mermaid room (nsfw)

[devil_or_angle]

*when gon beckons killua into the aquarium room he's just found, killua expects to be able to walk up to the glass and watch the fish with him, not be teleported to the other side of it. his heart jolts into high gear as he thrashes about, knowing he didn't take a proper breath to hold before he found himself deep underwater. he tries to kick his feet to bring himself to the surface high above, but his legs seem to be bound together, and when he looks down, eyes wide with mortal panic, he realizes why.

they've been replaced with a long, glittering, fish tail.

the air he'd been desperately holding in his lungs escapes in a rush of bubbles from a couple of frilled vents along his ribs, and as he draws in a gasp of surprise, the water glides into them, bringing oxygen back to his brain. able to think clearly again, he blinks in wonder at the strange new appendage and manages to use it to push himself through the water and meet gon at the glass, holding his hand up to his through the barrier.*

Comments

[devil_or_angle]

*killua swims down to a big rock formation in the center of the tank, looking up to see if gon has successfully followed. the sight of him with his big puffy cheeks makes him burst into laughter.*

you're the funniest-lookin' mermaid i've ever seen!

*he looks around at the fish passing by, a hand on his scaled hip.*

have you ever caught any of these?

[gonmorow]

[Gon swims behind him, kicking off with his feet toward the rocks. Killua's comment makes him furrow his brows but he lets it go, as if he let his breath go he might drown. For the same reason, when Killua asks about the fish, he doesn't answer but nods. He points at a group of yellow and black fish.

Killua must be gloating about being the only one who can talk, he thinks.]

[devil_or_angle]

*killua watches the indicated fish swim by, features twisting with distaste.*

i think i'd feel weird eating them now. seeing as i'm kinda one of them.

*he beats his tailfin, then grins conspiratorially over at gon.*

think you can catch me?

[gonmorow]

[I'm gonna eat you, so you better swim fast! He mutters through inflated cheeks, but it's no use. It's just a muffled noise in the water that doesn't sound like what he said at all. Gon immediately braces himself to swim after him, finding a convenient start position on a rock and kicking off it after him. Lightly muscular arms help pull him through the water.]

[devil_or_angle]

*killua cackles at gon's muffled response, unable to understand a word of it but getting the jist -- he's on. killua lashes his muscular tail, cutting through the water with ease and gliding around the curved edge of the tank as gon chases after him. he glances over his shoulder, seeing his tail flash and glitter between him and gon, and grins.*

it's really not so hard to use, once you get the hang of it!

[gonmorow]

[Gon rushes through the water in bursts, trying to capture that beautiful, elusive fish with a tail like the moonlight. He fancied himself as someone who could catch anything, so he was up to the challenge. Never giving up, not even as Killua gains water on him and evades his grabs.

Gon's just getting frustrated when he remembers he has Nen. Then, an idea comes to mind. If he were to focus Nen in his feet and hands, he can beat against the water with greater ease and catch Killua before he becomes too used to his tail. Gon puts his plan into practice and it works even better than expected, sending him forward just enough for that gorgeous opalescent tail to be in reach.

Gon grabs it with both hands, wanting to shout in triumph.]

[devil_or_angle]

*starting to really enjoy himself, killua darts away from gon in zig-zags and flips, checking periodically over his shoulder to make sure he's keeping up the chase. gon seems to be always just out of reach, and he's so confident that he won't be able to catch up that he's shocked when he feels the boy's hands suddenly clasp around his tail, just above the fin. he twists around with a cry of protest, beating his tail to try and disengage him.*

hey! how'd you do that?!

[gonmorow]

[Gon wants to say "it's a secret!" as he holds onto the boy's tail tightly, determined not to let him go. This was the first time he'd gotten to touch it, so he's amazed at how real it is. How flexible and powerful it is, just like a real fish.

Just when he thinks he's caught the pretty mermaid, his dizzy head tells him he needs to swim. Now. Gon loses control of his Nen as he starts bolting for the top of the tank, swimming much slower than before because he's panicking, realizing they went down a really long way when they were playing.]

[devil_or_angle]

*killua's eyes widen as gon suddenly lets him go and kicks toward the surface like a startled frog.*

crap. time's up.

*with his heightened aquatic senses he can feel gon's panic, his frilled ears twitching as they pick up the vibrations of his rapid, air-starved heartbeat through the water. his own heart clutches in concern for him and he uses the very tail he'd just been fleeing him with to propel himself toward him, grabbing him around the waist and vaulting them both up to the surface.*

[gonmorow]

[Gon's heart picks up in his chest, thump-thumping frantically to warn him of his own imminent drowning. He loses hold of his breath and makes the mistake of inhaling in his panic. The rush of water makes the inside of his nose sting and he thinks he's done for until a strong arm around his waist pulls him swiftly up to the surface.

Gon gasps and heaves above water, leaning against Killua for support as he tries to catch his breath.]

I should've *Cough* paid better *Cough* attention! Blehhhh-- Thank you so *Cough* much..!

