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Chapter Text

It was late morning when Mualani finally crawled out of bed, sick of trying to sleep when the sun kept shining through her blankets. Besides, it was summer in Natlan and her windows were right in the way of the sun, heating her house far too warm for her liking.

 She kicked her covers off with a grunt, still lazy and unwilling to put in much effort. She checked the calendar hung up above her desk; there were tours this week, no contests, and no meetings… However, the bright blue highlighter, underlined three times and circled four, was a big picture of a shark. “Introduce the twins!”

“Shoot…” Mualani muttered, eyes widening slightly. How could she forget? Today was the day she’d show Kachina and Kinich her family friends. It was supposed to go really smoothly, like she’d all planned out, but given that she was already thirty minutes behind schedule, she’d really have to pull her weight to make it work.

She beelined for her counter, grabbing her sash and a protein bar she’d left out the night before, scrambling out the door. The surfer waved hi to all the tribemates that greeted her, but she made sure to cut the small talk so she could sprint faster, talk later. In no time flat, she ended up at the twins’ house, panting heavily. 

“..hey…! Ya in here?” She gasped, leaning on one of the wooden supports on their porch. “It’s me… Mualani…!” Lucky for her, it seems they’d clearly forgotten too, because a very sarcastic blue haired girl flung the door open, sticking her face out and nearly hitting the surfer in the head. 

“What? I thought you were busy today.” Huffed the girl at the door. “Sorry, Marina. I forgot I was supposed to take you and your brother to meet my friends today. Uhm. If you didn’t plan anything today, I think I can still work with the schedule.”

“One sec.” Marina said, sticking out her finger before slamming the door. Mualani wasn’t even trying to listen in, but she could clearly hear the girl’s shouting through the door.

“Mako! You busy today? Okay, good! Mualani’s dragging us along somewhere!”

Mualani could only assume Mako had made his quiet response somewhere between Marina’s yelling. The door flew open again, this time Mualani was prepared, stepping back as it slammed into the wall it was mounted on.

“We’re free.” Marina replied, hand on her hip. “Let’s go, Mako can catch up.”

“Are you sure? I don’t wanna leave him behind-”

Marina sighed and grabbed Mualani’s wrist, dragging her along. “C’mon, let’s just go.”

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Kachina tapped her boot on the bench, impatiently waiting. “Didn’t Mualani say she had someone she wanted us to meet today?” She said, turning her head to look up at Kinich, who was seated beside her. 

“I doubt she forgot. She probably just got wrapped up in something else, but she’d never miss a planned event.” The hunter replied, tightening his bandana from the back. “Yeah, you’re right. I wonder what they’re like? Do you think they’ll be similar to her?” The girl asked, kicking her feet to occupy her boredom. “Probably not. She mentioned some theory about ‘opposites attract’.” Kinich pointed out, standing up from his spot on the bench. “They’re here.” Kachina immediately snapped to attention, back straight, pleasant expression. Her parents had always taught her to make a good impression when meeting new people. 

“Sorry we’re late!” Mualani called, stumbling towards her friends, the twins in tow. “So, there’s two very important someones I’d like you to meet! This is Marina and her brother Mako. They’re from my tribe! Say hi, you two!”

Marina smiled and waved in response, opening her mouth to talk. “Hiii, I’m Marina, I don’t really know how to do introductions, but I’m a lot of fun. That I can promise. And this is Mako, like Mualani already said. He’s-” Mako nudged his sister slightly, clearing his throat. “Marina… I can introduce myself this time. Uh, hi. You can call me Mako. Or uh, don’t call me anything at all. I’m uh… not very talkative.”

Kachina seemed to relax at the two introductions, happy that neither of the twins were positively terrifying and intimidating. They seemed around Mualani and Kinich’s age, further making life easier for the girl. Meanwhile, Mako had buried his head in Marina’s shoulder, dark hair covering his face while he repeatedly smacked his skull against his sister’s arm, like someone banging their head against a wall out of frustration. She looked extremely used to this, talking like nothing was happening whatsoever.

“Don’t mention his ‘introduction’. He might genuinely never leave the house again if you bring it up.” Marina sighed, giving her sibling a small side eye. “Alright, and twins, this is Kinich, from the Scions of the Canopy. And the little one is Kachina of the Children of Echoes.” Mualani said, pointing to each person. “Now this is the part where you all get along and be friends.” She added, winking. 

Kachina piped up, her high pitched tone voicing an important question. “Uhm… Mualani? Did you plan anything for us to do to get to know Marina and Mako? Because neither me nor Kinich are the best at socializing with no purpose.” 

The surfer widened her eyes, like she’d just remembered something. “Oh, oh! Of course, how could I forget? Let’s go to the Weary Inn to grab lunch. All on me! Just order whatever you want.” “Oh, you don’t have to tell me twice.” Marina snorted, running past Mualani, who chased her with a grin. “Wait, Marina, you can’t-” Mako reached his hand out, like he was trying to hold his sister back, but then let it slack against his body. 

“-run in the stadium. Are those two really racing right now?” The soft-spoken boy said, judgingly, navy blue eyes holding only the mildest droop of annoyance. 

“I’d join them if I could, honestly. But even I couldn't think to run somewhere as busy as this. Seems a bit irresponsible.” Kachina muttered, eyes locked on the two racing girls until they ran out of sight. 

“Interesting how a child is more socially correct than two grown adults.” Kinich looked to Kachina, then Mako. “It’s like they feed off each other’s energy or something,” Mako replied quietly, fidgeting with his kaholasaur tooth necklace. “Marina causes problems, Mualani doesn’t see the problem and joins in, and then small problem becomes big problem. But this one seems harmless enough.”

“It’s lucky for them that the stadium is mostly empty today, or I’m sure they’d have angry people shouting at them to watch their step.” The saurian hunter observed, picking up his pace. “Though, we should probably catch up.” 

The little girl nodded in response. “Agreed.”

With that, the three speed-walked to the inn, where Mualani and Marina had already entered, the door still slowly closing from when they’d opened it.

Chapter Text

Kinich caught the door right before it shut, holding it for Kachina and Mako before he stepped in himself. Mualani was halfway through her sentence of asking the waitress to find her a table for six, with Marina correcting it to five.

“Man, you are dense.” The green eyed lifeguard elbowed Mualani, who gave her a casual eyeroll in response.

“Sometimes I just get a bit excited and forget how to manners and math. Never been my strongest two qualities anyhow. I thought that was worth mentioning,” the surfer retorted, grinning. “And if we’re getting onto me for interesting personality traits, let’s talk about your drawing skills.” 

The lifeguard raised both her eyebrows. “Nope. Drawing genes definitely went to my brother. Nobody should ever let me pick up a pen again, unless it’s to sign a contract that specifically says “Marina Selachi is NEVER allowed to doodle.”

Mualani laughed sharply, and Kachina chuckled too, despite thinking she was eavesdropping quite well. Both girls noticed, but didn’t mind the younger girl listening in on their conversation.

“That’s a nice tan you’ve gotten! Did you use any weird home recipes?” Mualani said, holding up Marina’s arm to the light. “Wait, you’ve been wearing sunscreen, right?”

“Of course! What kind of example would I be to the kids if I showed up at the beach peeling like an apple? A dang bad one, that’s for one.” The lifeguard huffed indignantly. “I just tan fast, good genes, I guess?”

“It can’t be genes, no way!” Kachina said, shaking her social anxiety out of her voice. “M-Mako’s about as tan as the winter snow. Uh, please don’t take offense.” The little girl added, suddenly afraid she’d make the conversation awkward if she embarrassed the unfamiliar person.

“None taken.” He replied, sweeping a bunch of fluffy navy hair out of his eyes so he could see. “I mean… your theory might be correct. We probably do have quick tanning genes, I just, uh… don’t go outside much.” He said the last part like he was slightly embarrassed, turning to the side just a bit and fidgeting with his earring, which nobody seemed to notice.

“I have a nice tan, but it could be a lot nicer if soooomeoneee agreed to come along with me more often. The beach is no fun when my brother isn’t there.” The lifeguard explained, throwing a sidelong glance at Mako.

Mualani laughed at that, looking at Marina. “What about me? Am I not interesting enough to hang out by the shore with you? You could watch over the crazy tourists I’m trying to keep under control! Some of them seriously have no experience surfing, and I’m not going to lie, I sometimes laugh at them when they fall in the water.”

“Isn’t that just glorified humiliation entertainment? I mean, to each their own, I suppose. I didn’t think that was something you’d find interesting, Mualani.” KInich said without looking up from his menu.

“Well, that’s one way to put it,” Kachina replied, peering over Mualani’s shoulder to freeload off her menu since she was given that wretched kids’ one. “What’re you going to get, Kinich?”

“In all honesty, I already ate this morning, and it would be unfair to make Mualani pay my cut, so I’m not ordering.” The hunter admitted, folding his menu and passing it to Kachina. “You can have mine.”

The waiter arrived soon after with his notepad and pen at the ready. “What can I get for you today?”

To say the food ordered was in assortment would be a massive understatement. They had everything from the sugariest dessert (ordered by Kachina, of course), to a straight-up rare steak (surprisingly, ordered by Mako), Mualani and Marina were sharing a spicy pineapple thing they’d found and couldn’t pronounce, and Kinich was being Kinich, and having nothing.

“Rare steak… don’t get sick,” Mualani warned, eying Mako suspiciously. “Don’t be like your projectile vomit sister after one drop of alcohol.”

“Uhm, my stomach should be used to it.” He reassured her, the stutter in his voice making it, ironically, the least assuring thing possible. “I’ll know if it isn’t.”

“I really didn’t think you were the rare meat kind of person, Mako,” Kachina said, taking a sip of her water while constantly checking if her desserts had arrived. “I honestly thought you were vegan with that demeanor.”

“Is that good or bad? Does that mean I’m like, compassionate, or secretly nasty?” The diver inquired, genuinely concerned about the little girl's comment. “Please say reason one, even if you actually think it’s two.”

“Oh, neither, I guess I sort of just… sensed your vibe? I feel like you’d be the type of person to value animals far too much to eat them,” Kachina hypothesised, based on thoughts alone.

“That was startlingly on point, Kachina,” Marina said, clapping slowly and lightly. “Mako’s a regular with all the sea animals, at least, the ones by the People of the Springs Village. So, congrats, it looks like you can read minds now.”

“A familiar with the sea animals… Ah, so, marine biologist.” Kinich guessed.

Marina and Mako both shook their heads.

“Professional diver?”

Not it.

“I concede.” He said, curious to hear what the boy actually did for a living. Was it water-related in the slightest?

“I’m a photographer, actually. And an artist.” Mako said, trying to speak up but still coming out somewhat quietly. “It doesn’t make great money, but I love my job so much I hardly care.”

