It's automatic, you've gotta have it

[roundandaround]

WHO: Rinku, you
WHAT: Playing with animal transformation, research attempts, rolling gacha with touch energy, and watching a Sobble buy groceries.
WHEN: Early March
WHERE: Solarpeak, Amberfall, Nightwake
WARNINGS: Some NSFW discussion in threads

[1) Solarpeak Lake]

[There's a fish in the Solarpeak lake/pool today. A specific fish, and one that seems to be diving into the bottom of the pool and then dragging stuff up to the shore in its mouth. Mostly cool-looking seashells, come to think of it... What's with that?

Anyone who comes to shore to check it out will be greeted by the fish speaking in Rinku's voice when she surfaces.]

Hi! Are you looking for shells too?

[2) Amberfall Library]

[Rinku's last trip in here to try and study didn't go well, mostly because she's really bad at it. But she's trying it anyway, and right now, with a basket full of romance novels (again?), she's wandering the cookbook section with a growing frown.]

There's a lot of books about cake, but I don't see any about blood yet...

[3) Gacha Arcade]

[Hey, remember the Gacha My Heart quest? Because that game store's still going strong, including the machines that run on touch energy, and Rinku is all over it today. This time, she's hit up a machine that advertises gift certificates for restaurants around the city. She pulls a ticket and reads it over.]

Aww, please play again? Okay!

[She looks and waves to the nearest person.]

Oh, hey, can you help? I'll need more touch energy to pull a bunch more!

[4) Grocery Store]

[Rinku is outside a grocery store, peering in from behind a telephone pole. If someone approaches, she'll look over, wave, and whisper to them.]

Shh! I'm following to make sure Mecchan does okay. He's on his first errand!

[Sure enough, when she points toward the shop doors, there's her Sobble, dragging a shopping tote bigger than he is behind him into the store and holding a shopping list in the other hand.]

Comments

[roundandaround]

Huh... like this?

[Rinku straightens out like a board, to the point where she starts to sink, and then tries to push herself up forward.]

[urtitan]

Not quite! I didn't explain it very well, did I? You want to streamline your body, but not tense up your muscles to the point where it inhibits your movement. Like this!

[She demonstrates pushing herself ahead with some strong strokes of her tailfin, speeding through the water with her arms at her sides.]

See? I'm only beating my fin, the rest of my body stays flexible but doesn't move much!

[She'll demonstrate, explain and assist Rinku until she's able to swim like a proper mermaid - it really is much faster than a human (though not as fast as Jade with his long eel body).]

[roundandaround]

Wooow!

[Rinku lights up. She follows Frieda, trying out the same movements happily.]

You're doing great, Frieda-chan! You really love this stuff, don't you?

[Mecchan gives a supportive warble and goes back to playing, shooting out rings of water for Karpje and Hina to try and jump/fly through.]

[urtitan]

I do!

[The pokémons' play draws her attention for a moment, and she laughs at the juxtaposition of the Magikarp's hefty splashes and the Zubat's light-winged zipping.]

Now, let's see how many more shells we can collect as mermaids, shall we? Are you running out of them?

[She knows that Rinku likes giving them away to others, so she just be in need of a restocking!]

[roundandaround]

No, I still have tons and tons! So I don't wanna take too many. But I was looking to see if there was anything really cool!

[Rinku smiles and swims over to Frieda, grabbing her hand in both of hers.]

What kinds of shells do you like, Frieda-chan?

[urtitan]

[She feels a surge of affection at that gesture. Rinku is so effortlessly loving, who couldn't feel happy around in her presence? She twirls her around in a slow circle, which is easy in the water.]

Aren't all of them nice? Even the plain ones! You just need to look closely to see how beautiful they are. But my favourite is the one I got from you!

[She means it! That seashell sits on her bedside table.]

[roundandaround]

「Happy Around!」

[Rinku giggles and twirls happily.]

Thanks a lot, Frieda-chan! I think so too. They're all treasure, after all. And I always wanna make you feel better.

[urtitan]

You do!! Believe me, you do.

[She always knew that Rinku sincerely believed in her, but feeling her love, trust, and faith first-hand was a whole different experience.]

I told you, this world is more beautiful for having you in it.

[She gives her a squeeze! With the sunlight breaking through the water and the shadows of their pokémon jumping and dancing around, it's such an idyllic day that she can forget all her worries for a while.]

[roundandaround]

[Rinku hugs and snuggles back.]

Thanks. I just had a feeling lately... A feeling you were sad, and I couldn't help if I tried. So I'm glad you're doing okay.

[Cluelessly, the Pokémon play nearby. Hina squeaks like she's trying to sing, while Mecchan swims around.]

[urtitan]

You help me all the time, Rinku. Even when there's nothing you can do about my problems, having you as my friend gives me the strength I need to not despair over them.

[She means it whole-heartedly. Giving Rinku's hand another squeeze, she lets go and beats her tailfin to dive deeper.]

Now, let's see what we can find!

[roundandaround]

[Rinku's eyes go wide. She nods and follows down after Frieda, heading toward the bottom.

The Solarpeak lake/river system is one giant constructed pool, and Rinku lights up at everything she sees. She pauses for a moment to watch some fish move by, then gets distracted by some clams, glances back up at the Pokémon playing on the surface to make sure everything's okay, and then swims to catch up to Frieda.]

There's so much here! Do you swim here all the time?

[urtitan]

Every day! It may not be as exciting as the Great Ocean Lake, but it's nice to have a safe place to swim in, isn't it?

