Chapter 1: When everything was still good
I suppose I should introduce myself a little more thoroughly. As I said before, Nishir is my name and I'm a swimmer. Right now, I'm walking over to the other side of the great lake where I want to meet up with Takari. Takari is a swimmer like me though, I suppose, we couldn't be more different. (Perhaps the only thing that we share is our age: twelve seasons, on the brink of making the transition to the dreaded and anticipated time of change that turns children into adults) It begins with our genders: While I am male, she's a girl; while I'm clumsy and bulky, she's graceful; while I'm insecure, she's determined; while I'm often grumpy, she's always cheerful; while I'm prone to lose, she always wins. While I'm missing part of my tail due to an unlucky encounter with flying sharpteeth at young age, hers is particularly long and well-formed. Heck, even our crests don't look alike, hers being long and thin while mine is sturdy and short. Moreover, our colours are very different too; while I'm a dark, murky colour that's some place between green and brown, she's standing out with her bright colour, somewhere between yellow and light green, resembling those yummy but awfully sour fruits that are growing on many trees around here. In a way, it matches her personality quite well. She's sweet but dangerous, quite a handful. Sometimes I feel like drowning her because her favorite past time appears to be making fun of me... Oh, that's right, not even our eye colour matches! Hers is an enticing shade of watery-blue while mine are surprisingly boring. Grey… like a bloody sky puffy!
...but she's unarguably the prettiest girl in our herd. Not that it is a big challenge; the herd is quite small, but she's still got the looks (I'd rather drown than tell her that though!). My family and her family joined up some seasons ago and since then lived together in harmony. We're around 20 adults strong with about the same amount of children within our ranks. I have four siblings but Takari is an only child after her clutch mates succumbed to an unknown illness soon after they hatched. She's part of the other family of swimmers but she is more like a sibling to me, particularly since we banter like siblings usually tend to do but also stand up for each other in the same fashion.
When I woke up on that fine morning, I had no idea yet that this day would be the last day I spent as an innocent child who had not seen the horrors and the cruelty of life. As I walked across green, moist meadows dotted with many wondrous plants and the occasional flying buzzer, I began to wonder what kind of ridicule this girl might be up to on this day. No matter how much she annoyed me with her taunts and mind games, she was my best friend and, although I would never tell her, I think I actually like her quite a bit. We did everything together; life without her would be like a world without water. Speaking of which, since Sky Water must have fallen over night, the ground was quite wet and the occasional puddle shimmered in the early morning light of the Bright Circle. Our home didn't have a name but it had everything we need in order to survive and go about our daily lives. It lies directly next to the fabled Big Water which is full of mysteries, one bigger, scarier and more incredible than the other. A small bay, surrounded on all sides by cliffs and rocks so sharp and steep that climbing them is something no dinosaur could ever master, thus restricting access to our small valley, with a wide, sandy beach and with a rather flat coast where children like us can safely play as the big waves never get past the rocks and cliffs. The cliffs grow into large mountains further inland, providing impassable barriers, making it impossible to enter or leave from the land, thus protecting us from most dangers this world has to offer. Our life truly is a sheltered one and I wouldn't trade it for anything, not even a version of Takari that's actually genuinely nice!
"Nishiiiiiir, over here!"
Talk about the devil. Her sweet voice suddenly called from somewhere, causing me to stop daydreaming and scanning the area for any signs of the girl whose voice still sounded somewhat distant and far. I was standing at the edge of the big lake in the center of the valley, rich in sea food and water flowers which Takari really likes. Whenever she's being particularly nasty, I sometimes fetch a few of those for her which would appease her for a while at least. Gee, if only that effect could last beyond a day. Behind the lake, vast jungle grows with vegetation so thick at some places that even a child of our age could hardly slip past trees and bushes that grow everywhere in those parts. It is truly a beautiful place to live.
Where is that girl though? I swear I heard her voice but she is nowhere to be found. The sound of her voice came roughly from the left, around where the lake takes a curve.