“Yep.” Marina nodded. “Unfortunately for me, that means I gotta bring in the big bucks. Work overtime so my brother can have his little hobby.” She boasted, more proud of her achievements than making fun of her brother’s apparent lack thereof. “I don’t really mind. I mean, I like my job too, and the pay is already pretty good. I mean, all I have to do is sit on my high chair and scream at children. Dream career! Who wouldn’t want my job?”

Mualani and Kachina both laughed, and as the group was starting to get along, the waiter brought in the food they’d ordered ten or so minutes prior. “Thanks,” Mulani said, acknowledging the server. 

“Well, I’m excited to dig in,” Kachina mumbled, awestruck at the desserts lying before her. “Woah… this thing’s almost bigger than me!” Her big eyes looked up at the towering confection she’d ordered. “Well, better get started now, or else I’ll never finish it.”

Marina passed a spoon to Mualani, scrunching her nose in confusion when looking at their shared meal. “Okay, what in Celestia am I looking at right now?” She spun the plate around with her fingertips, and it rotated smoothly on the polished table. 

“I have no idea. That’s why I ordered it.” The surfer responded, also sticking her head out to look at what the heck she’d gotten herself and Marina into.

“Bon appetite?” The lifeguard shrugged. “Do I sound Fontainian?” 

“Nope. Nowhere close. Keep it up, maybe one day you’ll be able to show up at the Nation of Justice with your dignity intact.” Mualani joked back, earning a scoff out of Marina.

Mako slowly turned his head down to gaze at the (damn near raw) steak before him, expression barely changing, but eyes sparkling like diamonds. He picked up his serrated knife and got to work immediately.

“I was going to ask your brother why he was eating a raw steak, but it looks like he’s occupied.” Kinich continued to question Marina. “Is this a thing he just does?”

“Yep.” The sister said, like it was just any average Tuesday. “Mako swears by them. I couldn’t tell you why, but if he’s fine with it, who am I to object? You do you, boo.”

“Interesting.” The saurian hunter noted. “I’ve had to eat near-raw meat once or twice; does it not cause indigestion?”

“I guess not for him.” Mualani inferred. She cautiously took a bite out of the weird lump in front of her, while Marina was already stuffing her mouth. “Right, Marina? Oh, oh, wow. This thing’s really spicy. Uh oh.”

“It’s not bad, just… hoooottttt.” Marina panted out, drinking all her water down. Kachina looked in fear from Marina to Mualani and then across the table to Mako.

“Uh, Kinich and I would really appreciate it if nobody threw up anything today. Sandwiched between people wolfing down raw meat and spicy food is a pretty compromising spot.”

Kinich nodded, agreeing with Kachina’s sentiment. “She said it better than I could.”

“Hey, Kinich?” Mualani panted out, sticking out her tongue and fanning herself. “You gonna… drink that water…?”

“All yours.” The stoic hunter ensured, sliding the glass across the table. He’d only taken a few sips, so the glass was pretty much full. But he and Mualani were so close, she wouldn’t even care that he’d already put his mouth on it. It was as if getting sick didn’t exist to the surfer.

“Oh my archons, yessss.” She grabbed the cup off the table and immediately started chugging. Marina stared helplessly at Mualani, who was basically drowning herself on land.

By the time she’d gotten her fill, the glass was already half empty. Marina hardly seemed to care and just immediately snatched it out of her friend’s hand, downing the rest of it and leaving the glass bone-dry.

Across the table, Mako’s soft expression shifted ever so slightly, like something was irritating him. The tiny narrow of his eyes was unnoticeable under his hair, the only short enough to see under it being Kachina, but she didn’t say anything.

 Kachina didn’t know the boy very well and didn’t feel like it was her place to ask what was wrong. She could only assume that maybe he was sore from diving, and his pain medication had worn off. Or perhaps he’d forgotten to do something, and had to finish it when he got home. Maybe she’d bring it up later when the mood wasn’t as lively.

Chapter Text

“That was a good meal. Ohhh, yeahh.” Mualani said, stretching out. “I have no regrets.”

“Didn’t you end up running to the bathroom at full velocity the last time you had something spicy?” Kachina giggled behind her hand.

“I learned my lesson.” The tour guide huffed, crossing her arms. “It won’t happen again. The one you should be worried about is Marina.”

“Way to put me on the spot, Mualani.” The twin said, her voice containing no actual aggression. “I also swear by oath that I won’t throw up on anyone. Oh- Kinich, was it? Thank you for your water contribution back there. You saved mine and Mualani’s mouths back there.”

“Oh, me? Don’t mention it. You looked like you needed it more than me.” He waved it off, but it was odd to him that she’d thank him when Mualani was the one who had demanded his glass in the first place. 

“No good deed goes unpunished, Kinich!” Mualani singsonged, nudging Marina.

“What?” Replied the emerald-eyed lifeguard, elbowing her friend back harder.

The tour guide snickered to herself, thinking she was being slick. “Oh, nothing, nothing.” 

What was that about? Kinich wasn’t the best with social situations. He liked to consider himself apt enough to survive big gatherings, but when it came to things like this? He had no idea what was going on. 

Had Mualani been trying to insinuate something? Or was it just her sense of humor when it came to Marina? He hadn’t spent enough time with the latter to know what her whole deal was.

One thing was for sure, though: her conversational skills had made lunch go without a hitch for him today. He didn’t once have to tell Mualani to stop rambling, nor did he ever find himself bored, which he’d never admit, of course.

 Kinich prided himself on his professionalism, even in friendly settings. He typically ended up being the voice of reason between anxious Kachina and zealous Mualani, and he’d thought Marina would’ve been another vessel for chaos to add to his growing list of responsibilities. 

It turned out that she and the other two girls somehow… canceled each other out? It was like they wasted all their energy on each other. 

As for Mako, he hadn’t talked much at all today, but Kinich had noticed small things about him. His choice of meal, for one, definitely caught everyone’s eye, but not for the same reason he was concerned. The rest of the party had been wondering how Mako didn’t get sick eating what he did, but Kinich had wondered why he’d want to eat a nice steak like that raw. He just couldn’t see an appeal and-

“Kinich? Kinich! You’re… zoning out.” Mualani shook him by the shoulders, the other three people already far ahead. “C’mon.”

“Oh, sorry.” He replied, blinking to attention. Had he really just been caught staring off into space? Him? This was surely doing wonders for his business-first persona. And over what? Just some random pair of twins he’d never meet again? He needed to get his act together before it got noticeable. “Let’s catch up.” He said, instead of the million thoughts in his head. He focused on getting himself over to the others, the sound of his accessories clinking against each other being a nice distraction to his current overanalytic state.

Marina was the first to turn over her shoulder, almost smacking him in the face with her cyan hair. “Was wondering where you two went. If I didn’t know better, I’d have thought you were talking smack about me and Mako behind our backs.” she said, sticking out the tip of her tongue playfully.

“Oh, we’d never!” Mualani shook her head furiously. “Not about my tribemates! And Kinich isn’t interested in gossip anyway. He talks in mora and contracts.”

“That’s not entirely inaccurate.” He affirmed, thankful that his head had mostly cleared after sprinting to close the distance. “Though, don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind hangout sessions. I’m just more of a work person.”

“Work? What do you do for a living?” Marina queried, tipping her head to the side just a little, the sun bringing out all the colors in her eyes.

“I’m a saurian hunter.” He was already prepared for the responses he’d get. Plenty of people gave him ugly looks when he’d mention his occupation, thinking he was one of the ‘hunters’ who killed for sport, or someone who profited off the skinned pelts or horns of the animals.

“Oh… that’s…” Both twins looked slightly uncomfortable, the expression more obvious on Marina’s face as she talked. It was like she was wince-speaking, and it was the most passive-aggressive thing that Kinich had ever seen. 

“Don’t worry, he’s a hunter, not a poacher. He only deals with aggressive saurians that are causing trouble.” Mualani explained, hoping to ease the siblings’ visible concern.

“And he can usually deal with most of them without injuring them too badly,” Kachina added. “Trust me, if he were one of those guys, Mualani and I would most definitely not be friends with him.”

“I didn’t think he was that kind of person, but of course, my first judgments aren’t always correct,” Marina said, as the tension left her voice. “I was darn hoping you two didn’t bring me to meet some no-good felon!” She jabbed back, able to laugh this time.

“A saurian hunter…?” Mako asked, looking off to the side in thought. “I’d imagine it’s a profitable job for sure, but with all that competition, do you do anything else?” 

Kinich was almost surprised Mako had thought that through so far already. It wasn’t a common line of thinking, but then again, he might just be looking for ways to participate in the conversation seamlessly. “Yeah. Sometimes I run bounties when there’s no angry dino situations.”

“So you’re like, a hunter in both ways. Saurian hunter, bounty hunter. Okay, I can see it.” Marina said, giving him a rapid once-over. “I had this theory that most people look like their jobs, okay, maybe not my brother, but like… most people. Like Mualani, you can really see ‘tour guide’ in her. 

Kachina nodded in agreement. “You know what? Yeah, that actually makes sense. I can also envision the lifeguard in you from miles away.” 

“You’re lucky she’s not in full lifeguard mode today.” Mualani snorted, flicking Marina’s head, which earned a little ‘hey!’ from the sapphire-haired girl. “I’ve seen Marina not fully adjust out of her work mindset and start yelling at people for no reason. Lucky for her, Marina somehow seems to be able to weasel her way out of any funky situation she gets into.”

“What can I say?” The twin sighed in response. “I’m just that charming. Right? Someone agree with me.” She said, as if expecting someone to laugh. She delivered every line as if it were a great stand-up comedy show, with the confidence and eloquence of a well-rehearsed actress.

Kachina and Mualani both laughed, bringing a subtle pleased expression to Marina’s face. “If you weren’t so charismatic, I’m sure you’d be a hermit based on some of the things I’ve heard you say.” The surfer exclaimed, poking fun at her childhood friend.

Mako threw his sister a look of urgency. “Marina, the time,” he said, his head lifting subtly in emphasis. 

She gave him a look back like a toddler at the playground wanting five more minutes. “I know, I know. Just let me chat a little longer. We’ll leave in a moment.” 

“If you have somewhere to be, we won’t hold you much longe-” Kinich began, hoping he and his friends weren’t inconveniencing the pair. He was sharply cut off by Marina, who brushed his concern off.

“Okay, rewording. I would like to stay and chat for a little longer.” At that, Mako opened his mouth to say something, but Marina didn’t take notice and just continued her spiel.

 Kinich noticed how he didn’t seem very offended for someone who’d been so obviously cut off; in fact, it appeared as if it was a common occurrence for him, given how Marina typically talked for him. Actually, when he thought about it, she’d even ordered his food back at the restaurant. 

Maybe it was a mutual benefit situation. Marina’s audacity helped her brother silently get what he wanted, while she was still able to be her bold self. But was it really? Kinich didn’t know either twin well, but Mako seemed upset with his sister. 

Of course, he was just making inferences; he had a knack for being hyper-observant, probably a habit from tracing down rampant saurians, where every detail could make or break a mission.

