Minami Kotori/Sonoda Umi, Love Live! no tags, selkie au 815 words
Umi’s hand was warm, clutched in Kotori’s grasp as the two of them waded into the sea, the wind whipping through their hair as if urging them to turn back. Kotori pushed through it; she couldn’t let Umi get stolen back again, by the wind or the frantically waving figure on the shore, begging for her to return. Beside her, Umi soldiered on, her face hard and determined, her sealskin held firmly to her chest. It had been clear from the start that she didn’t belong on land, and didn’t want to.
The two girls made their way over to the rocks out in the shallow ocean and climbed up, Umi extending a hand to Kotori when she slipped and yelped in surprise. She was full of grace and confidence, nothing like the fearful selkie girl Kotori had first stumbled across on the beach months ago, trapped and imprisoned on the land without her sealskin. Even now Umi held her sealskin tightly to her, as if she were afraid it would suddenly vanish.
When they finally got to the rock, Umi stood on the edge, gazing into the horizon. “It’s beautiful,” she murmured.
“So are you,” Kotori said cheerily, smiling at the blush that tinted Umi’s ears and cheeks. “Kotori, that wasn’t fair!”
“But it’s true.” She sat down on the edge of the rocks and patted the space next to her, feet dangling in the open air. “Umi-chan, sit next to me.”
Umi did so without hesitation and Kotori leaned into her, watching the sun rising slowly in the distance. For a while neither of them said anything and just watched the sky change colour, lightening from a dark grey into a bright blue landscape splashed with pale pink, orange and yellow. Their pursuer had given up long ago, and they were undisturbed.
When the rising sun cleared the horizon, Kotori said, “I’m going to miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too,” Umi replied, her voice low. Then, she sat up, turning to face Kotori. “But I’ll come back. I promise.”
Kotori laughed a little. “But you’re free now! You don’t need to-”
“Kotori, I don’t break my promises.” Her tone was firm, but then it quietened again. “I want to come back. I…” She swallowed. “Sometimes, I do wish you could come with me.”
“I would if I could.” Kotori smiled back at her. “But I’m a human! And I like being one. Just as you’re a selkie, and you wouldn’t change that either. We can still see each other regardless, right?”
Umi laughed, the sound like the clear bells of the seaside town and the gentle lap of waves on the beach. “You’re always so positive, even in a situation like this.”
She stood up, holding her sealskin out in front of her, and then released two of the corners, letting it billow out over the ocean, fluttering out from the rock like a flag. Kotori watched, breathless, as Umi took the sealskin and wrapped it around her shoulders, covering her delicate white dress, pulling the top up over her head like a hood. Kotori could tell how relaxed and happy she was like this, at the prospect of going back to the ocean, and it filled her with joy to see.
“I have to go,” Umi said. The wind caught the bottom of her sealskin, causing the soft grey fur to dance in the wind. “Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for me, Kotori.”
Kotori swung her legs up onto the rock and jumped up, leaning in to press a quick kiss to Umi’s lips. “No, thank you,” she chirped, pausing to smile fondly at Umi’s startled expression. “Good luck out there. I know they’ll all be happy to see you!”
Umi relaxed. “I hope so.” Stepping closer to the edge of the rock, she reached out and gave Kotori’s hand a little squeeze, a rare display of unprompted affection. “Goodbye, Kotori. I’ll see you again soon.”
Kotori squeezed back. “I’ll be waiting, Umi-chan.”
She stepped away, giving Umi space as she stepped off the rock, sinking slowly below the surface of the water. When she resurfaced, she was no longer the girl Kotori was familiar with, but a beautiful dark grey seal, swimming gracefully among the waves. She waited on the rock, stood there on bare feet and in her blue summer dress, as Umi faded to nothing more than a dot on the horizon.
Kotori wasn’t sad. Maybe a little bit, but most of her was hopeful, eagerly awaiting the day when Umi would return to the village to see her. After all, like she’d said, Umi never broke promises.
Turning around, she climbed back down the rocks, wading back through the shallow waters. Her face felt fresh and her heart sang a morning song, full of memories from the past few months, and happiness for Umi’s freedom.
