.
Do I-? Do I even like her like that?
I felt my blush deepen as the girl seemed to have no clue what thoughts were now raging within my mind.
Well, she is a friend that's a girl-. I mean could you even like someone that fast or-? The flutter feelings would make sense then but then it doesn't at the same time. What does it even mean to 'like like' someone like that? Is it those weird warm feelings or is it just enjoying them as a person more than others? Why does even the idea of calling her something like that make me feel like... everything?
My mind went silent as I took in the girl's features. I noted the deep brown of her eyes that seemed to glisten even when surrounded by the depths of the lake water around us. I also noticed the small crease between her eyebrows as she seemed to focus heavily on keeping the submarine at the same speed. She had a concentrated look to herself as if she was more worried about keeping me comfortable than actually getting to Ford's lair any faster. The idea alone caused butterflies to swell in my stomach as I snapped my attention away from her and toward the lake around us.
Yep. Everything.
... I hope this kind of thing doesn't lead me to be like Dion and go kinda girl crazy.
I swallowed hard as I glanced at Lili from the corner of my eye just one last time.
Though I think if I did, she would be the only one I would be going crazy about.
"Doing alright there, Razzy?" My eyes widened as she suddenly spoke. "You're moving around quite a bit. This speed isn't hurting you, right? I didn't want to go too fast and give you that headache stuff again. Not after going around in Boyd's mind and all, at least."
"I-I'm good." I mentally slapped myself as I cringed at the stutter that slipped out of me. "Just thinking is all."
"Want to share those thoughts or?" Lili's voice was teasing as I could just picture the smirk that must have been on her lips.
"Just about my family is all." I blushed as I knew that my excuse wasn't a complete lie at the very least. "Mainly about how I know my older siblings are going to tease me about finally making a friend and all."
"Hey, if it makes you feel any better, I know my dad will tease us too." Lili giggled and to me, it sounded like a forgotten symphony as I tried my best to not look at her directly. "He always wanted me to make more friends my age. Now I have one that is." Her words caused a sudden warmth in my chest as I suddenly looked over and saw the smile that she shot in my direction. "So we'll get teased together, Aquato."
Oh, she is going to be the death of me in so many beautiful ways I swear.
She turned her attention back toward the water as she didn't seem to hear that thought that basically yelled itself within my mind as I felt as if my face was on fire from how deep the blush I had was getting.
"Y-Yeah. Together for sure!" I let the words slip out of me as they caused the smile on her lips to widen.
"It's better to get tortured together anyway!" Lili giggled once more and I couldn't help but smile as I started to get a little more comfortable with the warmth in my chest.
"You've got more brain cells than I do, so you could probably do more than just stare blankly and let the teasing happen." I laughed at myself as Lili's smile caused small happy lines beside her eyes.
"I thought we shared brain cells at this point."
"Then hey! My turn with the brain cell!"
"No, I'm brain-driving here!" I relished in her laugh as she reached over and knocked her fist into my shoulder before drawing her hand back to the wheel she was holding. Suddenly, the submarine lurched forward as a loud smack occurred to the back of it. "SHIT! What was that?!" I closed my eyes instantly and strengthened my connection with the water once more. I reached out to feel whatever smacked into us and it led me to the feeling of anguish and anger that had followed us once before.
"It's the creature!" Another loud smack shook the submarine as a flashing red light appeared above our heads.
"It hit the main engine! I can't get it under control!" My eyes went wide in shock for a moment, but I instantly jumped into action as I unbuckled myself from my seat and quickly moved my way over toward Lili who was trying to still keep the submarine under her control.
"This vessel is heading down, Lils, no use." She looked at me with panicked eyes as I put my hands on her shoulders. "You trust me, right?" She nodded her head without hesitation. With that, I pulled her into my arms and picked her up out of her chair. Her arms and legs wrapped around me easily as I tried my best to speak in a calm manner. "Then on the count of three, I need you to take a deep breath for me okay?"
"Mayday, mayday. Vessel sinking. Water pressure increasing. Mayday." I felt Lili's arms tighten around me as I closed my eyes tight.
"One," I made sure to keep my grip on her even as I heard water rushing into the back of the submarine. "Two," I opened my eyes as the deep golden glow of them contrasted with the flashing light above our heads. I knew right when the water was going to put too much pressure on the bay entry and pop it open. I just had to give Lili enough time to breathe before I could make us a proper bubble.
"Three." The water came flooding in right after Lili took a deep breath. The sound of the incoming wave filling my ears as the only guiding light became my eyes.
Alright, Aquato. You've trained for stuff like this.
I propelled us toward the bay doors as I quickly tried to channel my psychic energy into a bubble.
Now prove it.
I held Lili close against me as she gasped for air in the bubble I was able to make for us.
"Jesus, I wish I hadn't skipped the breathing exercises Milla taught." I dropped us down to the lake floor where she could safely leave my grasp to kneel down on the damp sand. "I feel like my lungs-, sweet mother of-." She took slow and deep breaths as I just smiled beside her.
"Take your time. The first time with that stuff is always rather rough. You did really good though."
"Feel like my insides are on fire."
"That's normal. It'll pass." I reached out and rubbed her back gently as I tried my best to support her through it. She leaned into the touch easily as she seemed to even out her breaths. "Feeling alright?"
"Could be better, but also could have been much worse." I pulled my hand back as she sat up with a small smile. "Quick thinking there, Aquato."
