It had been the flash of gold, the colour vivid against the dark blue of the night sea that had first caught his attention. It wasn't that Kei wasn't used to such colours, even in the darkened waters that he called his home, only emerging from his nest amongst the corals once the moon had touched the dancing waters above. As each evening was heralded by a festival of light, as creatures of the depths who cared little about his presence but for the protection, he offered them against humans that so rarely ventured this far out, rose to the surface. But that brilliant display was usually in reds and blues, and purples, not gold, and even though he knew the dangers of being too curious, tail twitching in remembered pain from a childhood mishap he couldn't resist. It was like the siren song that his kind was so often accused of using against sailors, as though they'd want to bring clumsy, oafish humans into their world.
For a moment, he almost forgot about what he was chasing, losing himself in the sensation of moving through the dark waters, that was as clear as day to him. There was a simplicity to life out here, and it was almost enough to call him back to dance and dart between the rising creatures and bask in the moonlight that he could see shimmering on the water above. But then he saw the flash of gold again, drifting away from him now, further out to sea and with a strong flick of his tail, he gave chase. Was it a treasure? Not the gold, and pearls that he had heard the humans talking about, but the human trinkets that sometimes drifted out here, strange objects made of even stranger material that he could only begin to guess the meaning of. His nest was full of such trinkets already, but it was always interesting to find something new, and it had been a while since anything had floated out this far. Or maybe, it was a new creature? It wouldn't the first time something odd had been brought by the currents, although sometimes he thought that it was the Sea God Tetsurō playing with him, as he always insisted that Kei should get out more and experience things beyond the reef.
He brushed against something, and whatever it was jolted at his touch and bolted, surging towards the surface, and for once giving in to his curiosity Kei gave chase. He was faster, his tail propelling him forwards with carefully measured flicks, and just before his quarry sprang up above the surface, he got a clear glimpse of what he now realised was a tail like his. And up here, where the moonlight lit up the waters, he realised that the scales – the gold that he had seen, was actually a breath-taking mix of burnished cold, and sun-kissed copper that glistened in the silvery light dancing on the waves. Then the tail was gone, as its owner arched themselves up and out of the water, and Kei faltered for a second before following, although there was no wild jump from him, as instead, he slipped above the surface, easily treading water as he watched with wide-eyes as the other merperson landed a good distance away. A shocking distance, he realised, as he got his first good look at the other one, realising that they were quite a bit smaller than him.
"I'm not going to hurt you!" He called, not sure why he felt the need to say that. Usually, he was more than happy to keep his distance from other merpeople, and even those whose company he did enjoy, he could only spend so much time around. Yet, he still felt the same pull that had called him to give chase, especially as the other merperson drifted cautiously closer, allowing him to get a good look at the wild, ginger hair flecked with the same sun-kissed copper in his tail, and the wide, almost alluring brown eyes that were watching him with a mixture of curiously and wariness. Beautiful, he thought to himself, although he schooled his expression, refusing to let that thought bleed through, but he couldn't drag his gaze away. "What are you doing out here?" He asked instead. After all, it was rare for any but those who knew him to venture out this far, especially late at night, as he was one of the few who liked to swim at night, preferring the gentler, more subtle glow of the moon to the brightness of the sun.
"Are you going to eat me?" Kei blinked at the unexpected question, trying not to get distracted by the voice that had sounded like waves dancing across the surface of the sea beneath a summer breeze, before scowling incredulously.
"What kind of question is that?"
"I was told that the mers out here were…strange." Brown eyes blinked, his expression one of innocent inquisitiveness and Kei felt his irritation ebbing away.
"I won't eat you, and whoever told you that was probably tricking you."
"Oh." He almost seemed disappointed by that, before he seemed to shake it off, darting closer so that they could see each other clearly now, a strange grace in the wild movements that were so different to Kei's own economic movements as he drifted closer. "I'm Shouyou by the way."
"Kei," Kei replied shortly, before tilting his head. "If you thought I would eat you, why would you come out this far?"
"I've never been out this far, and not at night," Shouyou span in the water, managing to spray Kei in the process, but he couldn't find it in himself to be annoyed as the other mer lifted his head to look up at the sky, a soft expression on his face. "It's beautiful," he breathed, and Kei had to agree, although his eyes remained locked on Shouyou, seeing the stars and moon reflected in the wide-eyes, the contrast between the silver light and the vibrant golds and coppers almost breath-taking. "Besides, what is life without a little adventure?" Shouyou added with a mischevious grin.
"Safer," Kei retorted, thinking about his cosy nest in the coral and the fact that he hadn't ventured far from here for months now, and yet as he glanced across at the other mer who had flopped onto his back, allowing himself to just drift with the gentle waves, for the first time he found himself wondering what it would be like to just go with the flow for once. "What would you have done, if I had actually tried to eat you?"
"Been eaten." The retort was accompanied by a flash of a tongue as Shouyou pulled a face at him before he flipped over so that the was facing Kei properly. "I could have got away, and I told my friends where I was going in case I didn't come back. Although I am not sure they believed me."
"I'm faster than you," Kei pushed, not entirely sure why.
"Maybe, but I can dodge faster and jump higher, so I could get away easily." There was a challenge in those words, probably the same daring that had lead to Shouyou being out here in the first place, and there was a small voice at the back of Kei's head telling him not to rise to it. The usual calm, sensible part of himself trying to restore some order, and yet as he glanced at the other merman, he couldn't help but want to rise to that challenge. To show him that out here, in his waters and under the light of the moon, he was more than a match for any mer. It was foolishness, and it was overwhelming and he growled low in his throat, not sure if he was more irritated with his own inability to remain calm and collected, or at Shouyou for bringing out this side of him.
"We'll see about that," he said, the only warning he gave before he darted forward with a strong thrust of his tail, feeling smooth scales beneath his searching fingers a split second before Shouyou sprang up and over his head. Landing gracefully behind him before shooting away with a series of almost, dolphin-like leaps and bounds, spinning as he cut through the water, and for a moment Kei was distracted just watching him. A treasure indeed, he thought, unable to remember the last time he had been so fascinated by anything let alone another merperson, not sure what to make of the quiver of excitement that had taken root in the pit of his stomach. Until he realised that Shouyou was peering back at him, his musical laugh carrying clearly across the open water, and his eyes narrowed before he gave chase once more, glad for the water and spray they were throwing up that hid his smile, as for the first time in a long time he allowed himself to relax and just enjoy the moment as he chased Shouyou beneath the moonlit sky.