"Takari?" I wonder, calling her with a questioning undertone. "Where are you?"
"It's Hide and Seek!"
OH really? I caught myself in the movement of face-palming but managed to stop myself halfway. That Takari, oh it seems like she's in high spirits today. I can almost picture her squatting down behind some boulder while peeking at me looking for her, entertaining herself on my behalf. But I simply won't allow it and find her fast! After all I know where to look! But wait, this is Takari we're talking about... she would never make such a big mistake unless she's plotting something... I've gotta be careful! Then again, I'll have to find her either way so I might as well just go straight to where she's hiding! There aren't many possibilities after all! It's either in the patch of tall grass or behind that boulder right at the curve of the lake. You can't escape Takari, I'm going to find you, silly girl!
I walked slowly but with determination, careful not to step into the trap that Takari likely prepared for me - because she wouldn't be Takari if she didn't at least try to pull something. I've known her for too long; something like this is definitely going to happen and I'll likely regret everything as I always end up doing. But for now, I've got to focus my mind on finding her and trying to avoid whatever tricks she may have up her sleeve.
As soon as I reached the tall grass, I stalled in my movement for a second to listen intently for any sound the girl might make but it was absolutely quiet except for distant conversations carrying over from the other side of the lake. Carefully, I peeked inside eventually only to find out that Takari wasn't hiding there.
The boulder it is then, I quickly deducted, pulling my head back out into the open and taking a stride towards the rock. It was a few meters in diameter and about half the height of a grown-up swimmer with a very wild and irregular shape. Approaching it frontally, I couldn't spot any sign of my devious friend so I opted to go around the stone. Now I was standing at the edge of the lake, realizing with growing worry that she wasn't there either. Panicky, I scanned my immediate area but there were no traces of her trying to scare me by sneaking up from behind (something she did with frightening frequency and efficiency!) at least as far as I could tell from my position. Eagerly, I listened to the sounds around me again but only the gentle movement of the water against the shore and distant chatter was detectable. Feeling a little disheartened and defeated, I opted to stare stupidly at my own reflection while gathering my thoughts. Where else could she be? If she isn't here, there are only a few possibilities. Most likely, that sneaky girl moved away after revealing her position on purpose but perhaps I simply didn't look properly, unlikely as it is? No, that can't be it, she must be trolling me as we speak!
"Takari!" I bark, hoping to be granted a hint of some sort but no voice answered my call, not even the voice of the breeze that seemed to take a day off today. Well, of course she wouldn't respond now that she has me right inside the web she weaved, catching me off-guard as always! Slowly, anger began to rise inside of me and also a certain determination to beat her at her own game. Surely I must have missed a crucial detail! Angrily, my gaze returned to the lake.
Wait a second, those ripples in the water right in front of me look a little... Unnatural? As if someone was diving undern... Oh if Takari is hiding submerged I'm gonna...
*bluurrrp*
Suddenly, I heard the sound of someone spitting lots of water and before I was able to make sense of it, I felt myself being showered by a fountain of water, unnaturally splashing my way from the water surface.
"Darn you Takariiiiiiii!"
Laughter, uncontrolled and completely wild, entered my ears and I knew immediately that I lost at her game. Bathed in water and dripping wet, I quickly concluded that I might as well join her but not without some retaliation of sorts! With a mighty jump, I attempted to land on her but she dived too quickly, emerging a little distance to my right and sending another fountain of water my way, splashing my face. Okay, you're so on, Takari! A wild water war broke out, taking all of our effort until we were finally tired of splashing and wrestling each other to our limits. Somewhat out of breath, I eventually spoke up.
"Well, while that was some good fun, I don't feel like any of us have won this yet. Care for another challenge to determine the winner?" Takari and I would often compete for literally anything. While these silly games were often a lot of fun, I more than often took the shorter stick. Besides, Takari's mind games are really frightening!
