I'm not really sure what to expect from Llywelyn's version of friendship.
I suppose, to be fair, he doesn't seem to know either, so we're a good match that way.
But that doesn't mean we don't argue. We argue. A lot. About everything. The weather, the food, the chores, the aliens, the books, the stars. We just... bicker. Constantly. But I don't hate it.
Maybe I should. But there's something thrilling about it. Something exhilarating. It makes me feel alive. It makes me feel like... me.
Is what I'd normally say.
When I'm feeling... just. Incredibly stupid.
I fling the sponge at the back of his head. "Hey! No! Aquacave is not done! Don't you dare leave me to do all the work! I don't care if you're bored of cleaning I still-!"
He ducks the sponge deftly, and turns to face me, a grin on his face. His eyes are bright, and his collar is glowing. "It's a medical condition, you know! I have to bathe! My skin will dry up and fall off if I'm not submerged in water for at least an hour every day!"
"YOU JUST HAD FIVE."
"Did I say a day...? I meant to say every few hours. My bad." He's still smiling.
I glare at him, and he just laughs. "This isn't funny! You're not even trying to hide that you're making up nonsense!"
"Given that I am one, I'm an expert on Akutwasian biology-"
"You're an expert on bullshi-!"
"You know. I was wondering. Do humans just not bathe? Is this why you're so violent and smelly? Perhaps if you bathed more often your mood would improve." He taps his chin, "After all, if you could just wash your aggression away-"
"I would bathe more if someone didn't hog the bath all damn day! And I'd be less aggressive if you'd just-! Help me! Finish this job!"
"My delicate nose can't-"
I pick up and hurl another sponge. It's a clean one, and it's half-full of water, and it splashes all over his head and shirt, soaking him. He yelps, and his eyes widen. "Wh- Why would you do that?!"
I cross my arms, and smirk. "Problem solved. You're wet now." I wave a hand at the rest of the enormous cave that we're cleaning.
It's... a lot of work. The aquacave is a huge, underground chamber, with a pool of water that's too shallow for my lazy ass fish friend to swim in. It's filled with strange, glowing plants, and crystals, and corals. The walls are covered in moss and algae, and the floor is slippery and slimy. And it's not just cleaning. We have to maintain the water quality, and the temperature, and the oxygen levels, and the ecosystem, and the... everything. It's a lot of science, and I don't understand half of it. Llywelyn does, though. He's in charge of the aquacave, after all. He's the one who knows what to do, and how to do it.
He just doesn't want to.
He sighs, and wrings out his hair, water dripping down his face. "You are such a... fis'ia brat." He grumbles, and walks over to me. "I can't believe you."
"I'm a brat? You're the one who won't do his share!" I protest.
"And now I'm soaked." He says, and reaches out, and grabs my arm. "So you're going to pay."
"Pay? What-" I don't have time to finish. He pulls me towards the pool, and before I can stop him, he jumps in, dragging me with him. "Wa-no that's shallow!" I shriek, as we hit the water, and splash into it. It's not deep, but it's still enough to cover me. I'm drenched, and gasping, and I open my eyes to see Llywelyn's smug face above me.
"How do you like it, hm?" He asks, grinning. "Think you're wet enough now?"
I glare at him, and then splash him in the face. Right as he starts to speak. "Fis'ia-!" He sputters, hacks, coughs and doubles over. It would be far more believable if the man weren't amphibian.
I squint at him. "Do you even need air?" I ask, suspicious.
He glares at me through his dramatic sputters and a blue hand appears on my forehead. He shoves me back into the water, and I yell, splashing and flailing. "Don't drown me you-!"
"If you drown you'll have to shut up!" He snaps, shoving at me again, and I grab his arms, pulling him down with me. He is stronger than me, I am aware of this.
But I have leverage and he has slippery footing. He screams quite dramatically as he plunges face first into the water.
I scramble away from him, retreating to where it's shallow enough that it's more of a puddle than anything else, and then point at him as he lifts his head out of the water. "Serves you right, you asshole."
He takes a deep, shuddering breath, and his veins are flashing bright pink. "You..." he doesn't say anything else. He just lunges for me, and I shriek, trying to dodge, but he catches me, and pins me down in the water, straddling me. His hair is plastered to his face, and his eyes are blazing. His collar is glowing so brightly it's like a spotlight.
