AN: Hey it's me again! Thank you so much for the reviews! They mean so much to me. There is a new jim/ariel video that is absolutely amazing. It gives me inspiration! I highly suggest you all check it out! Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Remember to review!
The Rendezvous
I wonder what she's doing right now… Jim stared wistfully out at the setting sun through one of the multiple ceiling high French windows.
"Washed up from a shipwreck, why you poor thing! We'll have you fixed up in no time. Alrighty, now strip!" Carlotta's abrupt command made Jim jump out of his reverie, especially when she tried to tug off his shirt. Jim was clearly flustered when he stumbled backwards out of her reach.
"Whoa! Whoa wait a minute!" Carlotta laughed good- naturedly.
"My goodness, you act like you've never had a bath before!" Jim's cheeks burned for a moment.
"Bath?" Carlotta smiled. It was cute how modest the boy seemed to be.
"Why you have to clean up, you're going to be having dinner with his highness!" Realization set in. Oh, that's right…How he managed to forget that when he was standing in a ball room sized bathroom was beyond him. But really…in the center of it was a solid gold clam shaped bath tub already filled to the brim with bubbles.
"Oh…um ok." Embarrassed, he lifted his favorite now sea worn shirt from his body. He resisted the urge to cover his bare upper half when he caught Carlotta giving his abdomen an appreciative glance. It took a lot more will power to hold back the shudder that went along with it though. Handing it to her, he watched as she cringed at the soiled clothing.
"I'll just um…have this…washed for you." Jim noted that it was probably a good thing that she replied scurrying out of the room, and was so preoccupied with the shirt's state that she forgot he was still wearing his pants.
Glancing around the magnificent bathing chamber, he made sure there were no more middle-aged cougars lurking in the shadows before divesting himself of the rest of his clothing. A hiss of appreciation was given as he seated himself in the steamy scented waters. His aching muscles rejoiced at the reprieve.
Wow, this felt amazing. Prince Eric sure had the life here. Dryly, Jim knew without a doubt that Delbert was soaking it up for all it was worth.
Delbert…He still couldn't get over the fact that he could change himself into a human with the power of that little ring. It was like…he had created a whole new set of possibilities. One could potentially travel to any world they so desired and acquiesce completely…Physical differences were rendered a thing of the past…He could…Wait a minute…
Ariel…
His eyes widened and found that his heart started to race. With the power of the ring, the issue of their lower halves was nothing. She could visit his world. He would show her all of the wonders of the land. But wait…
He didn't want to test the ring on her, not when he wasn't sure exactly how it worked. Hesitantly, he looked at his waist where the bubble bath gathered about him. It was decided then. He would use the ring on himself and explore her world…if the situation ever presented itself and with her permission of course. Raising his foot out of the steaming waters he stared at it. I wonder what it would be like to have fins…
In a raised part of the undersea palace, there was bustling about in the royal dressing room of the princesses.
"Ariel, come out you've been in there all morning!" Adella called to her youngest sister who had been hogging the body cleansing chamber for almost an hour. Her other sisters watched from their perches at their mirrors. Something was definitely up with the redhead. She never took more than five minutes in there, before scurrying off to some unknown adventure.
Without warning, she swam out humming to herself like she was in some kind of trance. Eyes widened when she actually sat at her own vanity twirling her hair about like she was actually concerned with her appearance for once. When found acceptable, she proceeded to swim out of the room. It was in passing her father that she gave him a kiss on the cheek and flitted out towards the dining hall.
King Triton was baffled to say the least. He was just going to call his daughters for dinner when he bumped into Ariel acting whimsical and blissful. What had gotten in to her?
"Oh no…she's got it bad…" Attina announced as they all gathered.
"What? What has she got?" Now he knew he was out of the loop. But somehow his girls always knew exactly what was going on.
"Isn't it obvious? Ariel likes someone…" Arista supplied with a wink. Triton looked at the blonde red tailed mermaid in disbelief.
"Ariel…likes someone…?" However, the more he thought about it, he found a smile gracing his lips. Maybe that's just what she needed: a good merman to calm his rambunctious daughter down. Hmm, now…who could the lucky boy be?