"Sure!" Takari's eyes were sparking with an odd mixture of emotions and I could easily spot the glee in them. She is definitely up to something! I must counter whatever it will be!
"Who decides upon the game?" I wondered curiously.
"Let's have luck decide who gets to pick, what do you think?"
"You're not thinking about this stupid game again, are you?" With a deadpan expression, I was facing her. That smile of hers appears innocent on the outside but I know for a fact that she is good at pretending while I can't act at all.
"Rock, Treestar, Claw, yep!" she giggled, sending a wink my way. That cheeky girl!
"Why that game?!" I complained immediately. "For something that's supposed to be pure random, the odds are oddly favoring you, Takari!" Indeed, in spite of the fact that the game is supposed to be pure luck, she'd almost always win it. Like I said, she's scary. Like she can read your thoughts!
"Afraid to lose?" she taunted with a devious grin. "I'll just win by default then, too bad."
"Oh shut it, bring it on!" I shouted in irritation, positioning myself opposite to her, our hands outstretched and prepared.
"Best of three, alright?"
"Fine," I confirmed. The game's biggest appeal is also its biggest concern. There is no skill involved; everyone just picks a finger stance and reveals it on the count of three. Randomly, I set my mind on one of the three options.
"Rock, Treestar, Claw!" we chanted and as soon as 'claw' was spoken, both of us revealed our finger stances.
"OH, it's a tie!" I declared immediately upon realizing that both of us went with 'rock' by forming a simple fist with our hand. At least I didn't start with a loss! Maybe I'd actually stand a chance against Takari today?! Boy that'd be awesome!
"Rock, Treestar, Claw!" we shouted again and this time Takari's choice changed while I decided on a hunch to stick with my previous choice.
"Ah, you win this one," the girl chuckled and I couldn't help but think how cute she looks while giggling like that. Though looks can be deceiving. 'Rock' may beat 'claw' but it doesn't change the fact that 'claw' is the most vicious and aggressive stance, with two fingers spread far apart from one another. Gee, what might she pick next? Since I went for 'rock' twice, she might be thinking that I will try for a third time and pick 'treestar' instead but what if she copies me and picks 'claw' again? Urgh...
"Rock, Treestar..." Argh! Takari clearly doesn't grant me any opportunity to think this through! Quickly, I made up my mind and made a decision. Perhaps too quickly?
"Claw!" My spirit sank immediately when I saw her make the 'claw' sign once more. My hand, flat and wide open indicates 'treestar'.
"Claw beats Treestar, now we're even," she said with a hint of a smug face and I couldn't help but look confounded when I planned my next and final move. Darn it, I lost this one! Unless we achieve a tie, the next run decides the winner! Will she go for 'claw' again? She wants me to think she wouldn't pick it again but... what if she is already anticipating me to think that? Darn that Takari and her mind games!
"Rock, Treestar, Claw!"
I ended up picking 'treestar' again, hoping that Takari wouldn't attempt a triple 'claw' but...
"Looks like I win, Nishir!"
'Claw' again... Darn her! She beat me...
"You know, Nishir, since I technically picked this game, I'll let you decide what we're doing now," she suddenly proclaimed out of thin air while wearing a smug look around the corner of her beak. How much I want to wipe that look from her face because it makes her look less like the pretty girl she is - and of course it isn't exactly great when she is subtly bragging like that! Urgh, I swear I'm gonna...
"You accept?" she reinstated with a look of confidence as if she knew she'd win anything I'd bring up. Oh, you're underestimating me greatly!
"Sure do, let's see who's better at aiming throws!"
Little later, the two of us were standing behind a line I dug into the moist ground.
"First to throw two tree sweets into the puddle ahead of us wins this game," I declared, firmly holding onto one of around a dozen tree sweets, those extremely sour ones that match Takari's colour so well. "Loser gets to eat them all and if we tie, we share!" Right, not only do we frequently challenge ourselves but sometimes there's also a reward for the winner - or something unpleasant for the loser...
