"Kaia! Kaia, wake up!"
It was my mother... again. Every day since she came back she had woke me up and obsessed over the top I would wear, but today was a whole new level of insanity. Today was my graduation.
"I think with you're dark hair and white tail, a nice lavender would be perfect. I found these on the floor of the ocean, I was saving them," I felt her sit beside me.
I sat up and rubbed my eyes, still exhausted from staying up half the night, I still didn't have a plan. Graduation was today and I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life.
My mom held out a string of small purple flower. They were beautiful, I had to admit.
"Turn around," my mother instructed.
I did, and then she tied them into place. When I turned back, I saw the joy on her face," Oh, Kaia, darling, you look beautiful."
"Thanks, mom."
"Ahh," she sighed happily. "Today is the day, it seems it came so fast."
"Tell me about it," I muttered.
"Alright, I'll leave you to get ready, let me know if you need anything," she blew a kiss as she left my room. "Make sure to do something with your hair."
I fell back onto my bed, So... today... graduation. I'm going to have to chose. I have to. Maybe I will be a migration worker.
"Let's go! Can't be late on the last day," my dad shouted.
Maybe I could go into the Royal Guard... work with day and with Reque, could be fun. But I don't think I can train that much... I got out of bed and went to the mirror, my hair was just like it always looked, but the beautiful flower top really made me look fancier. Maybe just some lip paint, I thought and I brushed the ruby red paste on my lips. It's not like it will be my forever job, I can always switch... maybe...
School made it worse. Everyone was buzzing with the excitement of graduating and it felt like everyone else had picked a job, while I was stuck playing catch up.
"Hey Kaia," Ernes swan up to me.
"Hey," I smiled.
"Wow, it's really happening," she looked at the chaos.
"Yeah, can't believe its really here. Have you decided on what ou want to do?"
"Me? No."
I got a little excited to hear her say then, but she followed up.
"I can't decide between which type of breeding I should do. Sea urchins or Blue whales?"
So she does know what she wants to do...
"Well, Blue whales are getting low numbers laely. Probably a safe bet."
"Yeah, you're right. Oh, it's starting!," she swam back to her seat.
The ceremony was basic, just like all the years before and all the years after us. Trident came, he smiled, made a phony speech about the future and then one by one we would approach him on the stage and tell him our dream career. In some cases, he would grant the career wish right away, like last year some merp said he wanted to be Life preservation patrol and he was granted right away. Most merps don't choose that career, it means convincing animals in the ocean to not harm one another more than necessary on the food chain, but as of lately it involved protecting humans in the water from animal attacks. Once you tell him what you want to be, he sends everyone into groups of their desired job to meet with people who have that job to see if you would be able to work in that field.
Lauii went up to Trident, bowed politely and explained her wish to be a breeder, Trident smiled and told her that was very important career path. Lauii then went into the breeder group, disappearing from view. I closed my eyes and sighed, it;s not that bad. You can do it. Just pick something. Anything! More people went up, until it was Reque. He bowed to the king and told him his wish to join he guard. Trident beamed happily, saying there was nothing better than a new member of the guard. Reque looked out as he swam to his group and gave me an encouraging smile.
Soon it was my turn, I was swimming up to Trident without a real idea in my head. It was empty, nothing. No idea. No words. No thoughts. I bowed to Trident.
"Yes, and what is it you have chosen?," he asked me.
"I... I...," I couldn't think of anything.
"No need to be nervous. What career have you decided on?," Trident gave comforting smile.
"I... I want... to... I want to be a Life accomadator"
I came it so quickly I had wondered it it was really words I said and not gibberish.
"Any preference on what kind of accomadation?"
"I.. I want to work with turtles..."
"Very nice choice," he directed me to a small group with a few people waiting.
Life accomadator? Where did that come from?
A Life accomadator was job mostly used with newborn sea animals when mother would leave them just after hatching or before their hatching. The job meant helping baby animals adjust to sea life and not be eaten prematurely. The job actually worked fairly closely with migration workers, except this was more for babies and not the older animals.
I waded in my spot and glanced to Reque, he looked a little intrigued by my choice by mouthed the words 'nice' and gave me a thumbs up. Once we were all sorted, we followed the group leader to get a taste of what the job would be like. Our leader had a seal pup with her for demonstration. He was a shy little guy, definitely scared without his mother and all of us strangers. Our leader showed us how to be gentle, let them open up give meaningful advice and help in any emergencies. My head was spinning at the end of it, I didn't think it would be that hard.
I went home at the end, Reque was still in his training and Lauii was already gone. I was meet with unpleasantness.
"A LIFE ACCOMMODATOR!," my mom bellowed as I came in the door.
Here we go.
"What's wrong with that?"
"That is not what you should have chose! You know better than that, Kaia!"
"Then what was I supposed to chose?"
"I don't know, maybe a scum scrubber or a tide regulator," my mom shouted dramatically.
"Being a life accomator is a very important job," I defended. "You have no idea how much stuff we have to know!"