The dining room, like all of the other rooms in the house was large and magnificent in its splendor. Three of the walls were made up by floor to ceiling windows. The other possessed a significantly sized marble fire place and priceless tapestries lined the walls. In the middle of the room, a cherry wood table long enough to seat twenty brought the room together as its centerpiece.
"So…if I may be so bold as to inquire what the prince likes to do with his spare time?" Delbert asked taking a long sip from his glass. He was thoroughly enjoying the luxurious perks so far. Eric's smile and chuckle was lighthearted.
"Well, I don't know; a lot of things. I love sailing and exploring." A snort from Grimsby alerted Eric of his displeasure.
"Oh Grim, you're not still sore that I didn't fall for that last princess are you?" Grimsby gave him a weary glare.
"It's not just me Eric, it's the whole kingdom. Everyone wants you to find and settle down with the right girl. If you spent half the time searching for this girl as you do useless nonsense, then maybe you'd be settled by now."
Delbert chuckled to himself. Sounds like another lad I know… Carlotta's bell-like laughter rang through the halls.
"Come on honey, it's this way." The middle-aged woman was practically dragging the teen behind her. All eyes turned to Jim who had received new clean clothes as well. (just think of a variation of the clothes he wore at the end of treasure planet)
"Hey there, you clean up nicely." Eric congratulated slapping Jim on the back. Jim merely smiled.
"It's true Jim; you don't look like such a ruffian when you're dressed decently." A mock death glare was sent in Delbert's direction.
"Alright, alright, come now, you all must be famished," Grimsby called as they all took their seats. Dinner was spent in amiable conversation. Eric and Grimsby were admirable gentlemen. Still, Jim couldn't help but find himself drift off from the conversation from time to time, his gaze setting on the sun descending over the ocean.
It wouldn't be long now. He was reassured of this from the way Delbert was smoking a pipe with Grimsby. Delbert always smoked right before he was going to settle in for the night. His heart leapt in anticipation as he stared out at the waves. Was she out there? Was she just as anxious to see him as he was to see her?
"Well gents, it has been most enjoyable sharing your company, but I find that it is time for me to retire if that's all right with you all." Jim gave a sharp glance over to Delbert. This was his chance!
"No, no of course, Eric why don't you take them on a tour of your kingdom tomorrow, maybe find some supplies to rebuild the ship they lost."
"That sounds like a great idea! It's settled then," Eric announced as he too stood from the table. The night was young and he had some exploring to do.
"Hey Jim, you up for a little excursion tonight?" Under any other circumstances Jim would have jumped at the chance. But tonight, there was only one place he wanted to be and that was at her side.
"Ah, um, no thanks. I think I'll be off to bed too. I um…am uh…very tired." Eric eyed him for a moment but shrugged it off.
"Another night then." The two space sailors made their adieus and headed toward their guest rooms. Once inside with the door locked, Delbert removed the ring. Jim was fascinated by the way Delbert's features seemed to morph right before his eyes until he was returned to the canine like alien that he was.
"Whoa…cool."
"Cool indeed, Jim my boy. But this little baby does have its limits. It can only be worn for eight hours." Alright, he could handle that…Now all he had to do was wait Delbert to fall asleep. He was in luck judging from the way the sleeping pills he slipped into Delbert's drink after dinner were taking affect. It should be another minute before a loud thump was heard as Delbert passed out cold on the bed, the ring clinking on the floor.
"Sorry Doc, sweet dreams," Jim whispered picking up the ring and exiting the room making sure the door was locked. He had a date with destiny that he couldn't pass up…
The night sky was dark and overcast. A fierce wind blew to the east, tossing the waves up and about. The castle looked more like a dark fortress than the sunny work of art it was in the daytime. The wind whipped violently through chocolate locks as Jim stood silently on the steps of the castle.
Sneaking out of the castle had been a bit of a chore, but really after battling cutthroat bloodthirsty pirates, any task seemed like a piece of cake. Besides, he wasn't some sort of prisoner. The reason for his secrecy laid in the fact that he didn't want anyone to find out about Ariel. He would never betray her trust.
His footsteps were slow and steady as he descended the stone steps towards the churning waters. His eyes scanned the horizon continuously hoping to spot the redhead. How was he supposed to contact her? What if she didn't come? What if…And that's when he heard it.