"I'm game!" Takari beamed happily, showcasing her cute smile that I love so much. "You're blushing by the way."
"Am not, I'm trying to concentrate!" I argued immediately but my cheeks just began to feel warmer and warmer as soon as she mentioned it. Shaking my head erratically, I managed to regain my focus soon. The puddle was a good longneck length from our mark. Hitting the puddle with the tree sweet won't be an easy task as a result even if I consider that the puddle is big enough for both of us to stand in it (though I would never get this close to a girl, that's just plain embarrassing!)
My first throw went well off the target but the next ones were much closer. After five throws each, we're tied at one successful throw each. If I land the next one in the puddle, I have a chance to win but my turn is first. If she also aims well, we'd tie again. Well, everything is better than losing! I concentrated, took a stance, and was about to initiate my throw when Takari suddenly spoke up.
"Say, do you like me?"
Eh? EH!? As if in slow-motion, I realized that my throw was losing force due to the surprising question but it was already too late to save the throw. It wouldn't even travel half the distance before it hit the ground, lolling away. One thing is for certain. I won't win this game now. And whose fault might that be?
"What kind of stupid timing is that even?!" I blurted out angrily. "Thanks to you I lost my concentration and missed!"
"You're blushing again," Takari laughed at me, perfectly unimpressed by my outcry. Needless to say, I didn't quite chime in.
"I'm bloody not, and besides that was super unfair! Stop laughing already!" But the girl would only laugh more until recovering a few moments later.
"So, what is your answer?" she inquired while wiping her eyes dry. I quickly looked away because I knew from experience that she is a very scary character whenever she wants stuff, equipped with eyes that can change a mind in a blink when exposed to them for too long.
"I'm not telling," I grunt, crossing my arms, a plan to get back at her slowly forming in my mind.
"Aww, come on, Nishir?" She tried the cute eye thingy on me. Well aware of its dark powers, I simply shut my eyes and shook my head.
"You're bluuushing, Nishir!" she sang sweetly and before I could yell a retort, she poked me in the side which forced my eyes open. I mean, you never know, she might do it again and I'm weak against pokes! Urgghhhh!
"Even if I am, you have to earn that answer!" I finally shouted in serious annoyance.
"You're just trying to hide something there, aren't you, Nishir?" Her face was suddenly way too close for comfort as she leaned towards me, cornering me like a hungry predator.
"Oh, you… E-even if I am, there's no way a big bully like you can squeeze it out of me!" I snapped in mild anger, gaining some distance between us before crossing my arms defiantly.
"Fine…" She faked a sigh. "How AM I earning the answer then?"
For a moment, I didn't know whether or not to say what I meant to say. Thinking about it again, it sounded kinda embarrassing coming out of my mouth (and kind of like a defeat too!) but, thinking about it a third and a fourth time, I quickly came to realize that it was a win-win and a loss-loss situation at the same time. Either way, there wasn't a perfect solution so I decided to speak my mind and answer her question, even though her gleeful stare clearly didn't bode well…
"I-instead of harassing me all the time… a-act more like a friend. Any outsider would think you're just some bully and not my best friend ever since we were little… y'know?" Darn it, that sounded so awful… can I disappear please?! Like, now?!
"That's all?" she double-checked. I awkwardly nodded, not looking directly at her so she couldn't see my face being all red.
"You're boring," she sighed before grabbing the last tree sweet. Suddenly, she was in full concentration, lifting her arm to throw. Time for me to take revenge.
"Actually, I kinda hate you!" I shout just when she was in the process of throwing but, unlike me, she didn't even take notice of my words, throwing the tree sweet without disruption.
*splash*
And she hits the puddle; another game lost!