And there he went, zoning out again. He mentally kicked himself for being so airheaded today, so much for acting normal. Had he eaten enough? No, of course not. He hadn’t eaten anything, in actuality. Kinich had lied about eating breakfast before leaving the house, anything to avoid making someone else pay for him. It was strictly against his morals, but he’d started to regret not putting any food in his body. It was probably the cause of all his weird thinking today. 

By the time the hunter had finished his train of thought, the twins were already on their way, leaving Kinich with Mualani and Kachina.

“So?” Asked the tour guide. “What’d you think? Aren’t they the best?”

“They’re fine.” He said, rehearsing responses in his head. The last thing the scion wanted to do was act even more scatterbrained and all-over-the-place than he already had. Oh well, at least the new people were leaving. He’d already probably made a fool of himself anyway.

“Just fine?” Mualani drooped, crossing her arms. “I thought I’d finally get you to make some new friends. Kachina clearly loved them.”

Kachina finally dropped her casual exterior and smiled brightly. “Yeah! Marina was so cool, she’s like a different flavor of Mualani! No wonder you two get along so well. You need to bring them along to every outing we have in the future! The vibes were so vibing.”

The thought of the twins joining them on every new hangout irked Kinich, and it perplexed him. He was used to having immaculate control over his emotions. Work mode, social mode, fighting mode… yet, the young man couldn’t possibly name a reason why he felt the way he did, and it wasn’t something he knew how to process. Instead, he kind of just blurted out the first half-in-character thing that appeared in his head. “I’m not opposed to it.”

“Really? Well, it’s settled then! Let’s turn this trio into a quintet!” Mualani said, pumping her fist in a little celebration. “I’m really glad everything went smoothly today. I honestly thought you’d be too scared to say anything, Kachina.”

“I’m finding my voice.” The teenager replied, putting her hands on her hips. “Don’t worry, Mualani. I only found them scary for five minutes before I realized they’re just as ridiculous as you. Well, Marina at least. Maybe Mako can be brooding and quiet with Kinich in the corner.”

“Very funny.” The Huitztlan saurian hunter commented, deadpan. Typical. That’s where being all businessy 24/7 got him, just being the weird, cold, contract guy all by himself in some evil lair. It was a far cry from how he’d acted in front of the twins today, saying the most uninteresting things that could leave his mouth, and in addition, zoning out. Multiple times.

“You guys free to hang out the rest of the day? I’ve got nothing on my list.” Mualani asked, hopefully. To her dismay, Kachina and Kinich both shook their heads.

“I have business to do.” Kinich lied, looking for an excuse to exit the social setting as soon as possible before he melted into an incoherent mess. What was he doing? Surely the hunger hadn’t gotten him that badly.

Kachina frowned and opened her mouth to talk. “My mom said I had to be home by two. We’re having dinner with another family. I’d love to hang out longer, but I don’t wanna be grounded.”

The tour guide nodded in understanding. “It’s alright. We can always do next week. Well, good luck with your mission, Kinich. And have as much fun as you can, Kachina!”

“Bye!” Kachina called, deploying her turbo twirly and speeding off as fast as she could.

Kinich took Mualani’s moment of distraction and bolted. By the time she’d turned around, he’d already escaped the area and was running home. Safe to say, he’d learned his lesson about eating before a hangout.

Chapter Text

Mako flopped onto the couch with a sigh, burying his face in a pillow. “Oh man, I messed up bad, Marina.”

“What’s wrong?” Marina asked, blinking her indifferent seafoam eyes at him while hanging up her purse on the hook, then missing it and dropping it with a clang-! straight onto the wood floor.

Her brother snapped up to sitting at the sound, then saw her crouching down to pick her bag off the ground and returned to his shameful whining. “I don’t know, I acted really weird today.

“You always act weird.” She comforted him in her own weird way, the method that always seemed to work between them. It must have been a sibling thing; she could’ve sworn every pair of siblings she’d ever met constantly made a mockery of one another.

“No, like, weird weird. Weird even for me.” Mako insisted. “Please tell me I’m not going insane.”

“I didn’t see a difference, to be honest.” The lifeguard shrugged sympathetically to her brother. “Maybe you’re just becoming self-aware of your awkward tendencies.”

“Maybe. But I somehow don’t feel like that’s it.” The boy sighed, resting his jawline in his palm, squishing the rest of his face to the side. 

“I gotta clock into my shift,” Marina called, already halfway out the door, the hot summer sun hitting her skin. “Talk to you later?” She wouldn’t say it out loud, but she did feel a little remorseful that she couldn’t stay and chat with her brother for just a few more minutes.

“Oh. Okay. I’m going diving later, so if I’m not home when you get back, don’t go looking for me.” he responded, blinking a few times.

“Ew, diving. To each their own. Have fun being antisocial.” She grinned. Diving was such a foreign concept to Marina. All the fun was by the beach, that’s where people played sand volleyball and water tag. 

She couldn’t possibly comprehend what Mako found so interesting about the aquatic equivalent of the void. As far as she was concerned, it was just full of algae and about a thousand different things that could kill you in the blink of an eye.

“I will.” He called back, and with that, Marina promptly slid out of the house and up to her high chair, dropping her shades down onto her nose, finding her whistle, which was also attached to her hydro vision. 

A few children spotted her and pointed in excitement. Marina was popular among the children, a chill, silly lifeguard with infinite social battery? She was like a cool babysitter to any kid, not to mention she and Mualani would sometimes bake saurus crackers to share amongst the children at the seaside that day. 

Man, Marina was constantly reminded of how much she loved her job. All she had to do was sit there and look confident, and the work would do itself. The only people that needed actual saving were stupid tourists who’d apparently never touched a drop of water.

When it came to the locals, Marina barely had to lift a finger. Kids were always taught how to swim almost immediately, and most parents caught their kids doing dangerous things before she had to step in.

 The only thing that could make this better yet would be if Mako finally accepted her constant begging for him to become a lifeguard. He’d be certified in no time with that swimming talent of his, not to mention, he might actually make a friend or two instead of being such a hermit. 

If only her brother wasn’t so stubborn. Life could be so easy for him, but he was, for some reason convinced that the deep sea was calling him. It wasn’t like Teyvat would explode or something if he missed underwater time for a day. 

Mayhaps stubbornness was the one thing she and her brother had in common. She could never understand his logic, but Mako was Mako, so he was always nonsensical anyway. Marina smiled at her own thoughts, sipping her glass of lemonade and enjoying the shade of her massive umbrella, blowing her whistle. “Hey! No roughhousing!” 

She received the echo of children apologizing, a cascade of “Sorry, Miss Marina”s. She nodded, signaling that they could resume play. 

She leaned back in her chair, the wood warm against her skin, toes dangling lazily off her perch. The ocean stretched out before her in endless shades of blue, sunlight dancing across the surface like it was putting on a show just for her. Marina adjusted her sunglasses, scanning the shoreline out of habit more than concern. Everything was fine. It was always fine.

A kid ran past her stand, shrieking with laughter, followed closely by another wielding a wet stick like a weapon. Marina raised an eyebrow but didn’t bother reaching for the whistle this time. They weren’t anywhere near the water, and honestly, half the fun of being a kid was getting away with a little chaos. She let it slide.

The breeze carried the smell of salt and sugar—someone down the beach must’ve been selling shaved ice again. Her stomach growled quietly, and she made a mental note to grab one later if the line wasn’t too ridiculous. Lemonade was nice, but it didn’t quite hit the same on days like this.

She took another slow sip, eyes drifting back to the waves. It was peaceful in a way that made her chest feel loose, like she could breathe deeper out here. This sun, sand, noise, life—this was where everything felt real. How could her brother not want to be here?

Marina shifted, stretching her arms overhead, then settled back into her seat, snapping back into vigilance. Even on an easy day, she never fully relaxed. Lifeguard instincts ran deep, after all. She swept her gaze across the water once more, ready for whatever might come next—though part of her hoped it would stay in this moment a little longer. Days like this really were the pinnacle of summer.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Days like this really were the worst of summer. It was a skin-peeling one hundred and two degrees outside with UV levels somehow even higher than the temperature. Mako had tried to relax in his room for a few hours to get that nagging feeling off his chest, but nothing seemed to calm his nerves. Even the light coming through his window seemed too bright, reflecting off every surface in a way that made his ears ring and his eyes unfocus. He could hardly take this assault on his systems anymore. He needed to go diving, now.  

Mako hurried out of the house as quickly as he could manage, shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand. With weather as foul as this, he was going to darken about six shades, upsetting his almost sickly fair skin tone. He spotted Marina just getting off her shift, heading to the nearby snowcone stand like she had earned it. She easily began chatting up the vendor, talking her way into getting one for free. Of course, she was thriving in conditions like this. Seeing his sister happy put a small smile on his face, if only for a moment. Though, he’d be better off avoiding his sister for now, any little thing might give him that unshakable paresthesia again.

He found an empty spot by the shoreline where nobody was, abandoned probably because it was too far from the lifeguard’s posts to be monitored. 

He held himself against the ledge, dipping his feet into the water to get his body accustomed to the temperature difference. As soon as the water’s chill disappeared, he slipped in, smooth as a fish. 

The relief was immediate, almost as if the muddled thoughts in his head were being held together by the water like glue. Everything was so much better when he was beneath the tides; the noises of all life’s troubles drowned out by the distortion of the blue, blue sea.

Mako felt the gentle ripples of water carry his layered hair to flow sporadically, like a squid’s tentacles. He’d never been one for mollusks- he was personally more of a fish and mammal guy, but he’d seen octopi and snails and wasn’t opposed to them, of course. Everything had its place in the ecosystem, much different from how human society worked.

In nature, animals were just destined to be either predator or prey based on their biology alone. He could hardly understand why people didn’t work like that- everyone was mostly the same species, so why didn’t everyone play the same role in the world? Why was it always him being two steps behind? Maybe there were hidden ‘predators’ and ‘prey’, and he just so happened to be a sunfish, the weakest of all. Despite his philosophical thinking, Mako found himself at peace, as long as he was immersed in the clear blue stretch of the bay.

Just as he was about to continue his animal-human theory, his thought process was promptly cut short by a pair of sea otters who greeted him with much excitement. 

Caramel and Butterscotch. He thought, quickly identifying them by the markings on each little carnivore’s head. The sea otters swam tight loops around him, clicking and spinning like some kind of celebrity arrival, alerting the rest of the bay that the child of the sea himself had finally shown his shameful face.

Despite the hell above, Mako felt himself relax further, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. He let them circle him for a bit before continuing, gliding through the water toward his usual afternoon nap spot.

 Drifting in the open blue were his favorite nap friends, whale sharks Yuusha and Taro. He’d named every animal with purpose, meticulously observing the behavior of each sea creature and choosing a befitting alias just for them.

He slipped up and laughed underwater, releasing bubbles from his mouth that floated to the surface. Suddenly reminded of his human need for oxygen, he channeled magic from his hydro vision to create small air pockets for breathing. It was the most niche talent he had in his tiny arsenal, only useful for his underwater rest breaks and calm diving trips.