[devil_or_angle]

no problem, i've got you.

*relieved to see he's alright, killua pats and rubs gon's back, helping him hack up the water he'd gulped on the way up. his strong tail keeps them both afloat, swaying in the water beneath them along with the waves they'd stirred up in their ascent. gon really is lucky he was there -- island boy or not, he can't beat a mermaid's mastery of the water, even with whatever trick he pulled back there.*

hm, i guess the fish ended up catching you.

*he leans in closer and pulls a cheeky grin, flashing his fangs.*

how's it feel, now that the tables have turned?

[gonmorow]

[He has another coughing fit, this one being conclusive. Finally done, Gon takes a deep breath and plants a big kiss on Killua's cheek.]

Really good, 'cause I still have you anyway and you're a hero. [He sounds more pleased with himself than worried that he nearly drowned. And he is. It all worked out, after all.]

You're the coolest, you know that? Especially like this.

[devil_or_angle]

*killua's ego deflates immediately in the face of the affection, his frilled ears drooping bashfully as his cheek radiates a blush from the point gon kissed it. it's clear that all his bluster was just a bluff to disguise how relieved he was, and so is the pout he pulls now, releasing gon to cross his arms over his chest.*

well, what about you? that was a pretty cool trick you pulled back there, how'd you do it?

[gonmorow]

[Gon pays close attention to Killua, admiring the way his ears shyly dip down to betray his cool attitude. Gon kisses his obvious boyfriend's ear and pulls back with a big smile.]

Lots and lots of practice! Usually without almost drowning, heh.

[devil_or_angle]

*killua's ear flicks like a cat's when kissed and he rolls his eyes.*

not the breath-holding thing... well, that's cool, too. but how'd you catch up?

*whatever gon had tried back there it'd worked, at least until he realized he's run out of air. if killua hadn't just saved his life he'd have to concede that gon won.*

[gonmorow]

Ohhhh, you mean that! I want to say it's a secret, but I can't keep one from you.. I focused my nen in my hands and feet so I could kick and paddle faster. It really gave me a boost!

[He's curious what Killua might do with that information, how he might refine his own Nen in response. The prospect of getting better only serves to fire him up.]

[devil_or_angle]

huh… so you made your own flippers, eh?

*killua looks at his own hands, wondering if he could use them to enhance the power that his tail already holds. he grins at gon, already excited to try it.*

wanna have another go?

[gonmorow]

You bet!

[Gon finds another rock to kick off of and draws in another large breath, his cheeks all puffed and ready to go underwater. His Nen coalesces in his hands and feet.]

Ready when you are, fishie!

[devil_or_angle]

*killua smirks, lashing his tail beneath the water in anticipation.*

i'll stick to the surface this time so you don't drown yourself again.

*as gon fills his lungs, killua focuses his nen into his hands, shrinking its presence around the rest of his body so he can elongate them into paddles. to test them out, he lunges out of the water, slapping the surface with his hands to launch himself high into the air before splashing back down to begin the chase.*

[gonmorow]

[Gon watches in amazement at the stunt and shields his face when the whopping mass of fish boy inevitably hits the water, splashing all over him. When Killua returns to the water, Gon immediately takes to chasing him, pushing off the rock for a much more powerful start. He kicks and paddles his arms, hurdling straight for Killua even quicker than before. When he gets close he holds his arms out, ready to catch him again!]

[devil_or_angle]

*gon may be faster now with his nen-powered flippers, but so is killua, incorporating swift swipes of his own into his already-powerful strokes through the water to keep himself just ahead of gon. just when he's about to catch him, he pushes upward again to do another flip out of the water, shouting in exhilaration up above before splashing back down and darting away again, tail flicking tauntingly at gon.*

you'll have to try harder than that!

[gonmorow]

[Gon racks his brain trying to think of how he'll catch Killua now, but seeing his displays gives him an idea. If he can just chase him up to the surface again, he'll be vulnerable! His taunts have no effect, as Gon is even more fired up than before. Gon darts after him. Guesses where he's going to escape to and swims there instead, making sure Killua has no place to go but up.]

[devil_or_angle]

*killua streaks through the tank, zigagging to try and confuse gon but falling into his trap when he guesses his pattern and nearly intercepts him. killua, having vowed not to dive too deep to keep the game fair, thrusts upwards once again to break the surface, doing a nen-powered backflip above the water with a laugh of triumph.*

[gonmorow]

[Yes! When Gon sees him fly up, his eyes dart to the spot he thinks he'll hit the water and bolts for it, arms opening up to catch Killua as he breaches the surface again.]

[devil_or_angle]

*killua realizes his mistake as soon as he twists in the air and sees gon's grinning face beneath the surface, waiting for him to fall right into his arms.*

ehhh-?

*triumph giving way to indignance, he tries to flap his tail to change his trajectory, but it's too late. gon already has his grasp on him, clasping around his tail as he falls face-first into the water, their fronts smashing together with killua's face, unfortunately, pressed into gon's tight wet shorts.*