[They may never find out who put fish and clams in this artificial sea, but all the rest - the sediment and water plants and more mobile animals, such as the water birds - seem to naturally have settled in over time. It's still not the same as a natural lake, but it's a biosphere in its own right at this point.]

Almost all our meals come from here - well, and from our garden.

[Jade will swallow entire fish whole whenever he thinks she isn't watching, and since he's obsessed with land plants - mushrooms especially - they set up multiple large soil-filled boxes and barrels and pots to grow vegetables in. It's a good life, all things considered.]

[roundandaround]

Wow, really! That's so cool!

[Rinku makes a happy noise. She nearly bumps into something sticking out of the silt, reaches in, and pulls out... a broken thermostat, with a bit of effort.]

...eh? I guess the litter patrol missed someone... but why a thermostat?

[urtitan]

Hm... people will throw just anything away. Maybe it belonged to a fancy boat?

[Learning of temperature control devices almost blew her mind, but she can imagine that rich people would want it to be cool in her boat's cabin in the Solarpeak heat... then again, that type of person wouldn't just rip it off the wall and throw it in the water, even if it were broken, would they?]

[roundandaround]

I dunno. I don't wanna leave it here, though.

[Rinku gathers the pieces amd starts looking around the floor of the lake.]

Do you see anything cool?

[urtitan]

Hm...

[Swimming to and fro a little, she does spot a beautiful big spiral shell - but when she picks it up, the hermit crab inside jolts and pulls its legs in protectively.]

Aw! Someone's living in this one! We can't have it!

[She gently sets is back down and watches the crab scurry away.]

You know, Rinku, I'm happy even if I don't find anything. I already have everything I need.

[The real treasure is the shared mermaid time!]

[roundandaround]

[Rinku giggles and waves at the crab as it runs away.]

Really? There's nothing you want in the world at all, Frieda-chan? That sounds nice.

[urtitan]

Oh, there are things I want - but nothing material.

[She lets herself sink down on her back, looking up at the light above and extending a hand as if to reach for the sun.]

I want hope for my world, a future for my people, happiness for my family... but those are wishes that may be too big for a single person.

[roundandaround]

[Rinku settles down beside her, looking up at the Pokémon playing.]

Maybe. But it's not just one person who wants everything to turn out right. It's lots of people! So if we all work hard together and do what we can, then I bet everything'll be good.

[urtitan]

That's true.

[She thinks of her fellow Eldians who vetoed all her ideas, but are putting their faith in the Research Centre. She remembers, too, what Levi said about the curse of the titans being broken within everyone's lifetime - well, the survivors'. Turning to Rinku, she smiles.]

My faith may not be as strong as yours, but I won't give up on hope until my last breath!

[She'll believe in herself because Rinku believes in her!]

[roundandaround]

[Rinku lays down and snuggles on Frieda, making happy noises.]

I definitely believe in you! There's stuff I'm scared of, too. I think it's the same for everyone. Neechan... She did something because she couldn't wait on the Research Centre anymore, or wait for everyone who's been trying so hard to find a solution.

[Little does she know that not only does Frieda already know this, the fallout of that inspired the aforementioned ideas.

But something, maybe an echo of the dream of her heart, pushes her to confess further.]

I've been trying my best to be happy for her. Even though she promised she wanted to stay here, in the life we all built in Ellipsa. That that was what she'd asked for. She's going to a whole other world because she didn't have a choice. And I knew I didn't have the right to be sad about it, even though I was already afraid of her going away.

At your guys's Yuletide party, someone lit one of those candles that makes people confess what they're really feeling. If they hadn't, I probably never would've told Neechan how I felt about it. Or anyone.

[urtitan]

[To hear that it was her Candle of True Feelings that brought about such an important talk between Rinku and Evangeline makes Frieda feel like she did the right thing in lighting it. She's grateful that, no matter how indirectly, she was able to support them.

Holding on to Rinku, her expression turns wistful.]

Evangeline had the right to make the choice she made, but that doesn't mean that you can't be sad about it. Separation from a sister is always painful.

[She would know.]

When you told her, what did she say?

[roundandaround]

[Sniff. Rinku hugs Frieda and nods.]

It surprised her. It made her feel bad, too. She said it wasn't that she didn't love us anymore, home was still here, but she couldn't go back to the City and hope someone could find a way to save them in time.

[Rinku sniffles again and hugs Frieda tighter.]

She even tried to find another way... But I can't let her go back there, she couldn't go back there, she looked terrified. [squeeze] The... the best anyone has is to keep putting faith in the Research Centre and Fajra-chan and anyone else who's been working hard for years about it, but by that time she'll probably be happy in that other world anyway. But she did say.

[urtitan]

[Even though it makes her sad to see Rinku so conflicted, it feels comforting to hold her in her arms at the bottom of this safe, clear sea. Stroking her hair and seeing it float up whenever her hand passes, she reflects on her own experiences in Evangeline's world.]

You're both right. We can't let Evangeline go back to the City, nor could she leave her parents there. It's... it's a cruel place. Have you ever seen it?

[In a simulation, or in a dream, or in one of those Memory Portals she heard about?]

[roundandaround]

[Rinku shakes her head, holding onto Frieda.]

Not a lot. Neechan showed me a few things, but nicer memories. She's told me a lot of stuff she thinks is normal, and every time, it scares me. It makes me wanna fix it, even if she says it's probably not possible.

[Squeeze.]

And I met dream versions of a couple Abnormalities. Fragment of the Universe-chan and the Dreaming Current-chan. They were both really nice, I can see why they're her friends! But Neechan told me even they both do a lot of damage and hurt or kill people without meaning to.