Both whale sharks let out low calls, spotting Mako drifting about. They rushed to his side in a spectacular burst of bubbles, bumping his shoulders to make themselves known.

If only you could stay up there with me. He thought, gazing off into the endless expanse of blue.

You’d understand. 

The sharks, unable to hear his inner voice, gave him a sympathetic look, and in response, he rolled his eyes without wiping the little smile off his face.

Whatever, Yuusha. Life really doesn’t get much worse than being pitied by a freaking oversized fish.

Chapter Text

Mako could’ve sworn he’d remembered to come home after his dive.

The boy found himself in a plane of pure water, with no land in sight. He lay floating, belly up, and for some inexplicable reason, he felt immense dread of the dark waves beneath him. Where had his confidence in his skills gone? Surely even in an unfamiliar sea, Mako could navigate it with relative ease. What was that noise? Why was he terrified to look down?

 Something was wrong.

Something was wrong. 

Something was-

The young man startled awake, head snapping around to observe his surroundings. He sighed in half relief, half annoyance when he finally comprehended that he did in fact return home last night, and just happened to have the worst dream of his life.

He slowly sat up in his bed, expecting to feel refreshed, and clear-headed as he usually did after a dive. Even if his dream had been anything but relaxing, he had still gotten much more sleep compared to the previous few days. Instead he was greeted with a stabbing pain in all his limbs, causing his eyes to fling open beneath his bed-headed bangs. In fact, he was so uncomfortable, when he opened his mouth to say “ow” nothing came out but a breathy, cracking screech.

Surely missing his routine diving hadn’t put him that out of shape? After all, he pretty much swam every day until this week, thanks to a portfolio he’d procrastinated finishing. Anyhow, Mako had no idea how he was going to get out of bed to take a painkiller. Moving in the slightest felt like a million needles were poking his muscles, any little twitch might as well render him a corpse.

 He must’ve contracted some disease left in the water the other day, because this did not feel remotely close to regular fatigue. After thirty minutes of silent contemplation and heat chills, Mako finally just decided to rip off the bandaid and drag himself downstairs to the medicine cabinet. The second he stood up, his legs felt like jelly, and threatened to give out right then and there. He managed to reach the door before he collapsed to his knees, and opted to just crawl the rest of the way. 

Every time he inched forward, he regretted it a little more each time. It as if the agony was growing exponentially, being multiplied by the power of a hundred.

 By the time he’d reached the kitchen cabinet where Marina sorted all the pills, the boy had devolved into a blobfish. He could barely muster the strength to open the jar of pain medication, and swallowing the pill dry was like a walk in the park compared to how his limbs felt at the moment. 

He was in no rush to move again, lying pathetically in a lump on the floor until the pill’s utility finally took effect. He just silently prayed that Marina wouldn’t suddenly wake and ask why in Teyvat he was crumpled up half inside a cupboard. 

After waiting yet another half an hour, the artist was finally able to get back on his feet, weakly heading up the stairs and back to his room. 

He approached his door, which had been decorated with caution tape and a sign dawning the words “warning: shark infested waters”. He had to say, his creative passions had really been on fire that day he’d decided to spruce up his little crying box of a room. It helped him momentarily ignore the dull throbbing in his forearms as he reached out to turn the handle.

 His freaking bedroom door had a hinge ripped clean off the wall. “What the-” He mumbled quietly, as to not disturb his sister. It was only mounted by two turning points now, the one on the bottom entirely disconnected. Mako rarely swore, but right now he wanted to drop some extremely confused cuss words, but held his tongue for the sake of Marina’s beauty sleep.

Mako had gotten so wrapped up in all the morning’s strange occurrences that he almost forgot to attend to his hygiene.

 He did his best to shut the broken door somewhat, and then crept into his bathroom to brush his teeth. He didn’t even lighting up the room, as it was just another thing that would send shock waves shooting through his body. He immediatley regretted his decision when he tried to rinse his mouth free of toothpaste, and ended up spitting the water onto his feet instead of the sink. 

Mako lifted his face to the sky in utter frustration, the toothbrush falling out of his fingers and clattering against the tile floor. He slid his hand along the wall, missing the power switch multiple times until he finally found it and slammed the lights on.

“What?!!” 

This time the horror he felt couldn’t stop itself from exiting through his vocal chords. He clapped his hands over his mouth, terrified he’d awoken Marina through the walls of the house.

What exactly had scared the diver so much? Well, when he could finally see his reflection in the mirror, the young man’s usually clear face was entirely breaking out in acne and redness.

That was the final straw. Mako felt like giving up on life right then and there. How could this happen? Did he really get sick from his swim yesterday? Unless…

He sprinted back into his bedroom, frantically looking for his calander, until he caught a glimpse of it, pinned onto the inside of his door. He attempted to trace his finger along the paper to count how many days had passed since he’d updated it, but the hinges reminded him of their current state, and the door swung straight forward. 

Just one thing on top of another… the boy thought to himself. Could today get any worse? What was next, was someone going to break his windows and then maybe his neck?

Right, the calendar. He needed to get to confirm his suspicion as soon as he could. The sheet was still flipped to March, and he knew it was July. The exact date would be bit difficult to pinpoint, but considering that yesterday had been a Monday, and there was also a festival next week, it could only be the nineteenth.

Late summer. His hypothesis had been correct all along, as much as he’d been praying for it to be proven false. Being right had never felt so awful. What in the Archons was Mako supposed to do now?

The realization settled over him like a crushing weight, heavy and suffocating. Late summer. The words echoed in his head, over and over, refusing to soften no matter how much he tried to rationalize them away. His throat felt tight, dry in a way that had nothing to do with dehydration.

No. he thought, even if trying to deny his own mind was also completely futile.

He backed away from the door, knees bumping against the edge of his bed as he sat down harder than he meant to. The mattress dipped beneath him, and the sudden movement sent another flare of pain up his spine. He shut his eyes sharply, curling slightly inward, arms wrapping around his middle like he could hold himself together through sheer will alone.

This couldn’t be happening now. Not here. Not after everything had been fine for so long.

Mako stared down at his hands, flexing his fingers slowly. They trembled, just a little—enough that he noticed. Enough that it made his stomach drop. His palms looked the same as always, calloused in familiar places, faint scars from coral scrapes and careless tools. And yet, suddenly, they didn’t feel like his. Disconnected, and wrong. 

His thoughts raced, tripping over themselves as they tried to form some other explanation. Heat exhaustion, maybe. A bad reaction to something he’d eaten. Some strange coastal illness that Marina would laugh off once he explained it. Anything but this. Anything that didn’t carry consequences he didn’t want to face.

The ache in his muscles pulsed again, slow and deep, like a warning knock from the inside. He squeezed his eyes shut, jaw clenching as he fought the urge to groan. Even resting hurt. Even existing felt like too much effort.

Somewhere downstairs, the house creaked softly—pipes shifting, wood settling, normal sounds of a normal morning. The world was moving on like nothing was wrong, like Mako hadn’t just woken up in a body that felt like it was betraying him cell by cell.

Marina would be up soon.

The thought sent a fresh spike of anxiety through his chest. She’d notice immediately. She always did. The pain, the way he was moving, the fact that he hadn’t already disappeared into the ocean by now—she’d connect the dots before he could even try and lie about it. And then she’d worry, maybe even ask questions he had no answers to.

He rubbed his face with both hands, careful despite himself, fingers brushing over inflamed skin. He hissed quietly at the contact, dropping his hands back to his lap. Great. Just great. As if losing control of his body wasn’t enough, now he looked like a mess too.

Mako leaned back against his pillows, staring up at the ceiling he’d painted years ago. Faint shapes of fish and waves swam across the surface, losing pigment over time but still familiar. He used to lie there and pretend he was underwater, listening to the hush of imagined currents. Now, the memory felt distant. Unreachable.

If this really was late summer… then diving wasn’t just a comfort anymore. It was a necessity. A ticking clock.

His chest tightened again, breath hitching before he forced it steady. Panicking wouldn’t help. Panicking never helped. He had to think. He’d better figure out how to get through this without completely falling apart, and soon.

Still, as the dull pain throbbed on and the echo of his nightmare lingered at the back of his mind, one awful thought kept returning to his brain like a tumor.

How was he supposed to manage it this time when it was even worse than he'd ever experienced before?

Chapter Text

What?!”

Marina awoke, much to her displeasure, to the sound of her brother screaming through the wall. Why was Mako even awake? It was barely six o’clock. 

I guess this is what freelancing does to you. Marina thought, rolling her eyes and getting herself out of bed. She kicked her feet into her slippers and walked down the hall, ready to see what in Celestia had Mako shouting before daybreak.

She lifted her hand to knock, but the door, as if warning her, kicked back, nearly striking her in the ankle. Why was there an entire hinge missing from the wall? Just what the heck was going on?

Marina’s curious side opted to stay silent instead; she was far too confused, and any sugarcoating from Mako would only make the situation weirder.

She quietly waited by the door, wondering if he’d say anything to himself that might give her some context. After waiting for five minutes, the impatient lifeguard gave up and went to the kitchen to make her breakfast…two hours early. Just as she was about to get a pan from the rack, her leg slammed into an open cabinet door, and she jumped back in pain with a small ‘ow’.

She kneeled to close it, and as she did, spotted a poorly closed bottle of pain medication that had rolled under the nook at the base of the counter. Just what was happening right now? 

Don’t tell me Mako’s so violently ill that he ripped his door off it’s frame. Marina furrowed her brow at this nonsensical chain of strange events. He’d better be explaining himself.

It didn’t seem like he was coming out of his room anytime soon, and there were still two and a half hours until her shift started. With that kind of time, why make breakfast at all? She could make it to the stadium and back to grab a coffee. Besides, she was sure Mako would want his space to deal with whatever was going on. She sighed, caving. Marina grabbed her bag off the wall, light-footedly approaching the front door, closing it behind her as quietly as possible.

As she stepped outside, the air was still chilly from the night breeze. The sun had just barely begun climbing its way up the sky, looking as if the sea had drowned it. Very few people were awake and out, just a handful of stand owners getting their posts set up for tourists expected to arrive later in the day. 

Marina had never called herself a morning person, but when sunrise felt like this? She might have to reconsider her identification.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The stadium, unlike her village, already had numerous people heading to work or trying to get there before everyone else. She passed coffee shop after coffee shop, already with large lines. She was sure she could talk her way to the front, but frankly, she hardly had the energy to do much anything.

As Marina walked on, she passed several other shops she’d never seen thanks to the usual bustle of the marketplace. An artifact stand. A mini ice cream parlor. A blacksmith. She was ashamed to realize she’d never once sharpened her sword, and that was likely the reason Mako could kill monsters faster than her. Maybe she’d take it in for a repair when she got off work, so Marina decided to peek her head in and just take a look around. 