"Hooray!" she suddenly cheered, dancing around happily while rejoicing in her victory. Darn that Takari! She's a force to reckon with! Grumpily, I started trotting over to the puddle to gather all the tree sweets in one place in order for them to become an early, incredibly sour lunch. Oh that evil girl, I'll get back at you for this, mark my thoughts! To my utter annoyance and humiliation, she readily took a seat opposite to me, watching me fight with the sourness in obvious delight, watching me shaking my head and grimacing every so often. So annoying but what should I do? I lost the game after all.
"You know, Nishir… I think I'll think about it. About being less of a bully and all…" I almost spat out one of those sour tree sweets. Would she really do that though? I'd gain a lot since all the bullying would stop but… I'd also have to confess to her that I actually like her like… she's my crush! Though, I suppose that would be a one-time super-crazy challenge in return for an overall easier life. Come to think of it, why is it so embarrassing in the first place?! Why can't I just tell her?! Maybe it IS because I'm so afraid of being made fun of?! Argh, on second thought I...
"It's just… when I see you, I just can't help but tease you. I just can't hahaha!"
Yeah, go ahead. Laugh. At least one of us is happy, grrrrr… Takari held her stomach for a good while, laughing in an utterly silly manner. Well, at least that gives me some time to finish off a few more tree sweets while she is too busy to watch! Although, she quickly grew bored of that too...
"Say, Nishir," she eventually piped up as soon as watching me no longer entertained her, fully recovered from laughing at my expense as it seemed. "Actually, you are kind of liking me somewhere deep down, aren't you?"
I almost choked on my food when she brought that up, awkwardly coughing as her cute smile returned in full power.
"Hmm, I'm sure you don't hate me; you wouldn't play with me if you really hated me, right? Riiiiiiiiigght?"
"I, erm..." I was absolutely cornered, not knowing what to say.
"Your face is super red again by the way," she casually mentions with a light chuckle.
Are you even trying, Takari!? You just continue where you left off! I can't even be bothered to look at her face, instead staring at the pile of empty shells from my lunch as I finally stuff the last one into my beak.
"Look at me, silly, compared to those tree sweets I'm really nice, aren't I?"
"I beg to differ..." I muttered between my teeth but the girl must have heard it much to my bad luck.
"Sorry, could you repeat that, I couldn't understand the gist of what you were saying..." The tone of her voice was shifting, sounding almost devilish as she approached me.
"Nishir, do tell me."
"No..." I grunted, looking somewhere far away just to avoid her penetrating stare, her beak now way too close for my liking. Again!
"I do insist..."
"In your sleepstories..."
Suddenly, Takari started poking me in various places and I couldn't help but cry in hilarious laughter while trying to protect my sides from the worst but to no avail. Takari was laughing too, keeping it up for a short while until, abruptly...
"You're it!"
Her attack stopped as suddenly as it had begun. Suddenly, I saw her sprinting away and by the time I was able to recover, she was already far away. Darn it, another game she tricked me into! She is so irredeemable!
Over the course of the day, I lost almost all of our games, be it more rounds of tag (I got her once when she tripped over someone's tail, ha!) or word games. She beat me at practically everything and, at the end of the day, I eventually swam into the lake to fetch a few water flowers to make sure that the evening, at least, would be a little calmer and free from evil and obnoxious teases! Since I lost at so many games, she made me come with her to watch the Bright Circle depart from the sky, something she liked to do for whatever reason. I mean what's so special about it? It happens every day over and over again! Girls... the day I will understand them is the day the Bright Circle freezes over!
So, eventually, we were sitting at the sandy shore of the Big Water, the gentle waves occasionally flooding our feet and behinds but we didn't mind. We're swimmers and a swimmer who doesn't like the water is a dead swimmer! I simply sat there for a while, brooding about my numerous losses today while occasionally peering over to the girl who was playing with the flowers I got her earlier, apparently happy and without a worry in the world. Watching her absorbed in braiding the flowers into a crown of some kind was much more interesting than watching the Bright Circle slowly creep closer to the horizon over the neverending body of water. Couldn't that hot circle hurry it up?! However, in spite of the fact that I appeaced her with those flowers, I was being very careful lest she takes notice of me, observing silently because I'd bet my share of dinner that she would bring it up tomorrow upon noticing. The Bright Circle was about to touch the horizon when she suddenly turned her head towards me just when I happened to take another glance. Darn it, she noticed me after all!