"We?! You just said WE?!"
"Yeah? So?"
"There is no we, Kaia! You are not one of them, you are not! NO! You are going to go back and demand something else, something better!"
"DAD!," I turned to him for help.
My dad looked exhausted, I know that he's been home all day hearing my mom go on about this.
"Girls, can't we just..."
"NO!," my mom interrupted. "Kaia, you are so beautiful. So gorgeous! Any merman would be blessed to have you on his arm, you deserve a role with a proper title," my mom was now trying to get through to me, but it never worked.
"Mom, a life accommodation is important. Besides, I can't go back and ask for a different career."
My mom grabbed my shoulders and looked me in the eyes," Yes, you can."
"Mom," I pulled away. "No. I kind of... like it. I mean, I didn't know what I wanted to be but learning more about the job, it was really interesting."
"Interesting is not what you want in career, Kaia."
"So you don;t think fashion is interesting?"
"No," my mom admitted. "I think fashion is real, a force beyond the water. Fashion drives people, it makes them feel how they want to feel. Fashion is important."
"So is accommodating life, mom."
"Absolutely not."
My dad sighed loudly and rubbed his eyes," Listen Kaia... Your mother and I love you and we support your..."
"I do not support this," my mom crossed her arms.
I rolled my eyes," Fine! I don't care," I turned around and left out he door.
"Kaia! Kaia, wait come back!," my dad came out after me.
I stopped because I could hear the worry in his voice.
"Where are you going?"
"Away. I need space."
"Please don't. The reef isn't safe right now, I want you safe."
"Does she wante to see me be demoted or something, Dad! What does she want!?"
"Kaia, let's go inside. We can talk more."
I sighed,"I can't be here right now, dad."
My dad looked down," Please, Kaia..."
"No, dad. I can't be here," I swam around him.
"Kaia!," he called after me. "KAIA!"
I kept swimming, faster and faster into he dark water and I heard him call faintly,"Be safe." I hoped the distance would allow dad to stand up to my mom, maybe explain to her it was my life and I wasn't going to be a fashion icon. I wanted something reliable, something real... something important. I swam without a real destination but found myself outside of Lauii's door.
"Hey," I said as she opened her door.
"Oh, Kaia... hey."
"Can I come in?"
"Uhm... sure..."
I swam past her into the small room, her brothers both on the floor doing their homework.
"Hey guys," I waved to them.
"Hello Kaia," they both said at the same time.
Loki and Lezer were not twins, Loki was older by a few years but they were almost always together.
"So, this is a surprise," Lauii said. "Whta brings you by?"
I crossed my arms uncomfortable," Oh, you know. My parents think I'm screwing up my life."
"Why?"
"Because I chose to be a life accommodator."
"Oh... how can they think that? That's a really tough job. I was actually surprised to hear you say it."
"I know... it kind of just slipped out."
"Let me guess," Lauii crossed her arms. "Little old miss Fisuya was all like 'no daughter of mine is going to be accomadate life'," Lauii scrunched her face and made her voice shrill to impersonate my mother.
I grinned," Basically, yeah. And she still doesn't like Reque and keeps trying to get me to break up with him."
"Still? I thought we were past that phase."
"Me too, but no. She thinks I'm just going to follow him around all my life. She even banned me from soul bonding."
"I thought you and Reque wanted to wait."
"I do! But to hear her tell me I can't is just so stupid. She's never here! She doesn't even know Reque!"
"Kaia's gonna soul bond?," Lezer turned to me and Lauii.
"No, sweetie. Not yet," Lauii explained.
"Why not? Haven't you been with Reque for a long time?," Loki asked.
"Uhm... yeah, we have... but there is..."
"I like Reque," Loki stated.
"Me too," Lezer agreed.
I looked to Lauii for help and she grinned.
"Oky boys, time for bed. Let's go. Let's go."
The boys did as they were told and left the room quietly.
"Do you think I made a mistake?," I asked Lauii as soon as the boys were gone.
"What? About what?"
"About my career..."
Lauii sighed," Kaia, do you think you've made a mistake?"
I thought for a moment, about all the careers to chose from and the one I chose. I could have picked a lot worse, I could still be seen as unfit for this job and demoted to something worse. But all in all, Life accomodation was a good job, it was fairly respected and it could be fun.
"No," I said. "I don't regret it."
"Then fuck what your mother says," Lauii said lightly with a giggle.
"Yeah, you're right. How was the first day of breeding?"
Lauii rolled her eyes," Ernes is basically taking over. She already knows everything about it, whereas I'm struggling to keep up with what the instructor is saying."
"Yeah, it was hard in my group too," I brushed my hair behind my ears," I should go. My dad is probably flipping out."
"You sure? You can stay he night?"
"It's okay."
"Well, be careful, Kaia."
I hugged Lauii goodbye and went home. Tomorrow was a new day with new training and I was a bit surprised to realize I was excited for it.