Someone was already talking to the smith about his blade, and he looked awfully familiar… where could Marina remember him from? She knew a lot of people, and now came the time when her popularity was a detriment. Streaming bandana, blue hair, nothing quite clicked for her until she noticed a dendro vision hanging off the person’s hip. 

Now she recalled. It was Kinich, Mualani’s friend. She thought to stop and say hello, but changed her mind so as not to disturb the hunter’s consultation with the blademaker. Huh. Had he noticed the bottom of his left earring was broken? It didn’t match the one on the right. She’d tell him the next time they talked. Who knew? Maybe they were supposed to be like that.

Marina exited the forgery, continuing her search for some caffeine. Just her luck. There was one straight across from the smith, with a line small enough for the lifeguard to tolerate.

She stepped in, the bell hanging by the door ringing to announce her arrival. She’d never been here before; she usually made her own coffee at home. Just the smell of espresso put the previously sleepy Marina wide awake. Oh, how much she loved drinks. Coffee, sweet tea, lemonade… all of it needed to be in hand now. She hadn’t even noticed she’d reached the front of the line when she found herself staring at the barista.

“Oh, apologies.” The lifeguard laughed, putting on her winning smile. 

“Huh? Oh, you’re the lifeguard from the People of the Springs, right?” The woman asked her with a small upturn of her lips, resting on the counter.

It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence for people to recongnize Marina. She was a former party girl and she thought herself rather likeable. It didn’t surprise her much, but she responded as if she was taken aback at the identification. 

“Yes? I’m flattered that you know who I am!” She breathed out, putting her hand to her chest.

“You have no idea how many people come in here raving about you and Miss Mualani. Sorry- I’m getting sidetracked. What can I get for you today?” The barista stuttered.

“Oh, just a caramel frappe.” Marina thought about Mako back at home, probably already having a rough morning. She ought to get something for her brother, too. “...And an iced matcha.”

“Alright, coming right up. I already know your name, of course, but what do you want on the order?”

“Uh… I’ll just go with Marina. And- I hope this isn’t too much trouble, but if you could put some fish drawings on the matcha? It’s for my brother, and he’s not feeling super well.”

“Yeah, yeah! No problem. I hope he feels better soon.” The worker turned over her shoulder, calling to another staff member. “Iced matcha and caramel frappuccino!”

The lifeguard fumbled through her purse, looking for her coins. “How much?”

“Oh, don’t worry about it, Miss Marina! It’s on the house.” The lady waved off, with a smile. “We’re happy to treat such special customers with perks, and I’m sure your brother is just as pleasant as you. Consider his drink free, too.”

“Really? Oh my archons, thank you! This means so much,” she giggled, taking the cups off the counter. 

“Come back soon!” called the girl working behind the counter.

“I’ll be sure of it!” Marina replied as she headed out the door, the unintelligent bell unable to differentiate an enter from an exit. 

She was about to set off when the sleeve slipped off her drink, falling to the floor. She set the cups down on a windowsill to chase the cardboard slip, as it ran away with the wind. Just as she was about to catch it, someone else’s fingertips wrapped around it.

 Marina wilted in dismay. Now she’d have to carry the hot cup with no shield, walking all the way back home. She fixed her posture, for she had been running like a turtle after the flying sleeve. As she did so, her eyes followed the stranger’s figure up, up, and…

“Marina. I think you dropped this.”

Her second interaction with him had come far sooner than she’d thought. “Kinich? What’re you doing here?” She said, her faux confusion indistinguishable from a real expression. 

“I was getting my claymore fixed up,” He replied, handing the cup cover back to Marina. “Something happened with the handle, and it ended up being very unwieldy. I take it you were getting a coffee?”

“Huh. I wonder how you could’ve guessed.” She remarked with a smile. “Yes. Yes, I was. When this thing ran away from me.” She said, moving her hands as she spoke, the cardboard piece still between the fingers of her left hand. “Just what exactly happened to your sword, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Well, it’s kind of a long story. I have this ‘saurian’ companion, and he’s on the obnoxious side. He wasn’t the happiest with me yesterday, because I left him in time-out. That’s why you don’t know him yet. Anyway, when I came home, he’d bitten the handle of my blade up so badly, barbed metal bits started sticking off. And of course, a swordswoman such as yourself knows, nobody wants a weapon you can’t comfortably hold.”

“Sounds like you and this companion don’t get along great. Why keep him around at all?” Marina joked. “I mean… chewing up metal is no easy business. I’m sure he’d have happily bitten you instead.”

“I call him my companion, because I really don’t know what else to refer to him as. We certainly aren’t friends, nor am I his owner. It’s more of a bound under contract thing.” The hunter explained, which only confused Marina more.

“Contract? Since when could saurians sign their names?” She pondered, curious to hear what he’d reply with. What an interesting dynamic. Traveling with someone who hated you, just because of a pact.

“He’s more sentient than the saurians you’re thinking about. It’s complicated. I’m sure once you two meet, everything will make much more sense. …And your head will probably hurt listening to him.” Kinich admitted, his wording making it seem as if he was joking also. But unlike Marina, no joyful expression crossed his face. Just calm neutrality. “Anyways, I should be going soon.”

Leaving already? But she was just about to get some more answers out of him. Oh well, there was always next time. At least, she hoped there’d be a next time. “Alright. See you later.” She nodded in reply.

While he walked off, Marina hurried back to the windowsill to make sure nobody had stolen her order. As she reached for the cups, one thing crossed her mind that was for certain. That saurian hunter was pretty dang cute.

She hardly even needed the sleeve anymore. By the time they’d finished talking, her coffee had gone cold.

Chapter Text

After Mako was done stabbing and popping every last pimple on his face, he tried to sweep the dirty cotton swabs into the trash, but ended up flinging them all over his bathroom. It was as if his entire body had been thrown off balance, including his coordination. 

Late summer…

How was he going to explain this to his sister? He hadn’t even been able to face her when it had been less severe. Right now, that task felt like being told to climb a volcano… except with no gear, no safety net, and on top of that, the volcano was also actively erupting.

I can always deal with it later. Mako thought, while scrambling across the floor to grab all the swabs he’d flung about. Just like the three portfolios you have due tomorrow.

That almost made him flop on the floor and accept his fate. How could he forget? Furthermore, how was he going to work in this state? He couldn’t even bring himself to leave his room or greet Marina, let alone leave the house and talk to a customer.

This time, when he threw the sticks away, he made sure every last one ended up in the disposal. He sighed in relief and slowly rose to his feet, his back cracking like an old man’s. Well, that was just lovely. Mako was barely a few years into his adulthood and already deteriorating in the blink of an eye. So much for being in his‘prime’.

Turning to observe himself in the mirror, Mako leaned forward until his nose nearly touched the glass. He was almost sure that all the little marks on his face would leave foul scars, but thanks to his freckles, they were covered up rather well. He could only hope and pray that when he woke up tomorrow, +would stay gone.

Mako finally hyped himself up enough to apologize to Marina for the noise, but her bedroom door was already open. He descended the stairs halfway, hoping that she might just be doing the laundry or using the downstairs bathroom, but like everything else that had happened this morning, he was out of luck. 

That’s when he spotted something on the dark wood dining table- a faintly green beverage. He hurried down the remaining steps, almost falling off the last one. A cup of matcha with sharks and minnows drawn on in dark ink. Even better, a note from Marina.

“I’m really sorry that your life sucks right now, so I went to the stadium and bought you this to make your morning a little better. I hope whatever’s upsetting you dies quickly!”

It was the most Marina thing he’d ever read. How come she was the one apologizing when Mako had woken her up? This whole situation was entirely his fault. Despite her rather crude choice of words, at least it was grounding to know that she saw his struggle, even if she didn’t know what was going on. 

 With that, he made up his mind. Mako was going to tell his sister what happened. For now, he’d wait for Marina’s return by committing to all the projects he’d put off.

Mako took the cup and went to the back of the house, opening the door to expose himself to the attached dock. 

While neither he nor his sister owned a boat, the young man found it a fantastic location to relax while he painted, and it doubled as an easy access to the ocean whenever he needed a quick dive. He still preferred the coastline, however, where the most animals were familiar with his common visits.

 Mako sat on the edge of the wood, letting his legs drop into the water, kicking just enough to splash. His incomplete canvas (from who knows how long ago) was still sitting in the same corner, pinned just as he’d remembered. He pulled himself away from the sea and towards his little box of supplies. He rummaged through the container to find the preserved inks he’d used for the piece, as well as whatever brushes he’d need. 

After collecting all his materials, he finally felt the creative flow come back to his hands. He was beyond ready to start working again when he remembered the exact reason he’d stopped: lack of inspiration. 

Poor Mako. He had all the intention to finish his piece, but the second he picked up his brush, he could do nothing but stare at the easel. 

It was frustrating beyond compare. The impulse to maul the canvas and rip the whole thing to shreds coursed through his arms, and even a little bit in his teeth. The idea of slashing his current problems to oblivion seemed far more enticing than it should’ve.

This was such a minor inconvenience. Why couldn’t he just sit down and focus? Well, he knew the answer, but blaming everything else brought him comfort. Mako let out a deep exhale, ashamed of his immaturity. He was a grown adult, not a kid who threw fits over having responsibilities. He was supposed to be the ‘composed one’ between him and his sister.

Marina’s life seemed so easy. If he were anywhere near as likeable and renowned as she was, his life would be smooth as butter. All he knew how to do was swim and stutter. Speaking of which, maybe he’d go for a quick dive to give him ideas and clear his loud thoughts.

 Marina would probably be mad at him for completely soaking his pajamas in seawater, but he could wash that out on his own accord. More importantly, it was also something that he could deal with later. Any kind of ‘later’ sounded extremely appealing to the artist, so without hesitation, he dove into the water.

It was as if the water had swallowed him whole, plankton through a blue whale’s jaws.

Cold rushed up his legs and over his torso, soaking through his pajamas in seconds, fabric clinging unpleasantly to his skin. He’d barely registered, opting to ignore it and sink further beneath the surface. For a brief, blissful moment, everything else disappeared. The mess in the bathroom, his broken door, and even the bruise on his foot from kicking the cabinet. 

Sunlight refracted as it filtered down, turning into wavering ribbons of gold that danced just out of reach. Mako exhaled slowly, watching the bubbles rise and vanish. His chest loosened, tension easing the tiniest bit, like a knot reluctantly coming slightly loose.

He floated there longer than usual, suspended in the water, waiting for the familiar sense of belonging to settle in. It didn’t. Instead, an annoyance lingered beneath his skin, subtle but constant.

I must be overthinking it, he told himself, scolding. Of course it felt strange, he was stressed and sick. Anyone would feel weird under those circumstances. He forced his limbs to relax, letting himself drift.

Normally, the sea buzzed with life, especially the familiar faces of the animals. Today, it felt still. Not silent, exactly, but dead. Mako turned slowly, scanning the water around him. Nothing immediately stood out. No sudden shadows. No sharp movements.

His heart thudded anyway, despite the lack of reason.

