This is hardly his first time coming to the surface and it likely won't be his last. Sometimes he likes to sit at the end of the wharf in his natural form and soak up all of the attention from the humans getting to see a seal up close. The cooing and the delighted squeals, some humans clamouring to find fish to throw to him. Eventually the attention would get to be too much for him and he'd slip back into the water, or some important seeming human with an authoritative voice would come along to shoo people away from the seal. When the beach is a little quieter, sometimes he'll pull himself up onto the sand just to get some sun. And of course there are times when he finds a secluded spot where he can shed his pelt and hang out among the humans as one of them.
Rarely, though, does he venture too far beyond the beach. He thinks of himself as brave, but not that brave. He normally likes to stay close to the water, close to where he's hidden his pelt. Every so often, he'll venture toward the buildings just at the edge of the beach, watch humans walk into them empty-handed and walk around with all of these nice looking items and delicious smelling foods. He's never gotten up the courage to go inside though. But he did cross the street before. Twice! It was absolutely terrifying! He spent days excitedly telling his friends about it.
Today, he once again finds himself a nice, secluded spot where no one will notice him so he can pull off his pelt and spend some time as a human. Today, he ventures toward those buildings again, the ones that he saw all of those humans wandering into. He still doesn't make it inside, though. There's a delicious smell coming from somewhere outside this time! He trots down the sidewalk a little way, following the scent to a human with a metal stand that has all of this great smelling foods on it. Aqua watches a few humans walk up, give the food stand human something and then leave with something delicious smelling. Oh he can do that!!
Aqua walks up to the food human and holds out a rock he found on the beach. It's a very nice rock! It's the same grey as his fur and it's got a pretty shimmery bit running through it. He was going to show it to some of his herd but he doesn't mind giving it to the human. "Can I try one?" he asks, still holding out the rock with one hand, and pointing to some of the food with the other.
The gentleman running the food cart looks down at the rock and then back at Aqua. "You can buy it."
Aqua, too, looks down at the rock in his hand. "I don't understand. Is it like trading?" He knows trade. He's traded before! And he's pretty sure it's what he saw the humans doing before he approached the food man.
"If you mean trading money for goods and services, then yes. But I only accept money."
All the man gets for his trouble is Aqua tearing his eyes away from the rock he's holding to blink in confusion at the man. Honestly, his whole face is just the picture of befuddlement.
"...do you have any money, son?"
Aqua smiles brightly because that's something he understands (mostly) and a question he knows the answer to. He shakes his head enthusiastically. "No!"
"Then you can't try any."
"Okay!" Aqua happily pulls his rock back, excited that he gets to keep it, but now what? He turns away from the food and steps aside, getting out of the way of the people behind him. Does all the human food require money? Normally he just catches it for himself or looks cute and waits for humans to give it to him. He's never really spent enough time on the surface in his human form to worry about having to eat here. "What do I do about food now? Should I just go back?" Or take it from the human without giving him the money he wants? What happens if he does that?
no subject
Rarely, though, does he venture too far beyond the beach. He thinks of himself as brave, but not that brave. He normally likes to stay close to the water, close to where he's hidden his pelt. Every so often, he'll venture toward the buildings just at the edge of the beach, watch humans walk into them empty-handed and walk around with all of these nice looking items and delicious smelling foods. He's never gotten up the courage to go inside though. But he did cross the street before. Twice! It was absolutely terrifying! He spent days excitedly telling his friends about it.
Today, he once again finds himself a nice, secluded spot where no one will notice him so he can pull off his pelt and spend some time as a human. Today, he ventures toward those buildings again, the ones that he saw all of those humans wandering into. He still doesn't make it inside, though. There's a delicious smell coming from somewhere outside this time! He trots down the sidewalk a little way, following the scent to a human with a metal stand that has all of this great smelling foods on it. Aqua watches a few humans walk up, give the food stand human something and then leave with something delicious smelling. Oh he can do that!!
Aqua walks up to the food human and holds out a rock he found on the beach. It's a very nice rock! It's the same grey as his fur and it's got a pretty shimmery bit running through it. He was going to show it to some of his herd but he doesn't mind giving it to the human. "Can I try one?" he asks, still holding out the rock with one hand, and pointing to some of the food with the other.
The gentleman running the food cart looks down at the rock and then back at Aqua. "You can buy it."
Aqua, too, looks down at the rock in his hand. "I don't understand. Is it like trading?" He knows trade. He's traded before! And he's pretty sure it's what he saw the humans doing before he approached the food man.
"If you mean trading money for goods and services, then yes. But I only accept money."
All the man gets for his trouble is Aqua tearing his eyes away from the rock he's holding to blink in confusion at the man. Honestly, his whole face is just the picture of befuddlement.
"...do you have any money, son?"
Aqua smiles brightly because that's something he understands (mostly) and a question he knows the answer to. He shakes his head enthusiastically. "No!"
"Then you can't try any."
"Okay!" Aqua happily pulls his rock back, excited that he gets to keep it, but now what? He turns away from the food and steps aside, getting out of the way of the people behind him. Does all the human food require money? Normally he just catches it for himself or looks cute and waits for humans to give it to him. He's never really spent enough time on the surface in his human form to worry about having to eat here. "What do I do about food now? Should I just go back?" Or take it from the human without giving him the money he wants? What happens if he does that?