I'M ALIVE! GOOD GOLLY it's been at least what? Two years? Three years? My dear readers I cannot apologize enough! I lost all my last account's information! So I am reposting here! But without further adieu, AGAINST ALL ODDS!
Arthur sighed as he walked along the beach. He was on his way to pick up the boat his father left him in his will from the docks where it had stayed the last three years. Arthur was surprised his father had even left it to him. Probly only left it to him because he was the eldest son that the man had contact with and knew how to care for it. Or it was broken or something. But he honestly thought that his father was going to leave it to the second youngest and his favorite; Alfred. Ever since Arthur's parent's claimed he was schizophrenic he spent most of his time indoors with his mother and youngest brother Mathieu and his father all but disowned him. Arthur was so lost in thought as he combed the beach he almost didn't see a man floating in the shallows. Looking around to find no one else in sight that could see if the man was alright so he decided to go over himself and help. Kneeling beside the man he poked his arm.
"Um, are you alright?" Arthur asked, but the man just rolled over, swatting Arthur's hand away in the process. But what Arthur saw as the man rolled over he couldn't believe! He saw that the "man" had a tail like a fish!
"…Go away…" he said sleepily. Arthur was standing again in seconds, his head reeling at what he was seeing. A merman?! What the hell?! Taking a deep breath Arthur forced himself to keep calm.
"Fine. I just wanted to help." The merman's eyes snapped open at Arthur's words. Taking in his surroundings and Arthur's closeness he began to panic, clawing desperately at the sand trying to get further into the shallows. But Arthur wasn't having that.
"Wait! I know a faster way for you to get back!" he called as he grabbed the merman's crimson tail and was holding on for dear life as said merman was nearly dragging Arthur into the shallows with him. But the merman stopped struggling when he heard Arthur mention a faster way back home. He looked at Arthur who was still holding onto his tail like his life depended on it.
"You do?" he asked Arthur, unsure if he could trust him. Arthur sighed and loosened his grip on the merman's tail.
"Yes. If you just tell me your name and where I need to go I can get my father's boat and I can take you back that way." The merman didn't like the idea of trusting the human, but it seemed like the best way to get home so he had no choice.
"Kiku. And how do I know I can trust you?" Arthur sighed.
"I'm one of the few humans who you CAN trust, let alone see you. Not a lot of humans can see creatures like you I'm afraid." Kiku really didn't like having to trust him, but the human did have a point.
"I'll guide you there but that's all. And you have to promise not to tell anyone anything." Arthur nodded.
"I promise. Thankfully we're close to the docks so let me just take these off." Arthur took off his shoes and socks; rolling up his pants he treaded the water signaling that Kiku follow him. When they got to the boat Arthur reached over the side and pulled out a bucket and fills it with water and shoved it onto the dock. When that was done he did his best to lift Kiku up and into the boat. After Kiku was safely in the boat Arthur climbed up onto the dock, grabbing the bucket he stepped into the boat with Kiku.
"Wait just one second and I'll be right back with a little pool and some rope okay?" Arthur called as he went below deck, soon returning with the items mentioned earlier. He used the rope to tie down the kiddie pool then started filling it with water using the bucket.
"My father used to use this to put the bigger fish he caught in this, so it may smell a little but other than that it should be okay." Arthur sighed when he was done filling the pool and then went to go help Kiku into the pool. "This should make things a little more comfortable for you." Kiku tried not to lean on Arthur too much as he slid into the small pool. It wasn't quite big enough to fit him completely and the sides hurt to lean on, but at least he'd be in water. Kiku sighed when he entered the water, the coolness of it felt good after being out of water for longer than usual. Kiku tried to get comfortable while Arthur went to the front of the boat and tried to start it. It took a few tries but the boat sputtered to life and the odd pair were off.
"Any turns I need to know about?" Arthur yelled back to Kiku.
"H-hai! Turn that way" Kiku shouted back, pointing to the right.
"Alright, hold on, this thing never likes to turn!" Kiku held on to the side of the boat for dear life as the boat jerked hard to the right. Kiku wanted off the boat as soon as possible, he didn't like the noise it made, nor did he like the fact that he'll need help just to get out again. But even if he didn't like it, the human was keeping his word, and he wasn't asking any personal questions. So like it or not Kiku was begging to trust him…just a little.
"Anything else?" Arthur called again, snapping Kiku from his train of thought.
"H-hai, stop about here"
"Alright" Arthur toyed with the boat's controls and jerked it to a screeching halt. By the time he'd stopped the boat Kiku was already trying to haul himself over the side of the boat, but couldn't quite make it so Arthur decided to give him a little help and lift him so Kiku was sitting on the side of the boat.