He continued downward, hoping the absent-minded movements would shake off the unease. The water grew cooler as he descended, brushing against his skin in a way that felt almost intrusive. His muscles ached more than they should’ve, burning faintly with effort. He frowned, adjusting his pace.

Seriously? Even the ocean was betraying him now?

Mako reached the shallow floor near the dock supports and steadied himself, fingers brushing against algae-slick wood. He closed his eyes, pressing his forehead lightly to the beam, grounding himself in the sensation.

 In. Out. Slow breaths. The sea didn’t judge him. It didn’t expect anything from him. It just existed.

And yet…

That dream. Endless water, no land. Fear curling in his gut as he floated, terrified to look down.

His eyes snapped open.

Nothing had changed. The water was still clear. The light still warm. But his pulse had quickened, and he hated that he couldn’t stop it. He pushed away from the beam and rose toward the surface, lungs beginning to ache.

When he broke through, he sucked in air sharply, chest heaving. He laid his arms like dead sticks against the dock, dripping and annoyed with himself. This was ridiculous. He was letting one bad morning get to him. He wiped water from his eyes and stared out across the open sea.

Usually, he could spot something, a splash, a familiar fin, but not today.

Mako swallowed.

He stayed there, half in the water, half out, until the chill finally bothered him enough to force him crawling onto the dock. He pulled himself up with more effort than it should’ve taken and sat there, soaked and shivering lightly despite the warming sun.

Well. That hadn’t helped at all. Actually, he felt arguably worse.

He glanced back toward the house, imagining Marina returning from her shift later. Glowing from the sun’s rays, smiling, loud as ever. She’d take one look at him and know something was wrong. The thought made his stomach twist, equal parts dread and relief.

Later. He’d just tell her later.

For now, Mako picked up the drink Marina had left for him, the little fish drawings slightly smudged but still intact. 

He let his head fall back against the wood, staring up at the sky. Late summer was a monster he couldn’t outrun. He’d have to figure out a different way to deal with his frustrations.

Chapter Text

“Mako? Maakooooo?”

Marina might as well have been shouting into the abyss. Mako was nowhere to be found, which was a shame because she wanted to talk to him for just a few minutes. It didn’t even have to be about whatever had happened in the morning, she simply had lots of things to blab about in hopes he’d cheer up. 

Actually, she also wanted to tell him that Mualani had invited them to hang out together with Kachina and Kinich. Perhaps her friends could also become Mako’s, after all he could use some more connections in his life.

As she walked through the kitchen, she smiled upon noticing he’d taken the drink, proving he’d at least left his room. The question now was where he’d gone to. Having known his current state, Marina naturally assumed Mako had gone for a swim. Though, the prospect of him going out to the beach alone filled her with doubt.

Not to be rude or anything, but her brother was far too introverted to go anywhere just by himself. Most of the time, she had to drag him out of the house just to get lunch. Come to think of it, it was strange that he didn’t seem to be around. Where could he have gone? Maybe out to the dock?

Marina hurried to the back door, the way to the tiny pier. The lifeguard was immediately blasted by a faceful of rain and wind. Ah yes, just her luck. Crazy Natlan weather was doing its thing again, sunny one moment and storming the next. And it just so happened that the weather got abhorrent when she wanted to do something fun outside! 

Worst coinky-dink ever. Coinky-dink. She had overheard that at the beach last weekend while on duty. She wanted to giggle, but for the sake of professionalism, held her tongue. It sounded like something Mualani would’ve said. Where was Mako? She wanted to tell him all about that too. She hardly tilted her chin down when her eyes locked straight on his dead corpse.

There, laid her brother, staring at the roof while he was pelted with flying droplets. The mental comparison of ‘dead corpse’ struck her as surprisingly accurate. Of course, he wasn’t actually dead. Just the way he was posed, with his arms flying out in different directions, the absolutely soulless face… he certainly looked funeral ready.

 She lifted her foot so that she could go outside and yell at him properly, only to put it right back into the safety of her dry home. The wooden dock had been coated slick with water, a slipping hazard for any soul who wished to step upon it. 

“Mako!” She called over the booming of the torrent. “Just what are you doing out here? It’s freaking raining like nobody’s business! Get inside before you get washed away and then electrocuted.”

“Huh?!” He called back, turning over to look at her. “Louder! I can’t hear you!”

“I said get inside!” 

Mako tried to stand to his feet, but feeling the slidy planks beneath his hands, he abandoned the notion and crawled to the door instead, dripping water all over the floor like a wet dog as he entered the house. Marina took multiple steps back, evading the ocean her brother had tracked into the kitchen. 

“Sorry…” He muttered, mildly embarrassed as he looked to the pool forming on the ground as water dripped off his nightclothes. Oh, he was not being for real right now. If he did what she thought, she was gonna make him wash it out while apologizing one hundred times. 

“Ahem. That’s your comfy shirt. And it is completely drenched in water.” She said, glaring at him. “Of course, I wouldn’t mind-”

“Nope. I’ll do it.” He cut in, noticing her extremely passive aggressive smile. She was pleased that he’d taken the hint and decided to take responsibility for such a stupid, stupid action. 

“Oh, that’s great! Uh huh. Yeah, you’d better.”

With that, he scurried off to the wash room to saturate his shirt with clean water this time. Marina stared at the door with exasperation as he hurried out of the scene. How many times was he going to go commit household atrocities today? Mako was usually so organized, always the one complaining about her messes. Between the broken door, leaving the cabinets wide open, and now laying around in the rain, Marina was genuinely starting to question if her brother had been replaced by an abyssal mimic.

He was probably just having an off day. It hardly mattered anyway, Marina would always support him in her own weird sister-esque way. Perhaps she’d been a bit harsh with the wet shirt. She was still in scolding lifeguard mode, and not family mode. She sighed, kicking the door open and flinging her brother out by the arm, which also threw water from his wet hair all over her. “Move, Sharky. I’m washing this now.”

“Huh? But I barely got started.”

“I said. I’m washing it.” She insisted, raising her eyebrows warningly. He needed to go take care of whatever had set him off this morning, not this. She could easily deal with it five minutes. He should go use that five minutes to go do something better with his life. 

“Okay, if you say so…” He trailed off, slowly walking out of view, his head staying locked on the room even as he passed by it. She could just barely hear the feather-soft patter of his steps against the ceiling as he ran around upstairs. 

Marina smiled to herself. Him and his stupid honesty and morality complex. Could he even tell lies or keep secrets? He might seriously just feel too bad and fess up to everything. Though, he didn’t really seem in the mood to go out today like she’d hoped. Maybe if she did a little convincing, he might give in. 

It seemed counterproductive to go out in public when he definitely felt like trash, but it had helped her so many times. Seeing all the people pass by and simply… not care, had reminded her that nobody else saw the problems she saw in herself. And especially when you were as unnoticable as Mako? Nobody was going to point out his ‘flaws’. Her brother was perfect, through and through. 

Marina finished splashing the fabric a few more times, leaving it hanging off the sink to dry. She stomped up the stairs, heading to her brother’s room to pull a few strings. Mualani had often told her that her footsteps sounded like earthquakes, especially when climbing a flight. Naturally, Mako opened his door, assuming Marina had come for his soul. 

“Was that a test? Oh no, I was supposed to fight for my honor, wasn’t I? Sorry, sorry, yes, I concede. I will wash the shirt right away.” He stammered, gazing down the hall that Marina was quickly conquering. 

“Stop apologizing. I just wanted to ask if you have the energy to drag your butt outside for like, an hour. Mualani wants to hang.” She huffed, sticking her head into the door. She couldn’t help but notice his walls. Those pristine grey-blue designs also apparently came with free scratches and a hole. She wasn’t going to bring it up or anything. People punched walls when they were mad, it just wasn’t what she’d expected from Mako. 

“Just Mualani…? She’s understanding, I’m sure she’d get it if I just said I was feeling odd.” He responded, looking up with just his pupils as he thought. “Besides, I’m going to kill the vibe. You’ll have more fun without me today.”

“Well her other friends are also gonna be there. And you better get used to them, because she said we’re officially invited to all their group hangouts.” Marina put bluntly, crossing her arms. “And, andand annndddd, if that’s not convincing enough, I want you there. I don’t want to do anything without my other half.” That was only mostly true. She still had to take this opportunity for herself, and talk to that cute buddy of Mualani’s. However, she was most certainly not going any place on Teyvat without her sibling. That was non-negotiable.

“...one moment. I’m getting dressed.” He sighed, closing the door with a very light click.

“Oh, really? Yes! I didn’t think that was going to work on you today.” Marina giggled, jumping in excitement. “I’ll go get ready too!” 

Marina was shocked her wishful thinking had gone so well. Maybe Mako was just feeling guilty about the shirt and decided to go along with it as an owe-back. Whatever the reason, she was going to make sure he didn’t regret his choice today. She opened his door without knocking, (like usual) and he turned around to look at her.

“Whatchu wearing?” She squinted, observing his outfit. Black shirt, dark jeans, his silver initial necklace. That was easy enough to match, so she chattered a very lofty ‘thanks’ and hurried back to her own room. 

Her initial necklace was laid out on her desk, the one piece of jewlery she actually took care of. To be fair, it was quite light on maintenance. They’d had Xilonen make them tarnish-proof and durable. She picked the up the dainty chain and clasped it around her neck after a bit of struggle with a few knots, the gilded ‘MS’ dangling just between her collarbones. 

The only deviation between her pendant and Mako’s was the material. Mako, for whatever reason, stood by silver to the end. Marina was more of a gold connoisseur herself. She’d complained about it for weeks after they were forged, droning on and on about how it made their matching outfits ‘less twinsy’. 

It had been years since then, and now that she was accustomed to it, she thought it made for nice contrast. Not to mention, gold looked completely hideous on her brother’s ghostly-white-dying-child complex. She had really underestimated his forethought on just about everything back then. Younger Marina would have been very insulted at the person she’d become. She’d really gone soft since.

There her brain went, wandering off in her favorite memories. What had Mako even been wearing again? She tossed on a black tank and her dark washed jeans. A bit simple for her tastes, but that made life easier on him. She’d survive being basic for one day, as long as her brother was happy. She’d save him the unnecessary trouble and match him for today.

She tugged on her white shoes and gave herself a once-over in the mirror, tilting her head left, then right. Yep. Acceptably coordinated. If Mako noticed, hebut she liked knowing she’d made the effort anyway. Marina grabbed her bag, slinging it over her shoulder, and headed back into the hallway.

Mako’s door was cracked open again. Of course it was.

She paused, listening. No splashing water, no clattering, no suspicious thuds. That was promising. She had to actively think about knocking once, narrowly stopping herself from barging her way in like usual. “You’re dressed, yes or no?”

A muffled shuffle came from inside, followed by the sound of a drawer slamming shut a bit too hard. “Uhm,” he replied. “Pretty much.”

“Okay, not one of the two answer options that I gave you.” Marina shrugged, pushing the door open anyway.

