The riverbed held a secret treasure.

Inside a massive pearl slumbered a beast. Its azure body wrapped around itself again and again inside it's tiny prison, forced into a tight twist of sleek scales and vibrant frills. Within this chamber, he'd slept for many cycles, perhaps longer than most gembound might sleep at first. But finally, he was ready to emerge. The beast twisted inside its cage, stretching and straining its muscles, pressing against its hardened shell. "Eh kianooo ekaaaiii! Ekaaaiii!" It's high pitched cries could easily be heard through the pearl's glossy casing, carried by the water as squealed notes. Frustrated with its effort's lack of results, the beast heaved one final time...

...but his shifting only brought him more discomfort. He twisted to try and fix the problem, but found himself caught up on his own limbs and tail. The toddler howled in pain.

"Aaaeee! Aaaeee! Aaaeee!"

Arrh had been hiding, and boy, he was awfully lonely. Moana disappeared, and Eeya seemed too busy with Maji Walezi to play with him! So the little-not-so-little orca set out on an adventure to find something new... or maybe even a new playmate! With a bright flame of hope surging through his heart, the pelagic creature had left his water-filled home of Pisces to discover a tunnel leading to somewhere much colder and bluer. Little crystals lined the deep river gorge, and he swam cheerfully with the current, hoping that it would lead him to a new friend.

Happily clicking and listening for the reverberations, he noticed that there was something very big up ahead. A friend, maybe! A high-pitched whine echoed, calling for help. A sea creature, like him! "(I'm) coming!" Powerfully, the Orca thrust himself forth with his mighty flukes. He moved to the surface once to breach and inhale a fresh breath of air before he began to dive deeper and deeper into the river.

"(I'll) get you out, friend!" He stopped before the large pearl, scrutinizing it. He swam a few loops about it, looking for perhaps a weak point, where his clicks echoed louder than the others.

Once he found it, Arrh butted it as hard as he could, but not so hard as to harm whatever friend was inside! And it was a roaring success! He felt a bit of the rock weaken under the attack, and he clamped two large ivory teeth about it to pull it away, and squealed in joy. "Free!"

ooc: italic speech is sea language, i'm too lazy to write it/look it up

@Cerulean

There was a response outside the shell of pearl glass and the creature inside quivered with excitement. It's saved! Safe! There was a series of clicks and then, the shadow outside grew larger, quickly.

A second later, the little one's world exploded into chaos and light. The bowl of its chamber gushed full with river water and he sprang free with the current, unraveling its five feet of length and instictively stretching new muscles to try and reach the surface...

...it was instinctive, the drive that propelled him up towards the light above. He curled and twisted awkwardly at first, trying to find bearings in the multi-dimensional world he'd been thrust into. Finally, with a powerful sweep of his tail, the newborn broke the surface and inhaled the air above. He gave himself a moment to breath, then found his muscles tired. Another deep breath and he allowed himself to sink lazily back under the water, twisting to find his- or it supposed, it could be a her, maybe- savior. It- he? She called out.

"Koo aaaeee areeh! Areeh kriaaa kriaaa, aaraa koo! Kiaa iiiraa oooara kaaa! Areeh ekaaaiii, areeh kaaa ekaaaiii!" Once she- er, he?- spotted the orca who'd saved them, they swam quickly to spin around the new friend, once, twice, then around to face it head on, grinning with bright, alien eyes. It squealed again, a new sound, almost like a rumble. It had no words behind it, but was clearly a grateful gesture. This one could speak well already, though the grammar and words were a jumbled mess.

@Arrh

Arrh was so happy when he saw the little creature's eyes sparkling with joy and glee as it wriggled out. It looked so... cool! It was blue and had cute little feet. It was really long, too! It unravelled itself and began to swim for the surface. He clicked happily as he watched the small creature swim towards the surfsce of the river for its first breath. Each stroke of the tail was admired. Yes... the critter was already a strong swimmer! This was good! They could swim and play lots, and Arrh could get them some food and they could share a meal!

When the noodley creature swam back down towards him and circled him, Arrh tried to follow him, but the leviathan was too swift. Once face to face with the smaller creature, he squealed, "Kiiiia eki ka!" Happy to help you! Throwing his large head up, he flailed his pectoral fins in a playful gesture. "Ka oookiiia eee?" You play with me? Oh, he was so excited to see if he had a playmate! He missed having friends!