"Are you watching me, Nishir?"
Although she formulated it as a question, her tone revealed that she already knew. Thankfully, she wasn't wearing the gleeful smile she would usually wear on such occasions but instead wore a more innocent and kind variation of it. I can't get out of this, can I?
"Ah, not exactly..." I stammered quickly, looking away immediately lest she catches my embarrassment. "I'm just a little bored and I run out of things to look at, y'know..."
"I see." She giggled a little before returning her attention to finishing the flowery crown while I returned to my thoughts. At least Takari was being considerate enough to keep her stinging remarks on-hold after I got her those! The Bright Circle had just begun touching the surface of the water somewhere far away when the girl addressed me again.
"Hey, Nishir." Apparently, she had finished the crown, now wearing it on her head rather proudly. "How does this look on me?"
"Just look at your reflection," I answered promptly as if that was the most obvious thing to do. However, I totally failed to see the purpose behind that question until she kindly unveiled it.
"I already did but..." she suddenly jumped to her feet and hunched down in front of me instead so that I couldn't avoid to look at her. "Well, I want to hear what you think about it." She poked me softly into my chest as she said that, wearing a curious smile that was actually devoid of any ill intent. Guess she's really serious about it so I'll just have to take a quick look. I can't deny it; she looks really cute while wearing it... I mean… cuter than usual… But I'd rather drown than tell her that!
"It looks... alright... I guess," I told her with some reluctance, keeping my glance at her as brief as possible. For a moment, she seemed to be a little disappointed but it was just for a split second before...
*poke*
"You're blushing again," she giggled while poking my cheeks which caused me to fall over in surprise. What the heck, Takari! Disgruntled, I sat back up while rubbing the sand off my back.
"So much for not bothering me when I kindly give you some of those..." I muttered which prompted her to giggle even more.
"Oh you, I'm just stating what's obvious," she said with a wink before putting on a more serious face. "I'm really happy you got me those though, it's not often that you're being such a kind dinosaur so I really savour those moments, you know?"
Look who's talking...
"Like I said, you, too, could be a little more kind once in a while!" I ranted immediately which caused the obnoxious but adorable girl to laugh once more. What a pain she is! Grunting, I returned my focus to the distant horizon again.
"Hey, want me to rub the sand out of your scales? It's because of me you fell earlier after all."
Now she's seriously trying to be kind just to get the last word and deny me a mental victory over her. Not on my beak!
"Nah, I can do it myself," I quickly denied her offer while shaking my head vividly.
"You're just embarrassed again, aren't you?"
"Oh shut it!" I ranted which made her laugh once again until she finally settled down next to me once more. Instantly, I inched away from her because, as always, she's getting too damn close! There's a thing called 'personal space' for the Bright's Circle's sake! The silence that suddenly reigned was a welcome state with only the gentle movement of the water making any sound at all. The Bright Circle was partly submerged now and one could actually see how it slowly crawled out of sight. I'm not denying it; it does look rather cool with all those colours in the sky and it has a tranquil feel to it that I can appreciate while it lasts. I guess Takari must really like it. Upon taking a daring side glance at her, I noticed that she seemed really enchanted by the scenery, staring into the distance with a dreamy look and a content smile. Gee, I wonder why she always comes here for this event?
"Say, Takari..." I spoke up hesitantly, earning the girl's attention easily.
"What's up, Nishir? You'd like a back scratch after all?"
This girl...
"O-of course not!" I shouted in irritation. "I'm just a little curious; why do you watch this like… almost every day, Takari? It always kinda looks the same, pretty cool, yes, but doesn't this get old rather quick? What do you like so much about it?"