He stood near his bed, hair still damp and curling slightly at the ends, fiddling with the hem of his shirt like he wasn’t quite sure what to do with his hands. “Ahem… what do you think?”

“Okay,” she said instead, clapping her hands once. “You’re vertical. You’re dressed. That’s already a win.”

Mako huffed something that could have been a laugh, depending on how you heard it. “...Your standards for me seem quite low.”

“They’re flexible,” she snarked. “Big difference.”

She lingered in the doorway, rocking back on her heels. Up close, she could see it again—that tightness around his eyes, the way his shoulders sat just a bit too high, like he was bracing for something. It made her chest ache in that familiar, helpless way. Marina hated when she couldn’t just fix things.

“You don’t have to stay the whole time,” she added, her sister mode suddenly remembering to activate. “We can leave early. Or fake an emergency. I’m excellent at those.”

“I know,” he said. After a pause, he nodded. “Thanks.”

That one word carried more weight than he probably intended. Marina pretended not to notice, turning on her heel and heading back down the stairs. “Cool. Grab your shoes. If you take too long, I’m leaving without you and telling everyone you’re allergic to fun.”

“Shame.” he muttered, but she heard the faintest smile in his voice.

They regrouped by the front door a minute later. Marina leaned against the wall while Mako laced his shoes, fingers fumbling slightly with the strings. He redid one lace twice before it finally cooperated, pulling on each half of the knot to size them exactly equivalent. She watched without comment, resisting the intrusive urge to just do it for him.

“Keys?” she asked.

“In my pocket,” he replied, patting himself down automatically.

“Vision?”

“Of course.”

“Dignity?”

He glanced up at her flatly. “...Semi-present.”

“Good enough. Let’s gooooo!”

Marina swung the door open, stepping aside so he could exit first. The rain had eased into a fine drizzle, the air cool and fresh, like the storm had wrung the heat out of the world. Mako hesitated on the threshold for just a second before stepping out, blinking up at the clouded sky.

She locked the door behind them and fell into step beside him, bumping his shoulder lightly with hers. “See? Not so bad.”

“It’s alright. Ask me again in an hour,” he said. “I doubt I’ll still say that.”

“Psh, more like remind me in an hour. I’m sure as archons not gonna remember.”

They started down the path together, side by side, their necklaces catching faint light as they moved. Marina talked, about nothing important, really. Mualani’s terrible favorite ice cream flavor. A customer who’d tried to argue with her about tides. The coffee shop barista who’d drawn fish with way too much personality. Mako mostly listened, offering the occasional nod or quiet response, but she could feel him syncing to her energetic skip, his steps speeding up to match her prancing.

“Ooh, I didn’t notice this bandana.” She noted, lifting her arm to poke the little blue strip of fabric right under his bangs. “Wait a moment… I think there’s a bow in my purse.” She put a pause on walking, looking through her bag until she found one satin ribbon. With the power of brute-force yanking it, she revealed the rest of the accessory. “Ta-da!”

“I just put this on to keep my hair off my forehead. Any more oil on my face and I might just break out again.” His head lolled to the side as he frowned at the thought. “Though, it’s cool that you also happened to have a bow. What a coinky-dink.” He stuck it cleanly in her hair in response, making sure the two wings of the butterfly laid even with one another.

“Coinky-dink? That’s my thing!” She gasped unnecessarily loudly. “That must mean…you’re picking up my lingo!”

“After hearing your voice for nineteen years, it only makes sense that some of my speech patterns are from you.” He explained, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Marina rolled her eyes, blinking a few times as she did. “Well, psh, yeah clearly. But like, that’s kind of a new thing. As in, I literally learned this a few weeks ago from some tourist. You pick up other habits fast, then? Or is it just because I’m always here?” Either way, I apparently never noticed.”

“Uh huh.” He replied, looking off to the side. “It’s definitely because I’m around you so much. I don’t really think others imprint on me?”

“Well that’s because you don’t have others.” Marina turned to look at him with unamused eyes.

“That’s…” Mako’s mouth downturned into the smallest pout, just a little wrinkle of the chin. “That’s not entirely true. I’ll probably end up with some habits from your new friends if I’m going to be tagging along as much as you said.”

“You most definitely will. Gotta get you some connections, girl.” Marina smiled, her eyes closing in delight to complete the expression. 

“Girl?” He inquired, tipping his head in confusion. “Uhm. Do I look girl-ish today?”

Marina’s face contorted to give him a funny look. “Huh? No, it’s a figure of speech, Mako. Don’t be too offended, I call literally everyone girl.” 

Before she could finish her sentence, Mako stumbled over a random branch laying askew on the path, vision tumbling out of his pocket.

“Well, that doesn’t seem like it’s going to work very well.” She said, completely deadpan as she watched her brother crawl up from the ground. “Tie it on your bandana or something. I’ll put mine on my bow too. You know, just to make it super duper clear. Its like we totally have ‘TWINS’ grafittied on our faces.”

Mako abided by her suggestion, slipping the mounts of the relic through the ends of the sash coming out of the ridiculous fluff on the back of his head.

She subsequently attached her own vision right onto the satin wings of her hairclip, both of the blue amulets emitting a soft cerulean glow. Both metal borders clinked in unison, bounced in unison, and almost fell off in unison.

How very twinsy indeed. Marina beamed proudly. Me and Mako against the world!

Hm, not quite. Conquering the world sounds more befitting.

Chapter Text

Recently, Mualani had incessantly demanded Kinich to do something besides work. This was the second time this week he’d come to the arena for non-job related reasons, thanks to her invitations. This time, he’d made extra sure to eat something before leaving. Anything to avoid a repeat of the other day.  What were they even waiting for now? Everyone was here, Mualani, Kachina, and himself.

…Unless, Mualani had been serious when she mentioned inviting the twins for every single future hangout.

Oh no, there was that funny feeling again. He had made himself an entire meal with fruit on the side, and somehow that still hadn’t been enough. Was he ill? Low on sleep? Just exhausted?

“Ajaw.” He demanded, turning his subtle glare to the ranting pixel pet by his shoulder. “You didn’t do anything to me, did you?” It was an unlikely possibility, as it went against a few clauses in the contract. Something about not being allowed to cause physical harm. He didn’t remember it word for word, but always kept it on him to remind Ajaw of everything he was banned from doing. However, nothing was impossible for that ‘dragonlord’. He would find a workaround somehow, or choose to be petty and break the rules, plain and simple.

“Huh? Now who’s planting these ridiculous notions in your head, servant? Believe me, if I could I would. But! Every second you force me to spend in that revolting prison is a second I could be planning your eventual gruesome murder.” The dragon snarked back, his voice rising above much of the loud plaza chatter.

“You’re surely aware that it’s simpler to just say ‘No’.” Kinich offered plainly, snubbing him like usual. Ajaw was such a pain, constantly running his mouth, as well as having zero filter. That made it imperative that he got locked up when Kinich had to meet new people.

“Wow, look who actually showed up!” Mualani clapped her hands proudly. “Ooh, the matching fits? Very spot on. You know, I thought you were going to skip this for your shift.”

She’d been completely serious. Mualani had invited the twins and not told him. Marina certainly seemed like the kind of person who would fervently argue with Ajaw for hours on end. Kinich hadn’t prepared to dump him in time out beforehand, and now the dragon and girl were probably going to trade insults all night. As soon as Ajaw’s eyes found Marina, he opened his loudmouth to start asserting his presence again, and Kinich had enough. He turned the dial on the relic resting against his wrist, channeling the dragonlord into an impromptu time-out for another day. 

Kinich breathed a silent sigh of relief. At least he’d only have to spend time with one antagonizing show-off, and the one he preferred, to boot. It wasn’t a high bar, Ajaw was one of his least favorite ‘people’ to talk to. He would rather speal to anyone else on Teyvat than his contractor. On the bright side, it lowered his standards when interacting with human chatterboxes. That was all Mualani’s thinking. He couldn’t find any silver lining in his companion’s detestable personality on his own.

“I would never! If you ask me to go out for dinner, I’ll be there in a flash. Especially in big groups. That’s where all the silly what-nots happen.” Marina shook her head, and her hands along with them. “I’m always down to hang out. And I do mean always.”

Kachina giggled behind her hand. “You almost sound insulted. Like missing an outing is a sign of weakness.”

“It so is!” Marina insisted back, her eyes widening to emphasize her point. “Are you kidding me? Social interaction is at the same importance as a career. How do you even build a career if you can’t charm the interviewer into giving you a chance? Boom. Flawless logic. Feel free to debate me with your incorrect opinion if you wish, of course.

Kinich was unconvinced. Putting conversational skills at the same caliber as your job was a new concept for him. To answer her hypothetical, he built his career off being a superior hunter. Clients hired him for his efficient results and fair prices, not…smooth talking. Maybe she got her job that way, but he certainly hadn’t. Did people not have to work for their work anymore? Was she just so undeniably likeable she could get any position she wanted?

While it went against his work ethic, it was an impressive skill to converse as well as she did. Even he had to admit, when he bumped into her the other day, she had kept things flowing rather well. Talking to was on a complete separate caliber than scripted dialouge options between politically disaligned strangers. 

He’d been forced into that kind of talk more than he preffered, always when Mualani randomly dumped unfamiliar people on him. He’d never really clicked with any of the new faces she’d brought him, excluding Kachina. When it came to Marina and Mako, he still wasn’t sure where he stood with them. 

From his analysis, Marina had all of Mualani’s worst traits. Being obnoxious, inability to read the room, bottomless stomach… however, she did have this odd knack for keeping things interesting. He hadn’t felt bored around her, well, ever. 

Not being a ‘people person’ like Mualani also made it difficult for Kinich to get a decent read on Mako. The boy was hard to notice, almost like a ghost. Present physically, but absent in every other way. Clearly, he was more of an introvert than his sister. He hadn’t talked to Mako much, if at all, so he remained a question mark in a lot of categories.

He’d never had siblings. The closest he’d ever gotten were Mualani and Kachina, but he couldn’t stand the idea of living with them. It seemed impossible for someone as unassuming as Mako to survive in the same house as an aggressive Mualani clone.

“Anyway, dinner sounds good right now. I’m starved from my shift. All I had was a few lemonades and a snowcone or two.” Marina complained, a small pout crossing her features.

“Oh, the beach life… if only.” Kachina sighed longingly. “I haven’t been to the beach or the springs in forevvverrr! Mualani’s been too busy with tourists thanks to summer rolling around. It’s not even early summer anymore. I just really miss hanging out at the beach and having cold treats all day.”

“Kachina. Hasn’t your mother taught you to eat healthy? You absolutley cannot just have drinks and icees.” The lifeguard commented, raising her brow at the younger girl. “That’s exactly why I’m starving right now.”

“Both snowcones and lemonade are just flavored water.” Kinich concurred, blinking his emerald eyes and offering a small hand gesture as he spoke. “So, Miss Marina over here has basically no sustenance all day.”