@Cerulean

The other creature was black and white, big and powerful. For a moment, the littler creature regarded its new friend with awe. Then, those exotic eyes snapped down to its own form. Blue. Very blue. He found himself grinning goofily at that, twisting to get a better look. His fin was the same! But instead of pectoral fins, he had... claws! Woah! The little gender-confused serpent looked upon its talons with delight. Those were gonna be useful, she could tell!

{Yes!} The youngster snapped her attention up in delight. {Yes, yes! Play! I play with you!} She swam over to the orca with a twirl and bumped her rounded nose against his head as she swam past and above him.

{This one is Kreeeooool!} She twisted to wait for her new friend to catch up. Kreool. This would be a good name, such a unique sound, a trill in her throat. His throat. Yes, definitely a boy's name, right? Was this one a boy? Oh, there was the sense that gender mattered to the tyke, but whatever that meant, whatever the difference between the two, they didn't feel right picking just one. {Kreool play with new friend! What games! What games!}

@Arrh

Arrh felt happiness practically course through his veins, and it filled his head when the neonate nodded yes and spoke. The Orca chirped, whistling in glee. "Yay! Play!" The long creature swam closer and swam above him. He felt a little touch on his head and he playfully lifted his head, which would probably bump the long creature's tail. The whale turned around by propelling to the left with his pectoral fins and using his powerful tail to turn. Once he turned around, he clicked happily once again.

Kreool! What a fun sound. Arrh repeated it over and over, singing it out. "Kreool! Kreool! Kreool! Like that name!" His tail arched upwards, breaking the above current of the river for a moment before it resumed. "Arrh is my name!" He remembered learning his own name. It was a really nice sound! Like Moana's and Eeya's. He really missed them. But he had to stay optimistic. Surely they'd found more friends to play with and would bring them back so they could all play together!

What games? "Lots of games!" There were so many! Tag, Hide and Seek, (Though he wasn't very good at it. When you're a 6 ton whale, it's pretty hard!) Simon Says, Fish Chase, I Spy, Truth or Dare, Treasure Hunt, Show and Tell, Story-telling, Patty Cake, Tug 'o War, Keep Away, Swimfish, (the equivalent of Leapfrog, but they're in water, so) Peek-a-Boo, Stone Skipping... and he had to pick one! He was quiet for a loooooooooooong time, but then he gave a determined squeal.

"How about... Truth or Dare!"

@Cerulean

The orca started to chant the blue one's name and in response, she gleefully whistled and spun again, playful and excited. They liked their name, it was a good name, very good. He had chosen such a good name for herself! Wonderful! Wonderful! The aqua babe twirled in celebration, then paused to float back into place when Arrh introduced himself, and paused to think of a game.

{Arrh! Arrh!} Kreool cheered, equally as excited for their new friend's name as they were their own. Then, Arrh had a game! Truth or Dare! Oh, this wasn't something Kreool understood. The newborn faltered.

{What is Truth or Dare? How does they play?}

@Arrh

Truth or Dare? How to explain the rules? Well... someone a long time ago had explained it to him. A whole group of Gembound gathered to play it! It seemed really fun! Arrh thought for a moment, then tried to explain it as easily as he could. "Take turns, Kreool go first ask Arrh 'Truth or Dare', Arrh say 'truth' or 'dare'. If Arrh say 'truth', you ask a question. If Arrh say 'dare', you give Arrh an adventure, like swimming fast or going really deep. Then Arrh do it to you!" Hopefully that was good enough! He was such a sweetie that he was letting Kreool go first!

@Cerulean

Kreool listened very intently as Arrh explained the game. Seemed simple enough. The orca finished and Kreool chirped in excitement. This was going to be so much fun! He'd never played a game before! Actually, he'd never done anything before! What a way to start living! Playing games with friends in the beautiful blue water with this one's beautiful blue scales glimmering like fresh snow, except very blue.

{Okay! Kreool go first! Kreool turn!} She cheered, spinning in the spot again. {Kreool ask Arrh, Truth or Dare?} The little creature clapped his claws together and waited impatiently for the orca's response, excited to get started.

@Arrh also wow was is with these shitty short posts gj cerul

Yay, he did a good job! Arrh clicked happily and swam upwards for just a moment to breach with a spray of water and sucking in some more air through his blowhole. The great whale swam back down towards his companion and eagerly awaited the beginning of the game. When he was asked truth or dare, he pondered it for a moment before squeaking out, "Arrh want Dare!"

@Cerulean