“Hello,” she calls softly, a smile spreading across her face.
I wrap a tentacle gently around her ankle in greeting, careful not to get her clothes wet. Her giggle makes my heart flutter.
“I have something to show you,” she says, turning her sketchpad around. My breath catches – or would, if I were in human form. She’s drawn me, my kraken form, with stunning accuracy. The way she’s captured the movement of my tentacles, the texture of my skin, even the intelligence she perceives in my eyes – it’s remarkable.
I squeeze her ankle in appreciation, and her smile brightens.
“I have a date later. I’m really looking forward to it, so I want to be back at my houseboat with plenty of time to get ready. But if I grab my kayak, maybe we could spend some time together first?”
Joy floods me – she wants to spend time with me in this form, to get to know this side of me, too. I squeeze her ankle again, tighter this time, trying to convey my enthusiasm.
Rose lets out an adorable little cheer and jumps up, tossing her sketchpad aside and grabbing her kayak. Together, we head out into open water, and once we’re far enough from shore with no other boats in sight, I carefully lift her from the kayak and place her on my back.
“Wait – what about the kayak?” she asks, laughing as we start to drift on the ocean currents.
I snag it with a free tentacle and swim to a nearby mooring. I secure the line, demonstrating the remarkable dexterity of my tentacles.
“Show off,” she teases, settling comfortably on my back.
We spend hours playing in the sparkling water together. I delight in making Rose laugh – splashing her with my tentacles, creating miniature whirlpools that spin her in dizzy circles, and lifting her high so she can dive off my tentacle into the water with joyful shouts. When she finally tires, Rose stretches out on my back to warm herself in the sun while I float peacefully, savoring her contentment.
Her sudden gasp makes me tense. “These scars,” she says softly. I had forgotten them while playing with Rose, but now my skin darkens at the memories they hold. Her finger traces one of the circular marks on my back, wider than a dinner plate. “Was it… was it another kraken?”
I tap her once to say yes, remembering the fight that would’ve killed me if Thalassor hadn’t saved my life.
“I’m so sorry,” she says softly, her hand gentle on my scarred skin. “That must have been terrible.”
I attempt a shrug with two of my tentacles, and Rose laughs despite the serious moment, her hand still resting on my back, tracing the scars with tender concern. We’ve worked out a few ways to communicate despite my kraken form – simple things like how my skin ripples in agreement, darkens in sadness or lightens with a shimmer to show happiness. I shift textures slightly in response, an unspoken reassurance that everything’s alright.
As the afternoon wears on, Rose talks about everything – her art, her life back home, her dreams. When she mentions her upcoming date with my human form, I can’t help the way my skin shimmers with interest, the color deepening as if to say,Tell me more.She smiles, catching the message, and her hand catches one of my tentacles that had been creeping closer to her, almost of its own volition. She laughs, playing with it, letting my suckers catch on her fingertips.
I freeze, realizing she doesn’t know my suckers can taste and smell the chemical signals on her skin. They tell me far more than her words – she’s developing deep feelings for me.
“Ireallylike him,” she admits softly, confirming what my sensors are telling me. My hearts soar at the confession, though her next words come tinged with worry. “But I have to leave in a week… what if I’m just a vacation fling?” Her voice trails off as she sighs. “I hate that I’ll have to leave you behind too. I’m so torn.”
My skin darkens with disappointment before I can control it, but Rose quickly pats my back. “Don’t worry,” she says. “I already know I’ll come back to visit you, even if things don’t work out with Levi. You’re as special to me as he is.”
The irony of her words makes my hearts ache. I want to tell her everything, to reveal that we’re the same person. But I’mafraid – afraid of how she’ll react, afraid of losing her trust, afraid that she’ll feel betrayed by the deception. Telling her the truth would mean exposing secrets that aren’t just mine to tell, and I haven’t found the right way to bridge that gap.
I feel a bit like an asshole, but in a way Rose is right. She is leaving in a week. Despite what my hearts want, revealing such an enormous secret would be foolish after knowing her for such a short time.
As we drift, I sense a familiar pulse in the water – a pod of humpback whales are nearby, their vast bodies shifting through the waves in slow, powerful movements. My skin shimmers with excitement, and I nudge Rose to get her attention.
“What is it?” she asks, propping herself up.
I point a tentacle toward the open sea and begin gliding in that direction. As I near the pod, one of the massive creatures erupts from the water beside us. Rose gasps as the whale arcs through the air, close enough that its splash rains down around us – a stunning display of raw power.
“Oh my god,” she whispers. “That’s incredible.”
The whales continue their graceful dance, breaching and diving, their tails lifting high before disappearing beneath the waves. I use my tentacles to guide schools of fish closer to them, and soon, the whales gather nearby, drawn by the easy meal. One of the largest swims close, almost brushing us, its vast dark eye looking us over with curiosity.
Rose leans forward, reaching out tentatively. “Can I…?”
My skin gives a shimmer of encouragement, and she extends her hand and touches the whale’s side as it glides past. Her fingers trail over its rough, barnacle-covered skin, and she laughs, a delighted, almost childlike sound.
“It feels so… so different than I expected,” she says, her voice filled with wonder. She runs her hand along the whale’s side,marveling at the ridged texture. “And their eyes… they’re so… wise.”
The whales glide around us in a peaceful dance until, one by one, they angle downward. The last whale rolls gently beneath us, showing its belly as Rose’s fingers brush its skin. Its eye meets hers for a moment before it, too, dives deep, leaving only echoes of their songs rippling through the water.