A distant smile filled the girl's face as the Bright Circle finally disappeared, leaving only diffuse light and various shades of orange and red in its wake.
"I am just being thankful for all the good things that I can enjoy day after day," she said with a mysterious faraway voice which took me by surprise. "I know some dinosaurs think it's nonsense but I really do believe. The Bright Circle guides us in a way and it makes sure that we're doing well, spending us light and sometimes sending rainstorms to keep the plants that we eat moist and lush. I'm just being thankful for the sheltered life that we can have here in this beautiful place without much to worry about. You should do the same thing every now and then, Nishir."
Perplexed, I stared at the girl who was offering me an inviting smile. The way she had said these things left no doubt that she was being dead serious about this. Come to think of it, I don't think it's a bad thing to do as she does. My father would always say that we should be humble and thankful for the things we have that many others out there do not have. Safety, food, water... and, most importantly, home. This place was home for me and home was like… everything I ever cared about! I couldn't even imagine leaving it one day. The mere thought of it was absurd!
"I suppose it doesn't hurt if I do," I told her quietly, closing my eyes and thinking of all the things in my life that I hold dear. My beautiful home that protects me from all the dangers from outside, my loving family who's always there when I need them, even my annoying brothers and sisters! Takari, I may hate you most of the time but you're actually very high on that list too. Life without you would be... Well, I guess I don't even want to know. More peaceful and less stressful for sure but... I guess I would be a little lonely. Not that I'm ever admitting it!
Things got quiet for some moments as we both committed ourselves to being grateful and when I looked back up at the sky, some sky puffies had appeared where the Bright Circle roamed just a little bit ago. Guess we're getting a rainy night again, not that I'm complaining. Between night and daytime, I think I prefer nights easily since I'm sleeping anyway.
"Sky Puffies... their life must be interesting. As much as I love my home, sometimes I have to wonder what it's like to be outside... "
My gaze wandered over to Takari as she spoke up dreamily without warning and, it seemed, she was being quite serious about the things she said this evening. In general, she was being such a silly girl that it felt extremely odd to see her so docile and philosophical all of a sudden.
"Yeah, I know right?" I said without thinking much about what she had said.
"Those sky puffies are so lucky; they can see so much from way up there and they can go wherever they want. Sometimes I do wonder what the world out there looks like but, I guess, I'm just too happy here where I am."
I couldn't help but give this some thought after all. It was already odd that we were thinking about the same thing to begin with when we were usually so opposite.
"I feel likewise, Takari, but we have no real reason to go outside... if such a thing is even possible to begin with..." Indeed, it was pretty much impossible to enter or leave our little world. Flyers could cross the mountains, obviously, and the more versatile adults were capable of swimming way out there, past the sharp cliffs that also extended underwater, making the mere attempt utterly dangerous and silly.
It was nothing children like us could ever accomplish.
"That's right; we mustn't be too greedy," the girl said with a serious face. "We already have far more than our fair share is in the world we live in. We simply shouldn't ask for more."
Boy, this is such an unusual and awkward conversation.
"Yeah, you're right about that," I quickly agreed but the girl wasn't done talking yet.
"Still, I do believe that it's okay to be a little curious, don't you think, Nishir?" She smiled at me again so I quickly turned my head away lest I get reprimanded for blushing again. She giggled at my antics but said no more until a little while later when it was beginning to get seriously dark. We were just walking back to our nests when she suddenly said something that caught me off-guard.
"Imagine that you have to leave home and you can only take one person with you. Who would you pick?"
What kind of question is that even?! Give me a break you crazy girl!
"Uhh, I dunno," I eventually said, trying to avoid having to think about such an absurd thing but Takari was being unusually serious today and wouldn't accept such a sloppy answer.
"Give it a serious thought, Nishir. I'd like to know what you will answer."
Right... You just want to see me squirm over impossible decisions again, Takari! I know you too well; you can't fool me with this! I'm just picking someone important to me to get this over with quickly, just you watch!