"Can't- breathe-!" I gasp, as he presses his hand over my mouth.
He looks down at me with that intense expression for an interminable moment. And then all at once his hands are off me, he's off me completely, and his hand is on his own face. He makes a sound that's... basically a single shriek of laughter, and then shakes his head.
"Ah. I'm too tired to continue."
I cough, and sit up, wiping my mouth. I'm annoyed, but also... relieved. I don't know what he was going to do, but it felt... dangerous. "You're insane."
"I don't know what you mean." He says, standing up, and offering me his hand. "I was simply punishing you for your crimes against me."
"By drowning?!"
He waves a hand. "You hold your breath for two minutes."
"Tha- that was one time! I was distracted! You can't base it on that!" I protest, and he pulls me to my feet, still grinning.
"Come, I'm too tired to keep cleaning."
"YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING MORE-"
"Who's fault? I wonder. Maybe if someone had not assaulted me with a sponge-"
I splash water at him in frustrating. It doesn't reach him. He looks over his shoulder, lips twitching up into a too-pleased smile. "Have you got some kind of deadline to have this clean? Come on. I'm hungry." He turns and continues walking.
I open my mouth to protest.
But.
T-technically I've never heard of any kind of punishments for not completing the duties, as long as we're 'doing' them. There's probably some... Xilukulkas made it clear that just not doing anything would have some kind of consequences, but.
I sigh and slog out of the water.
I should probably count it as a win that I managed to get him to do anything, and we've already been working all day.
It's fine.
Tomorrow, though, I'm going to force that man to scrub every inch of this damn cave. Just to get back at him.
I haven't figured out how, yet. But I've got a good history with improvising revenge against aliens.
I leave the aquacave, and follow Llywelyn, who's walking ahead of me, whistling. He's soaked, and his shirt is clinging to his chest, and his hair is dripping. He should look as miserable as I feel with the way both of our shoes are squelching with every step.
But he doesn't. He looks... happy.
"You damn fish..." I mutter, and he glances back at me, his eyes sparkling.
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
He chuckles, and turns around, walking backwards. "You're just jealous because you weird humans have no air capacity."
"Sorry I don't have gills!"
"I don't have gills. I'm just better than you." He says, smugly.
"And how long can you last without breathing? Ten minutes?"
"Ten-?" He blinked, eyes widening and ears twitching, then burst into warm, loud laughter. "N-no, no. Not ten...!"
"What-? Are you kidding me?" I wave my arms at him. "It's not even ten and you're acting like two is all that-"
"An hour." He admits. "At least."
I stare at him.
"You're fucking with me."
"I told you. I'm superior."
"Well. I-I..." Damn, what... an hour??
He's stopped, staring at me, waiting for me to...probably concede or something.
I refuse.
"I. Can walk through a dark forest without announcing my location to every predator in five miles."
On cue, his veins light up brightly. "You-! That's! Not relevant?! To anything!"
"What can I say? I'm just superior. Sorry. That's just how it is." I lift my chin and start walking around him, back towards the manor.
He turns around to catch up. "That is the most absurd - my biology is! That is - that is science!"
"Ah. Maybe. But my biology is better at staying unseen when I want to. What would happen if you tried sneaking around at night? You're a mobile nightlight!"
He's at my side again and he looks more... offended than I've ever seen him. If it were anyone else I'd wonder if I'd actually hurt him. But I'm pretty sure that he's just pissed at losing the argument. "That is-! That is so far from the point- you are so-! Annoying! I should have drowned you!"
"Then you'd have to do the cave on your own."
He squints at me. "I don't like you."
"Tough shit."
He makes a face. "Tuh...what?" He repeats, looking horrified.
Ah. He's never questioned my profanity before. I assumed... I don't know. That it translated better for him. Maybe that's... the problem? "It means... 'you're stuck with me'."
He groans, and rubs his temples. "Bizarre. You're. Bizarre."
"That's the pot calling the kettle black." I mutter.
We reach the manor, and he opens the door for me, letting me in first. "After you. My lady." He says, mockingly, and I roll my eyes.
"You're such a gentleman." I retort, and he snickers, walking in after me.
We walk through the halls, leaving a trail of wet footprints behind us, ignoring the curious stares of the other inhabitants. It's almost time for dinner, and I'm hungry, and tired, and... happy.
I don't know why. I don't know how. I don't care.
I don't think I'm ready to ask why.