FILL: Team Kominato Ryousuke/Kuramochi Youichi, G
no tags, selkie au
815 words
Umi’s hand was warm, clutched in Kotori’s grasp as the two of them waded into the sea, the wind whipping through their hair as if urging them to turn back. Kotori pushed through it; she couldn’t let Umi get stolen back again, by the wind or the frantically waving figure on the shore, begging for her to return. Beside her, Umi soldiered on, her face hard and determined, her sealskin held firmly to her chest. It had been clear from the start that she didn’t belong on land, and didn’t want to.
The two girls made their way over to the rocks out in the shallow ocean and climbed up, Umi extending a hand to Kotori when she slipped and yelped in surprise. She was full of grace and confidence, nothing like the fearful selkie girl Kotori had first stumbled across on the beach months ago, trapped and imprisoned on the land without her sealskin. Even now Umi held her sealskin tightly to her, as if she were afraid it would suddenly vanish.
When they finally got to the rock, Umi stood on the edge, gazing into the horizon. “It’s beautiful,” she murmured.
“So are you,” Kotori said cheerily, smiling at the blush that tinted Umi’s ears and cheeks. “Kotori, that wasn’t fair!”
“But it’s true.” She sat down on the edge of the rocks and patted the space next to her, feet dangling in the open air. “Umi-chan, sit next to me.”
Umi did so without hesitation and Kotori leaned into her, watching the sun rising slowly in the distance. For a while neither of them said anything and just watched the sky change colour, lightening from a dark grey into a bright blue landscape splashed with pale pink, orange and yellow. Their pursuer had given up long ago, and they were undisturbed.
When the rising sun cleared the horizon, Kotori said, “I’m going to miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too,” Umi replied, her voice low. Then, she sat up, turning to face Kotori. “But I’ll come back. I promise.”
Kotori laughed a little. “But you’re free now! You don’t need to-”
“Kotori, I don’t break my promises.” Her tone was firm, but then it quietened again. “I want to come back. I…” She swallowed. “Sometimes, I do wish you could come with me.”
“I would if I could.” Kotori smiled back at her. “But I’m a human! And I like being one. Just as you’re a selkie, and you wouldn’t change that either. We can still see each other regardless, right?”
Umi laughed, the sound like the clear bells of the seaside town and the gentle lap of waves on the beach. “You’re always so positive, even in a situation like this.”
She stood up, holding her sealskin out in front of her, and then released two of the corners, letting it billow out over the ocean, fluttering out from the rock like a flag. Kotori watched, breathless, as Umi took the sealskin and wrapped it around her shoulders, covering her delicate white dress, pulling the top up over her head like a hood. Kotori could tell how relaxed and happy she was like this, at the prospect of going back to the ocean, and it filled her with joy to see.
“I have to go,” Umi said. The wind caught the bottom of her sealskin, causing the soft grey fur to dance in the wind. “Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for me, Kotori.”
Kotori swung her legs up onto the rock and jumped up, leaning in to press a quick kiss to Umi’s lips. “No, thank you,” she chirped, pausing to smile fondly at Umi’s startled expression. “Good luck out there. I know they’ll all be happy to see you!”
Umi relaxed. “I hope so.” Stepping closer to the edge of the rock, she reached out and gave Kotori’s hand a little squeeze, a rare display of unprompted affection. “Goodbye, Kotori. I’ll see you again soon.”
Kotori squeezed back. “I’ll be waiting, Umi-chan.”
She stepped away, giving Umi space as she stepped off the rock, sinking slowly below the surface of the water. When she resurfaced, she was no longer the girl Kotori was familiar with, but a beautiful dark grey seal, swimming gracefully among the waves. She waited on the rock, stood there on bare feet and in her blue summer dress, as Umi faded to nothing more than a dot on the horizon.
Kotori wasn’t sad. Maybe a little bit, but most of her was hopeful, eagerly awaiting the day when Umi would return to the village to see her. After all, like she’d said, Umi never broke promises.
Turning around, she climbed back down the rocks, wading back through the shallow waters. Her face felt fresh and her heart sang a morning song, full of memories from the past few months, and happiness for Umi’s freedom.