Chapter 2 - Human medical supplies

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Ariel swam downward for the sea bottom with Riko in tow, and flounder on the side. Riko was not only enjoying the ride, but the view. And no, it wasn't Ariel's backside.

"So this is the ocean...it's pretty cool!" Riko bubbled underwater.

"We call it home." Flounder replied

Ariel eventually found the sea bottom, and stopped so Riko could let go of her and look around.

"I've seen this stuff on shore. Humans catch this stuff and sell them as little trinkets." Said Riko, looking at coral.

That gave Ariel an idea.

"Hey, Riko...could you come with me, there's something I want to show you." asked Ariel

"Sure...what is it?" asked Riko

"You seem to know a lot about human things...I have a collection of them...maybe you could tell me about them."

Riko smiled, as he did know about human things.

"Sure thing, Ariel. show me the way." Riko grinned

Ariel gave Riko her tail, and the 2 went off to the grotto where Ariel had her collection.

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The group eventually arrived at the grotto, and Riko had his hands full of information.

"Wow...humans sure lose a lot of stuff." Said Riko

Ariel grabbed an object from the wall and showed it to Riko.

"Ok Riko, can you tell me what this thingamajigger is?"

To Riko's dismay, Ariel held up a catheter.

"Oh boy..." Riko knew he had to lie...and not mention where he thought that it might had been.

"What is it? My guess is that you put a drink in the empty space up there and drink from this end." Ariel held the straw end to her mouth.

"NO! NO! Whatever you do, Do NOT drink from that end!" Riko knew exactly why.

Ariel gasped and put the catheter down. Riko didn't want to tell her exactly what it was for.

"So this is a dangerous thing?" asked Ariel

"Yes! it's dangerous..." Riko replied

"What do humans do with it?" asked Ariel

Riko gulped and then whispered the answer in Ariel's ear. She gasped and threw the catheter as far as she could throw it, and went to get another object of interest.

"What about this?" Ariel held it up for Riko to look at. "Does this collect...what you said that other thing did?"

"That's a stethescope...Humans use that...to listen to their heart. Totally harmless." Riko smiled nervously.

"Really...how does it work?" asked Ariel

"Simple...take the 2 little thingies and put em in your ears."

Ariel took the 2 earbuds and placed them gently into her ears, and then took the other end, and gave it to Riko.

"What do you do with this?" asked Ariel

"Eh...you put it on your chest and look for your heart."

"Ok!" Ariel took the stethescope end and placed it over her chest, but couldn't hear her heart. Of course, she was misplacing it.

"My heart...maybe behind my seashells." Ariel began to remove her shells, before Riko quickly stopped her.

"Ahhhhh...no...it's probably broken." Riko stopped Ariel from embarrassing herself.

"Well...ok." Ariel put down the stethescope.

"Oh boy, I haven't been that nervous since I was stuck in an elevator with Mr. T after he OD'd on his prescriptions."

(Cutaway)

Mr. T was totally going off while Riko was hiding in a corner nervous.

"Mr. T's hungry! Mr. T wants chicken! Mr. T wants his chicken deep fried! Hey sucka! do you taste like chicken?" Mr. T yelled at Riko

(End Cutaway)

"Ok, now what about this? It looks like that one tower in Atlantica." Ariel then held up the worst thing yet - a wooden dildo used for a sexual education class.

"Good heavens, Pinocchio's been cut off." Riko took the dildo and threw it away.

"Is that also a dangerous thing?" asked Ariel

"Uh...yes. I'd stay away from those human objects until you get married." Said Riko

"Married? Why?" Asked Ariel

"Because..."

"Because what?"

"Just because." Riko tried to change the subject.

Ariel shrugged it off and thought about her favorite snack.

"Say, have you ever tried seaweed cookies?" asked Ariel

"Seaweed cookies? Do they have any special ingredients?" asked Riko

"Like what?" asked Ariel

"Just seaweed, really." Said Flounder

"Just seaweed...you're sure?" asked Riko

"Yep! And they're delicious!" Ariel smiled

"Mmmm-mmm!" Ariel and Flounder smiled together

"Ok, if you say so. " Said Riko, knowing that he probably should avoid anything with the word "Weed" in it.

Ariel and Flounder brought Riko over to the local market, where they were buying a batch of seaweed cookies, and had sat down to snack on some.

"There's 9 of them...we get 3 each." Ariel did the math and handed Riko and flounder 3 cookies each.

Ariel and Flounder savoured their cookies in good time, but Riko was a bit nervous.

"Come on, try it!" Ariel asked Riko.

"Oh boy...well, hakuna matata..." Riko took his first bite...and was it ever good!

"Wow...these are delicious!" Riko wolfed down his first cookie.

The whole group didn't say much as they sat there and ate. Riko got down to his last cookie. Unfortunately, he didn't tell Ariel just how fast his digestive system worked. pretty soon, there were bubbles emitting from him with really, really funny noises. It got to the point where Ariel and Flounder were fanning the water with their tails.

"Oh, it smells like daddy after he eats baked sea beans!" Ariel gasped for air.

(Cutaway)

King Triton was sitting at his throne, shovelling in baked sea beans.

"Mmm-mmm! These taste so good I could eat em all day!" Triton declared.

However, as with all people who consume beans, he began to emit gas. The smell got so bad, even Sebastian, who was in the other room, could smell it.

"Oh dear, dat smells even worse den when de smokehouse caught fire in Jamaica."

(End Cutaway)

Riko tried to ignore the fact he was emitting gas.

"Say these seaweed cookies are good! Can we get more?" he asked

"I'd say you've had enough!" Ariel kept fanning the water.

The group got up and swam off from the spot they were sitting.

"So, what next?" Ariel said with enthusiasm, as she could breathe easier now.

"I could show you my home...if only you were allowed to leave the water." Riko sighed

"How about I show you mine?" asked Ariel

"Are we allowed? Won't king Triton get mad?" asked Flounder

"Daddy's only scared of humans...not Aquaharpies." Said Ariel

Ariel allowed Riko to hold onto her tail for the trip to Atlantica.

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