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“Do you miss it, being human?”
Jin glances up from the water’s surface, the waves rocking against the building gently. The monster looks down at him, eyes curious; it’s a large, salamander thing, with bright yellow eyes. It tilts its head, waiting for his response. Jin hums, feet dipping into the water.
“Sometimes,” he says quietly, glancing down at his clawed fingers, “sometimes…not so much.”
The salamander monster hums in thought, sinking down in the water; the water rises, sloshing over the building’s edge to cover Jin’s legs. He chuckles, kicking his feet out. The sun is shining overhead, warming the water to something pleasant. Jin looks back at the monster, watching it as it ponders his answer.
“I think I was human, once,” it says thoughtfully, looking down into the water.
“I think you were, too,” Jin replies, leaning forward.
The salamander monster hums again, tail flicking. Jin watches it move, the water clear enough he can make out the ridges and dips in the salamander’s skin.
“Do you have a name? I feel weird, calling you ‘salamander monster’ in my mind,” Jin says, eyes darting back to the salamander’s.
It tilts its head, doing an approximation of a shrug.
“I must have one, but I cannot remember it.”
“Would you like one?”
The monster dips its head into the water, its frilled gill stalks fluttering a bit; Jin leans his elbows on his knees, watching carefully. He isn’t scared by the large, hulking creature—has no reason to be—given its curious, philosophic nature. It circles around a submerged building, seemingly lost in thought. Jin waits it out. He has nothing to do, anyways.
Humming a forgotten tune, Jin lets his eyes slip shut. He’s glad the sun is out—it feels so nice on his skin. He’d forgotten what that had felt like. The salamander pops its head out of the water, big waves of water lapping at Jin and the surrounding submerged and partially-submerged buildings.
“What if you gave me a name?”
Jin tilts his head, studying the salamander. He looks over its body, thinking of its personality. A small smile grows on his face, eyes fond.
“I think your name should be…Namjoon.”
The salamander gasps, body glowing; it shrinks down, body morphing into a not-man. Instead of ears, he has the frilled external gills of his monster form; his hair is a dark, dark brown; his feet and hands are webbed; and his irises are bright yellow. He flips around in the water, looking at his limbs in amazement.
“I’m…what am I?” Namjoon asks, his voice breathy and awed.
Jin beckons him over, helping Namjoon up onto the building; he’s clumsy on his legs, the memory of walking on two legs long-forgotten. Smiling, Jin nudges Namjoon to put his arm across the other’s shoulders.
“Would you like to meet the others?”
Namjoon’s head whips towards Jin, eyes wide.
“There are more? Like me?”
Jin smiles, taking shuffling steps forward; Namjoon follows after him, clumsy and uneven.
“Yes and no. Yes, they were once full monsters; no, none of them are salamanders like you.”
Namjoon lets out a small sound, taking in the surrounding buildings.
“How many are there?”
Jin hums, guiding Namjoon towards a large, looming structure; it’s a blown out skyscraper, chunks and pieces missing. Namjoon mutters something to himself, Jin chuckling a little—they had all been like this at first.
“I’ve found two others—you’ll meet them there,” Jin says, pointing towards the skyscraper, “not including you, there are three left I need to find. I’ve seen them here and there, but I’ll need to actually go and look for them.”
Namjoon nods even as they slip into the water; they swim towards the skyscraper, Namjoon shooting ahead. Even now, he’s most comfortable in the water.
“What are the others’ names?” Namjoon asks, doubling back to circle Jin.
“Hoseok, and Yoongi,” Jin calls, crawling onto a floating piece of debris.
Namjoon hooks his arms on its surface, watching Jin curiously.
“What are they?”
“Hoseok’s a fox,” Jin explains, “and Yoongi a wolf.”
Namjoon nods, feet kicking leisurely. The debris drifts towards the skyscraper, Jin sitting to catch his breath.
The two lapse into silence, a small smile playing around Namjoon’s face.
“I’m excited to meet them,” he says softly, yellow eyes unfocused.
Jin turns to look at the skyscraper, grinning as he sees two figures moving in an exposed section. He gestures towards the building, watching as Namjoon looks up; it’s amazing, watching the emotions play out on the salamander-man’s face. He can hear Hoseok calling out to them, arms waving wildly; Yoongi is standing silent next to him, watching them closely. Namjoon calls out a greeting, his own arm reaching out to wave.
A sense of peace fills Jin, body glowing faintly he and Namjoon reach the skyscraper. Lifting his hands, he smiles—his claws have become fingers, though the tips are still a little crooked. Jin stays on the debris as it bumps into the building’s edge, Yoongi and Hoseok scrambling down to greet Namjoon properly. The three of them start talking, moving deeper into the building; turning around, Namjoon cocks his head towards Jin. He waves them off with a smile, Namjoon returning it after a moment.
This is my purpose, Jin thinks, helping them remember who they are.