“Boo, you buzzkill.” Mualani snarked playfully. “Don’t listen to him, Kachina. Someday, I’ll invite you to the bay again, and you can have as many juices as you want! In moderation with other food, of course. And, speaking of other food, I’m sure poor Marina is starving from her incredibly difficult job of sitting on a chair all day.” She smirked, sticking her tongue out at her tribemate.

“Oh, can it.” The pretty young woman rolled her eyes, along with all the rest of her head in exaggeration. “Let’s just go get a bite. Me and Mako’ll pay.” Marina groaned, dragging her sibling along in one hand and Mualani in the other.

“What kind of food do you want anyway?” The tour guide voiced casually, as if being towed by the wrist was a totally normal thing. The other kidnapped boy, meanwhile, was weakly trying to pry his sister’s hand off, complaining that he was innocent, and her grip was far too tight. 

“Do you think they have any street food stands we’ve never been to?” Kachina mused, following along like a duckling. “That could be a new experience for everyone!”

“Maybe.” Marina replied, Mako finally wrenching himself free of her grip, holding his forearm tenderly. “You know, I went to the arena in the morning today.” She remarked, her eyes looking up and slightly left as she recalled her early rising. “It was a lot clearer than usual. Well, that is kinda to be expected, but moving on- I noticed a lot of stands and stores I could never see before. So, you’re probably right in the sense that we haven’t eaten everything there is to try.”

Kinich remembered his involvement in her coffee excursion as well. Seeing as she hadn’t mentioned him at all, he held his tongue and decided to wait until she brought it up herself. He was far too well-mannered to mention, but he had seen her long before he caught her runaway insulator. He’d just made the executive decision to focus on his tasks, instead of talking to someone he knew for two days.

Though, if had been trying to lay low and hide from that extrovert, he probably shouldn’t have fetched the cup sleeve for her. He did it because it just seemed like the polite thing to do, and he was not going to be the guy who slammed the door on the person behind him. Besides, he had gauged her behavior before approaching her, and she had been a lot more mellow in the morning. That was the sole reason he’d felt comfortable sharing a few words with her right then. Right now, she was a much bigger presence, but he had no evidence that it was group-related. He could pin it on morning drowsiness or low social battery during that specific moment. Now that was a decent conversation starter.

As the group tailed a hangry Marina, something caught her attention, and she sharply whirled around, sending Mualani stumbling the wrong direction.

“What’d you find?” Kachina asked, while stablizing Mualani all at once. “Oh, wow. That looks crazy expensive!”

The twin had her neck bent all the way back to look at something she’d found in a shop’s display case, a gemstone carved sea turtle. Kinich could never seem to process why Kachina and Mualani- now Marina too, were obsessed with beautiful, useless items. The work of art was certainly nice to look at, but besides feasting one’s eyes, what purpose did it serve?

“Marina, that’s fifty thousand mora.” Mualani winced at the price, regaining her footing and hurrying to see the apple of her friend’s eye. “There’s no way you’re getting that! Don’t you have bills to pay?”

“Eh, I’ll take it out of my groceries cut. Fifty thousand, divide by four, that’s twelve thousand five hundred, I make ten thousand a week, so that’s like… two and a half thousand out of my extra earnings?” The lifeguard nodded to herself, satisfied. “I’m not very smart, but I guess mental math is doeable.”

“Don’t forget my random paychecks.” Mako added, which Marina replied to by swatting him away. He looked mildly offended, dusting his arm off where she’d pushed him.

“Hah, no way I’m pulling out of your reserve. You don’t make consistent money anyways, there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to earn back whatever I spend. Keep your mora to yourself.” 

“That’s just her way of saying ‘I’m not forcing you to pay for me.’” Mualani grinned. “She’s always like this. She used to pull it on me all the time when we were kids.

“Oh yeah? Imagine how many times Mako’s probably had to hear that.” Kachina snorted, crossing her arms. “Probably once a day for what, two decades?”

Marina’s narrowed as her mouth curved into a joking frown. “Hey! Just how old do you think I am?! Twenty is certainly pushing it, I’m no old hag.”

Mako blinked at his sibling, unimpressed. “We’re nineteen. You’re not far off, Kachina.” He responded, holding his naturally shaky voice mostly stable. “Marina, the sign says don’t touch.” He warned, grabbing her wrist and peeling it off the display case.

“Hey, ow- I mean- great grip strength, I’m… uh, very proud of you? Nevermind, that sounds really backhanded. Of course I was just kidding. ” Marina laughed, shaking her wrist out. “C’mon, Mako. Take a joke, won’t you? I’m not gonna smash the glass or anything. Let’s just take a look inside, right everyone? Mostly just for me, though.” She winked and threw a braid over her shoulder, stepping inside.

“A bit of window shopping never killed a man.” Kachina shrugged, running through the door, Mualani excitedly following her.

Kinich looked at Mako for a short moment. The two made eye contact, sharing an expression that could best be described as ‘I’ll go if you go’.  Kinich reluctantly went with the crowd, despite having little interest in pretty paperweights. It was probably best he took Mako with him, so he could look after his sister to make sure she didn’t damage any property.

Despite her typical self, Marina was barley touching any of the artifacts with more than a feather’s dusting. Her voice was low and observant, circling the gemstone sculpture to get a look at it from all angles. 

“Hm… Just as I thought. It’s Noctilucous Jade from Liyue. Probably not very high in demand in Natlan. What do you think, Kachina, you’re a rock expert too, right? Feel free to correct me if I’m coming up with falsehoods, but that is something the Children of the Echoes pride themselves on, right?”

Kachina looked more than thrilled to give her opinion, using her short stature to her advantage by looking the carving’s base. “Me? You want my opinion? Okay, let’s have a look!” She nodded a few times, then knocked her knuckle against the stone. “Yep. Seems genuine. But, with the stone’s worth right here…isn’t fifty thousand mora a bit much?”

“Right on the money! My thoughts exactly, couldn’t have worded it better myself. Alright then, looks like I’ve got some pretty talking to do!” Marina helplessly jumped up, trying to reach it, but it was just out of her grasp. She looked around in an over the top manner. Looking for her brother to help, Kinich guessed. “Hello-o? Do any tall people want to lend a hand?”

The brother in question seemed preoccupied looking at shark tooth pendants on the other side of the stall, but immediately turned his head at Marina’s command. Kinich wasn’t doing much, and Mako was a lot further away anyhow. He gestured to Mako to let him know he could continue on with whatever he was doing. 

“I’ve got it.” While he was slightly taller than Marina, it was only by a couple inches. and the shelf had to be at least six feet. Even he had to lift up on his toes a little to reach the top, but he was able to grasp the base and pull it down into his hands. “Here. For you, Marina?”

“Thanks, sharky.” Marina looked down as she wiped off the dust in her hands by swiping them against her shorts, hoping to keep her new collectible shining. She glanced up to take it from his hands when she blinked a few times. “Oh, you’re Kinich-! Sorry, sorry. I almost thought you were…”

“Mako?” They both said in sync, which caught his attention again. Marina mouthed a ‘you’re fine’ to her confused brother through her giggles. 

“I wonder how you could’ve guessed.” She smiled, curiously tapping her finger against her lip as if she was thinking hard. “Oh, maybe it’s because you two are the only people taller than me.”

“Hey!” Mualani interjected, leaving whatever she and Kachina had been doing and running up to join the conversation. “What about meee? I’m a half inch above-”

“Oh, shh.” Marina huffed, her finger darting out over Mualani’s mouth to silence her.

“Half inch is half inch. And besides, 0.5 rounds up, not down.” The surfer teased, hands on hips. “I’m just joking of course. You’re plenty tall enough.”

“You don’t have to excuse your bullying after every joke, you know.” Marina blinked, unimpressed. “We’re friends and I have a sense of self-worth. I can take a quip.”

“I know, I just don’t love being meaaaan! Okay, It makes me feel better, even if you weren’t offended. So I'm doing it anyway!”

“Okay, like, whatever.” Marina rolled her eyes with a smile. “What’s with all you nice people? Literally every one of you in this room is a nice person except me.”

“Is being situationally mean the secret to success? Even though we’re all… ‘nice people’, at least by your standards, you’re somehow still more liked than the rest of us combined.” Kachina said thoughtfully, approaching the group and standing beside Mualani. 

“Situationally mean. Isn’t that just multiple personalities?” Kinich added

“Well, Mualani said you have a work personality and a normal personality.” The lifeguard reported with a smirk, her eyes half-lidded and lazy. “Everyone’s got multiple sides, that doesn’t always mean one side is a lie and the other is the truth. Though, it can sometimes be the case. I’ve met my fair share of fake people.”

“Agreed. In my case, It’s only professionalism. I’m sure you’re a bit more relaxed when looking out for danger on the beach, but it mostly depends on how seriously certain jobs need to be taken. Lifeguarding is a respectable job, but given that the people you’re watching already know how to swim…” The saurian hunter analyzed.

“Mhm! That’s exactly right. That’s why nobody’s ever worried that Lifeguard Marina is slacking off a bit. Most friends and family will be able to fix misbehaviors before I have time to climb down from my chair.” Marina nodded in assent.

“Fair enough.” Mualani also agreed, then bumped Marina’s shoulder. “Alright, take your cool statue so we can go get food.”

“Oh, right.” She chuckled half-heartedly, scooping the carving out of Kinich’s hands. “Thanks again, by the way. Everyone needs a tall person in their life.” As she walked over to the prospector’s counter, Kachina began putting back the thing that she had been ‘window shopping’.

“You’re not even that short.” Kachina rolled her eyes, gesturing down at herself. “I mean, look at me! I could only hope to be as tall as you and Mualani someday!”

Mualani patted her friend on the back, having to drop her shoulder slightly to reach it. “You’ll get there someday, I promise! You’re still young, after all. I’m sure you’ll grow plenty in the coming years.”

“I hope so!” Kachina eagerly exclaimed. “It looks like Marina’s done checking out. Let’s go get something to eat.”

“Make sure to get something nutritious.” Kinich added. “Keep your body healthy.”

“Oh, and, andandand, don’t be comparing yourself to Mualani, Kinich, or even myself. We’re both qualified warriors, and you’re still in training. You’ve been improving, and you’ll continue to in the future.” Marina added, going on her tiptoes to put her face over Mualani’s shoulder. 

“Alright, let’s move, for like, the eighth time.” Mualani urged, nudging a still-yapping Marina out the door. Kachina followed behind them, and so did Kinich. As he turned around to hold the door open for them, he figured he’d hold it a bit longer so Mako could leave too. 

It seemed as if Mako hadn’t expected this, because he also reached for the door, only to slowly drop his hand to his side. Upon seeing it was already opened by someone else, he continued to walk through, but with a near unnoticable pause. The following sidelong glance was so small, it could’ve been excused by the store’s lighting.

However, Kinich’s watchful eyes hadn’t missed it. Instead of saying anything, he slipped out the door himself, and caught up to the rest of the group.