Chapter Five- Lifestyles

Mokuba swam into a tent and looked around while Joey set up electric eel lamps. "It's a big tent," he said as he came out and sat beside Joey.

"Well, I hoped Mai and I would keep camping until you and Kaiba joined us. Turns out he'll finish the same time Mai is." Joey dug through a bag and pulled out some sea rations. He passed one to Mokuba.

"What's this?"

"Sea rations. It's what one usually packs when camping short-term. They're great."

Mokuba unwrapped his and eyed it. It didn't look appealing but he forced himself to try it. He bit off a bite, rolled it around in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. "It's a little weird-tasting," he said.

"I imagine it does. You just became a merman. You'll get used to it and I promise to treat you and Kaiba to a proper meal in the city where I live."

"Where we'll live," Mokuba corrected.

Joey nodded as Mokuba took another bite. "Where we'll live."

"Really, Kaiba?" said Zigfried over the phone. "You'll sell your company to me?"

"Yes and not just that but my home too. Of all the companies I could sell to, it makes sense to sell it to someone who runs in the same industry. My company makes and sells games and so does yours."

"Well, I must say your offer is quite generous. Your company and your house. I never knew you were so big-hearted."

"I didn't either until last night. Look, I want to seal this deal before the week is out. How soon can you arrive?"

"If I pack immediately, I should be there tomorrow afternoon."

"Perfect. See you then." Kaiba hung up with satisfaction. That takes care of the mansion. Zigfried will own everything in it as stated in the agreement I wrote this morning. I just need to take all the important documents out and put them in a lock box at the bank. My account will stay there and I'll put a freeze on it while I'm away and open it again once I can be human again.

Mai looked up as the door opened and she almost fainted. Seto Kaiba had just entered the shop. He bought a cup of coffee and gave Mai a significant look before going over to a table in the corner. He slowly drank his drink while doing work. When Mai got her break, she grabbed a cappuccino and headed to Kaiba's table. "Mr. Kaiba. I must say I'm surprised to see you here," she said as she sat.

"Joey told me where you work and I thought we'd share our progress on The Transition."

"Sure, but where's Mokuba?"

"With Joey. He proved he was a merman last night and Mokuba wanted to change so much that he jumped into the water."

"Ah, got it. He's a merman now."

Kaiba nodded. "I offered to sell my company and house to Zigfried this morning and he's currently flying here to meet me tomorrow afternoon to finalize it. Everything in the house will be his except for some important papers which I will put in a lock box at the bank. I will also freeze my account during the year I'm away."

"Sounds like you got everything in hand. Most of my apartment's been packed and donated. My last day of work will be the day after tomorrow at five o' clock. I hope to be a mermaid twenty-four hours after that."

Kaiba nodded. "Sounds good to me. I'll head out to tell Joey." He got up and left the shop while Mai went back to work.

Mokuba laughed like a dolphin as he raced a passing pod of dolphins while Joey set up the lamps again. He smiled in amusement. The boy was enjoying his tail and talking to and as different water creatures. "This is just about everything I imagined," he said as he came back to the campsite."

"Just about? What's missing?"

Mokuba sat. "My brother for one and meeting other merpeople."

"Yeah, I hear ya. I miss my friends and sleeping in my bed."

"Seto and I will need beds."

"Actually, you won't. You can have my bed and Kaiba and I will sleep in my parents' old bed."

"Thanks. Joey, if you and Seto are a couple, why are you still calling him Kaiba?" He took a ration.

Joey took a bite, swallowed, and said, "Probably because he prefers it that way and unless he says otherwise, that's what I'll use."

Suddenly, a rock plopped into the sand, equal with the pier. "What the heck?" Joey muttered before another one came down. "Stay here, Mokuba." Joey swam out to a safe distance and surfaced to see a familiar figure. He grinned as he ducked down and went back to camp. "It's Kaiba," he said and both boys surfaced.

"Hey, Seto!" Mokuba called.

"Hi, Kaiba. You startled us with those rocks."

"I wanted to get your attention. Obviously, it worked." He shifted his attention to Mokuba. "How are you doing, little brother?"

"Great. I love being a merman. I learned to use my tail, I spoke to dolphins and as a dolphin before racing them. But I also miss you."

"I miss you too, but I'll be joining you soon. Mai told me the day after tomorrow is her last day of work and then twenty-four hours after that, she plans to be a mermaid and I told her I will too."

"Three more days," Joey said. "Yeah, sounds like a plan, Kaiba."

Kaiba smiled. "Call me Seto. We are a couple after all. Will we be married after I change?"

"Mated, but that's pretty much the same thing really."

"Good. I'll like having you for a husband. Tell me about where we'll live."

Joey smiled. "It's not too different from the city." He pointed toward it. "We have restaurants, grocery shops, accessory stores, pretty much everything except clothing stores and pet stores. It's governed by the sea king and he's the one who selects the merperson to visit a city during The Transition period which is always in wintertime."

"I assume you have houses."

"Sure do. We eat at tables, sleep in beds, and use mirrors to see ourselves."

"Seto, Joey said I could sleep in his bed and you and Joey will sleep in his parents' bed."

"I see. I know this is a personal question but how long have you been alone?"

"Two years now. Both passed away when I was sixteen."

"Then you're eighteen like me."

"Yeah. Seto, I never asked. What kind of company is Kaiba Corp?"

"A gaming company. We made and sold games. Tomorrow afternoon, I will be signing it over to a rival gaming company. Everything related to it will be his and he'll also get the house and everything in it except some papers I'll put in a lock box at the bank. Ownership of the house will change at five o' clock on the day I become a merman."

"Wow, he is moving quickly," Joey said as they laid in the tent.

"Yeah. Tomorrow afternoon, Seto won't be in charge of Kaiba Corp anymore. He's run it for years and now it's over."

"Mai said it's been failing for a little while now and Seto would have eventually sold it."

"Yeah, so it was good timing that you came to find him and tell us that we could be mermen. Seto will love it here. I can't wait to see his tail." Mokuba flicked his fins before sighing and falling asleep. Joey smiled at him as he too fell asleep.