"Told ya, my turn with the brain cell." She shoved me lightly before slowly raising to her feet. I followed the notion as she started to look around the little area I had created.
"Wow. It's like, the water just stops and avoids your psychic energy." She walked slowly to the edge of it with a wonder-stuck tone to her voice. "It's fascinating."
"It's still penetrable, just not by the water itself." I smiled as I took a few steps closer to her. Normally the formation would follow me, but I made sure it stayed in place as I extend a hand to grasp her arm gently. "Reach out and touch it. It won't cause it to rupture or anything." She gave me a curious look as she let me guide her hand out toward the bubble's edge. Slowly, but surely, I held her hand out and stuck her hand right through the bubble and out to the lake before us. She stared in awe as I pulled her hand back into the bubble which she moved out of grasp gently to see look over her hand curiously.
"That's so fucking cool!" She snapped her attention toward me with a wide smile. "Like holy shit! You can make basically water force fields!"
"Water force fields sounds so much cooler than brain bubbles." I chuckled at the thought as Lili took pride in the new name.
"Fuck yeah it does!" She looked over at the bubble once more before running toward the center of it. "This is awesome though! Like, look at it all!" Her arms were spread out wide as she gave me a wide smile. "Like I bet I could lay in the center here and watch the fish go by for hours!"
"Well with how it works, you would honestly watch some of the fish swim right through-." I snapped my attention toward the left as a sudden loud splash hit against the further wall of the bubble. My eyes widened as the large silhouette of some creature was rushing toward the center of the bubble. "LILI!" I dashed forward as quickly as I possibly could, but the creature whipped out its tongue and wrapped it around Lili's middle as she let out a loud screech.
"RAZ!" I felt a snarl take over my features as a wave of deep anger started to rage for the creature.
"LET HER GO!" It snapped its attention toward me and I realized that the creature was some kind of large mutated fish. Its resentful aura grew strong as Lili pounded her fist against its pink tongue.
"I'll make sushi out of you, you ugly bastard!" With one quick motion, the fish wrapped her up in its tongue further as Lili let out a loud screech. "RAZ!" I dashed forward with my fist drawn back as I poured as much psychic energy as I could behind it as the fish decided Lili was safekeeping for its large mouth.
"I said let her go!" I large wave shaped like a fist followed my own as I sucker-punched the fish right in its stomach and caused it to spit out Lili in response.
"MOTHER-!" With a small thud, Lili landed on the damp sand beside me before quickly getting up on her feet. "Gross, I bet I smell like expired tuna." The fish let out a deep growl before trying to whip us with its tongue. Quickly, Lili and I jumped back fast enough so the tongue slapped the sand under us before retracting back to its owner. "For all the tongue attacks, you would think it's a frog more than a fish!" I heard a spark of fire beside me as I formed a whip of my own from a small amount of the bubble's water. "Let's teach this guy a lesson, Aquato!"
"Right after ya!" We both dashed forward in sync as she then aimed a fireball at the fish's feet to make it stumble back. I then used the water whip to wrap around the fish's figure as it stumbled back onto the damp sand. I clenched my hand into a fist causing the water to freeze up and harden into ice as the fish fell onto the lake floor. It struggled hard against the ice, but due to how I formed the water whip, it was much too hard for him to break by pure force.
"Ice restraints, nice thinking." I turned my attention toward Lili who had just dusted off a bit of seaweed on her shoulder. "How long do those last?"
"For a good bit. The way they form is that only someone with hydrokinesis can restrict that energy. So as long as I have the psychic energy to spare, he's stuck there." I looked back toward the fish as I watched him struggle against the restraints to no avail. "Good thinking using the fire on its feet, by the way."
"I figured if we could at least take him down, one of us would figure something out on subduing them." Lili came up beside me and gestured at the creature with a wide smile. "And I was right!" I couldn't help but smile at the idea for a moment before watching the creature for a moment.
"It had a plan. It wanted something." I reached up to scratch the back of my name as the thoughts came pouring out. "Well, it definitely wanted you. The problem is why? What did he attack us for? What is he after?"
"Well, it's not like you can just ask a fish those questions." Lili dug into her pocket before pulling out the familiar small door. "Only one way to get answers."
"Well, you've already been in its mouth. What difference is its brain?" I smirked as Lili knocked her fist into my shoulder.
"We're not talking about it."
"But-."
"We are not," Lili's eyes narrowed at me as her tone darkened ever so slightly. "Going to talk about it." I nodded quickly with a nervous smile.
"Not gonna talk about it, got it. No fish mouth question to be asked and I will shut my mouth now."
"Good boy." I laughed nervously as Lili turned her attention toward the fish creature once more. "Ready for fish adventures?"
"Let's do it!" I joined her side excitedly as we walked over toward the head of the fish. "Do you think it'll be any weirder than Boyd's brain?"
"I honestly don't anything is going to beat the Milkman."
"But his milk is delicious." I gave a teasing smile as Lili rolled her eyes at me.
"You're lucky I like you, Raz."
"I know." I smiled wide as I noticed the corner of her lips turned up ever so slightly.
"Now," Lili threw out the portal that instantly stuck to the front of the fish's head. "Adventures?"
"Ladies first," I gave her a small bow as she kneeled down on the sand.
"Meet you in there then." I sat down beside her as her astral projection left and entered the other mind with ease. I dropped my goggles down over my eyes as I let myself do the same. A small smirk on my lips as one last thought echoed in my mind.
Let's see what fishy things are going on in that head of yours, buddy.