"Ah, I guess I'd go with my mom then," I told her nonchalantly.
"Oh, I see," she promptly responded. "Any particular reason why it has to be her?"
Darn that girl, she's way too curious (and cute, don't give me that look, I beg you!) for her own sake!
"Oh you know... Between you and me, I'm less likely to be yelled at since my mother is not very strict."
"Ahaha, THAT is your reasoning?" Takari burst out laughing and I was pretty sure it was on my expense as usual!
"What's so funny about this?!" I yelled at her, my hands firmly on my hips like my dad whenever he was mad. So, actually, fairly often as me and my siblings were a constant source of chaos.
"Oh you know, it's just so you to say such a thing!" she replied, still giggling heavily. Gee thanks, it's so YOU to laugh at me for literally any bloody reason too! Seriously...
"Anyway," I grunted. "Who'd you pick?"
Takari soon regained her senses and stopped her silly laughter, instead appearing to be in a state of thoughtfulness for a little while.
"Who is it?" I urged her much like she liked to push me while trying to make a decision. Come on, Takari!
"Hmm, the dinosaur I would like to go with is the one that's dearest to me." She said that with an expression so convincing of being serious and yet she is trolling once again! I know she does, I do!
"And who might that be..." I deadpanned.
"Take a guess!"
I can't believe it...
"Seriously, I told you too! It's not fair, Takari!"
"If you can figure it out, I'll be less of a bully, Nishir," she tweeted happily before our paths separated. My nest was getting close now.
"You're so evil, just you wait!" I yelled at her but she barely took notice of my words, waving her arms and holding her flowery crown in it.
"See you tomorrow and thanks again for the flowers!"
Well, I guess I'm gonna give it a shot after dinner. As I trotted over to my nest, I began to wonder if Takari would even be able to hold that promise given how little she changed her attitude today even after receiving the flowers (well, she clearly did like those at least). Then again, it was awfully tempting for my best friend to be a little nicer to me.
In the end, I could not find any answer though and had I known what would happen the other day, I would have taken it a lot more seriously.
"Wow, your land sounds really cool!"
The smaller swimmer is looking at me with a bright, excited smile. I have barely just started my tale, Takari filling in whenever she sees it fit. We told our new brothers and our new sister about the beautiful home we once had and, while it was still there, still a paradise with everything a herd of swimmers needs, it would never be home again.
"Why did you have to leave your home then?"
"Yeah, it's probably even better than this place here, why'd you come here across the Big Water?"
"We had the best home we could ever have, that's true," Takari spoke up and, for the first time since we started telling the tale, I was actually glad that she was talking rather than me. "But... we had to leave it; there was no choice but to go..."
"What happened? Do not be sad!"
Children are amazing in some cases, I noted at that point. They didn't know us yet and, even so, they were already showing compassion for Takari who was clearly beginning to feel a little gloomy at the prospect of reliving what we had to go through once more. I am certainly surprised by the fact that they accepted us as part of their family already and treating us like family too. Through their innocence, they didn't judge. It was a state of mind I wish I could return to sometimes but part of the child in me, and most of my innocence, had been lost on that day.
"Let's get it over with, shall we, Takari?" I said in a calm, serious voice, patting her on her shoulder in a supportive manner. Exchanging a glance, we both nodded at each other before I started narrating…
Here is chapter 1 :)
I do hope I was able to introduce the two main characters effectively. Their antics may have dominated the chapter but believe me when I say that the focus of the story is not on comedy. I have simply designed these two to have an interesting dynamic that makes them stand out above the large crowd of generic OCs that many authors seem to add to their stories. If the comedy bothered you, don't worry, it'll be extinguished soon by the coming events. If you liked it, I may reuse these characters in future short stories and, besides, chapter 2 will make he transistion from their funny everyday life to the plot kicking in so you have another chapter to look forward to :D
But, yeah, let me know what you think, especially, about the first person narration. Personally, I really like it but I'm full of bias, of course :D