"Oh. I never introduced myself did I? I'm Arthur. Arthur Kirkland." Kiku nodded, sliding off the side of the boat. "Can I ask you a question?" Arthur asked when Kiku surfaced again.
"Hai." Arthur scratched the back of his head, not quite sure how to ask.
"Well, I was wondering…how did you get to shore? A-asleep no less." Kiku was unfazed by Arthur's seemingly odd question.
"Well I swam there, I was just lying in the shallows and I guess I fell asleep and then you found me and here we are." Arthur laughed.
"Yes. Here we are indeed." Kiku couldn't help but smile hearing Arthur laugh. It was different from the way he'd heard humans laugh before, cackling at their latest catch of fish, dolphins, and the occasional merperson. 'But then they couldn't tell merpeople from fish could they?' Kiku thought
"Well arigato for taking me back Arthur-san. Sayonara"
"W-wait! U-uh do, do you think we, could talk. Again?" Arthur asked just before Kiku was going to dive under the waves. Kiku turned and looked up at Arthur curiously. "Well, er, I mean, I never really get to talk to many people, let alone a merperson so I, I was just wondering." Kiku smiled. He wasn't used to seeing so much emotion from humans; actually he wasn't used to interacting with humans too much in general.
"I suppose. I do owe you a favor for taking me home. I'll be on the beach again tomorrow if you wish to talk." Arthur was leaning over the side of the boat, smiling happily and no longer embarrassed.
"I'll be there! B-but I don't think you should be out in the open like that again. Who knows what might happen to you should someone else find you there, especially if you fall asleep again." Arthur patronized Kiku.
"Hai. Don't worry I have a hiding spot amongst the rocks along the shore." Kiku soothed, turning to swim off.
"A-alright I'll, I'll be there! W-whaaa" Arthur called, waving his hand in goodbye, but was leaning too far over the edge and fell into the cold ocean water. Arthur struggled to surface at first, he wasn't used to swimming so deep in the ocean but he got his bearings after he coughed up the seawater that had invaded his nose and mouth and was able to swim.
"W-whoa! Ha, I guess I'm swimming now!" Arthur laughed when he looked at the shocked expression on Kiku's face before he composed himself.
"Will you need help getting back on the boat?" Kiku asked, swimming over to Arthur who was only barely floating against the never ending waves.
"I-I will when I get out, but it'd be a w-waste to fall in on-nly to get b-back in. a-and I'll j-just be colder t-than I am in h-here because of my c-clothes." Kiku looked at Arthur, tilting his head to the side in curiosity.
"I never thought of that. Well I never truly where clothes so I wouldn't know." Arthur laughed.
"No I suppose you wouldn't!" Arthur coughed up another mouthful of seawater, trying desperately not to throw up. "B-but I do wish this was f-freshwater! M-my stomach doesn't like ocean water at all!" Kiku's brow furrowed in question.
"What to do you mean 'doesn't like'" Kiku asked swimming ever closer to Arthur and the boat.
"I-well, I-no most humans- can't drink saltwater, it makes us sick. When I ingest salt water, my body forces it and all the contents in my stomach out through my mouth." Kiku made a face of disgust, the thought of having to do that just because saltwater was in your system was beyond him. "Disgusting, I know but that's how the human body works. When it ingests something it doesn't like or too much of something it forces our bodies to get rid of it." Arthur was shivering by now from the cold of the ocean's waters, but he didn't want to leave. He was having fun, Kiku was the first person he'd met that didn't make fun of him for being pale, or his eyebrows or because he believed in mythical creatures. But Kiku noticed Arthur's shivering, noting it with caution.
"Are you alright?" Arthur tried to stop his shivering, to keep Kiku from worrying and to get more time to talk with him before he was forced to go.
"Y-yeah, I'm al-alright." Arthur mentally hit himself, cursing his human body to not be able to handle the cold! To make matters worse for Arthur, Kiku wasn't convinced.
"Are you sure?" Kiku asked curiously.
"Y-w-well may-maybe I shou-should get, back, back into the b-boat. Maybe there'ss a b-blanket down b-below." Arthur shivered out before trying to scale the side of the boat, nearly falling into the water again making Kiku laugh to himself but still Kiku swam over to help Arthur get back into the boat. When Arthur was safely back in the boat he quickly went below deck and grabbed an old blanket and draped it over his shoulders like a shawl before returning to the edge of the boat to say goodbye to Kiku only to find him already gone. 'Oh well. I'll see him again tomorrow.' Arthur thought to himself trying to ward off the disappointment he felt driving the boat back to the shore, and onto the platform to bring it home.