Chapter 4

After a bit, Kasei got up and with a new cigarette in his mouth headed back to the den. Araiso followed after quickly.

Kasei spent a while flipping through some books, while Araiso just sat next to him with the blanket wrapped around him.

“Waiting for me to show you the mirror?” Kasei asked with a chuckle, looking to the other. All he got was a pout. “Why do you want my mirror so bad?”

Araiso looked around, trying to think of how to explain it without words. He pointed to Kasei’s lighter.

“My lighter?” He blinked, totally confused. Araiso nodded then pointed at him. “…Me? My lighter belongs to me?” Again, Araiso nodded. Next he pointed at the mirror in Kasei’s pocket. “My mirror…?” Now Araiso pointed to himself. “You… Ha.” Kasei chuckled. “It can’t be yours.” Araiso frowned, not understanding. “I found this on the beach ten years ago.”

Araiso flung his arms up in the air making to scream in frustration. Angrily he pointed out the window to the sun, then shoved his arm down from a ninety degree position, like something hitting a horizon.

Kasei stared for a moment then shrugged, “Something about when the sun goes down?” Araiso nodded with a firm look in his eyes. Kasei shrugged and just chuckled, then he went back to reading.

Finally, when the sun went down, Araiso got up and pulled Kasei around the house until he found the bathroom. He yanked in Kasei and closed the door, then motioned for him to stay put.

Kasei grumbled, crossing his arms, “What’s this about?”

Araiso glared to him, starting the bathwater.

“You don’t expect me to take a bath with you, do you?”

The following glare made Kasei not want to say anything more, for fear of his safety.

Kasei remained quiet and watched as the other stripped and then climbed into the bathtub. As soon as he did the light in the bathroom went off, but a glow from the bathtub water lit the room dimly.

Chapter 5

Kasei raised a brow, his arms uncrossing as he slowly walked over to the tub. “…Araiso?”

Blue sleek eyes looked up to Kasei. Araiso’s short blue hair was wet and hugging his face. Where his ears should be came long fin-like pieces with light blue—almost white—scales on them.

Kasei stared, unable to say anything, as his eyes wandered more. At Araiso’s shoulders came more fin-like pieces as if wings that started at his collar bone and then flowed down to his shoulder blade, then they came into long graceful pieces. Down to Araiso’s arms, from his wrist to his elbow were more elegant fins. Kasei looked into the water to see if perhaps there was a matching tail.

No tail.

Instead, from the edge of his hips were slight fins fanning out. Then down to his legs, starting at the knee, Araiso’s legs had been turned into graceful solid structures wrapped in large fins to make two separate legs, but both as if their own fins.

Kasei looked back up, “…Wow… You’re a merman?”

“We’re properly called Children of the Sea.” Araiso said, his voice soft and loose but gentle.

“You speak now?” Kasei fell to his knees.

He nodded, “Yes. I can’t speak in human form.”

“So… What did you wanna tell me?” Kasei asked after a moment, folding his arms onto the edge of the tub to look at the other.

Araiso grew a slight blush onto his face, “My-my mirror…”

“What about it?”

“Can’t I have it back?”

“Why?”

Araiso sighed, brushing his wet bangs from his eyes. “I’m the second prince, not to gain the throne… But to regain the respect of my brother, I have to have my mirror with my crest on it.”

Kasei nodded, “So that reflection.. was you?”

He nodded. “Yes. Through a special underwater bubble I can look through my mirror to find where it is.”

“Well that explains it.”

“Hm?”

“Your blue hair,” Kasei said.

“…well, can I have my mirror back?” Kasei shook his head. “What? Why not!”

“Why do you need it? Really.”

“I was exiled…” Araiso looked down. “A merfolk without their special object doesn’t belong in the kingdom… I got pushed to the far ends where humans fish until I turned 19.”

“Why 19?”

“It’s when we gain the ability to appear human for almost twenty hours.” Araiso nodded, “Then we need to return to the water.”

“…This sounds like some crazy dream…”

“It’s real.” Araiso insisted, leaning close to the brunette. “Please, won’t you give me my mirror back? I want to go home.”

“No.” Kasei smirked. As Araiso was ready to shout, Kasei grabbed his chin and gently pulled the other toward him. “Now, now.. I’m not doing this to be mean… I’m just thinking, if you were exiled why not stay with someone who can be your friend? It’s not like anyone’d believe me that you’re a real merman anyway.”

Araiso pulled back, thinking it over for a minute. “…Why do you want me to be here?”

“I’m lonesome.”