"Aaah aaah," her angelic voice could be heard echoing on the waves. Frantically, his gaze sought for the one whom the voice belonged. It didn't take long. Her flaming hair was like a beacon among the darkness. About twenty feet out and propped up on a rock, the little mermaid sang.
The soft smile couldn't be ripped away from him. It was disconcerting, really, how he had symptoms feeling physically ill. His skin was clammy. His heart was racing. His stomach was in knots and cold chills were shooting down his spine. It was like they were all omens warning him to stay away.
But…he disregarded them instantly, his feet moving forward. It was like he was under her spell…in a trance…something. She hadn't spotted him yet and so he figured she was beckoning to him with her voice.
Hesitantly, he walked down the beach, the wind whipping through his sailing clothes. He didn't even realize he had stopped until he was knee deep in the surf, boots and all. Patiently, he stood, waiting for her to notice him. A part of him wanted to rush out to her, but the other reminded him that he would probably only look foolish in the water to her, and that he had to let her make the choice to come to him if she so wanted.
The setting sun cast the ocean in a golden glow. Twilight had made its appearance and yet the youngest mermaid princess willed its departure. She was impatient and giddy…restless.
"Ooh I can't wait to see him! Flounder, you remember where he lives right?" Ariel was fidgeting on the rock lounge in the center of her grotto. Flounder was flitting about, getting caught up in his best friend's excitement. But little did they know that a miniature red Jamaican crab was hiding/eavesdropping from behind a root beer mug.
"Oh and you can splash about to get his attention." Sebastian's eyes narrowed. What was that girl up to now? And this "Jim" again. He had yet to meet this young man. But…it sounded like they were doing something at the surface. Regardless, he had never seen Ariel so animated about anything.
It was in that moment that the shadow of the sun making its final goodbye for the day, came casting the grotto in darkness.
"Ooh it's time!' Sebastian scarcely had time to see the flash of vibrant red as the mermaid exited the grotto in a rush, Flounder exerting effort just to try and keep up with her. Now Sebastian's interest was piqued.
"What do ya suppose…?" Not wasting a moment, the crab set off after her only to have a mini heart attack when he saw her heading for the surface. Oh no!
Meanwhile, Ariel felt like a rocket. Something was beckoning her higher like she was asleep and consciousness lay at the breaking point of the surface. Something about the thought of seeing Jim again made her feel alive.
The cool air on her face as she met the night sky felt like she was reaching the surface for the first time. For a moment, she just let herself bask in the night as the wind and the waves whipped about her. It was a wild night. Flounder's splashing about would be insignificant among the white caps that smashed about them. She would have to try something else if she wanted to get Jim's attention. But how was he to notice her when she kept getting tossed about like one of her old dolls.
Wait a minute! She spotted a familiar large stone that overlooked the beach. She wanted him to notice her but have the opportunity to escape if any other humans appeared. But how could she get his from here? She would have to yell or…Sing!
Taking a deep breath, she let her heart select the tune. Lost in the song, she let her eyes slip closed. Fantasies of his smiling face appeared before her mind's eye. It was her heart's wish to see him again. So when she opened her eyes and saw the object of her desire standing in the surf, she felt her heart flutter.
She remained frozen as if the moment she moved, he would flicker and vanish like one of her daydreams. But then, her daydreams had never been that vivid. Mustering every ounce of confidence she could find buried within herself, she dove forward into the waters only resurfacing and stopping when she was waist deep.
"You came." His words rand clear as the winds died down and clouds parted to reveal a starry sky. Ariel was amused at the fact that he himself didn't think she'd come yet he showed up anyway.
"I wanted to see you again." Her declaration was bold and at the moment both were glad that the darkness of night was concealing their reddening cheeks. In an unconscious nervous habit, Jim scratched the back of his neck.
"Well uh…I'm glad." Awkward silence ensued for a moment, both of them to nervous to think of anything to say.
Think Jim think! Say something! If you don't, you'll lose her! His hands clenched in his pocket and he felt the smooth metal of the ring. The ring…He had totally forgotten about it: forgotten about what if could do for him…Shifting a bit he started again.
"So what is it like?" A light of interest was ignited in his fierce blue gaze. His look was one of adventure, and the smile adorning his lips was full of mischief like he knew something that she didn't. Like a moth to the flame, she was pulled in.
"What is what like?" She was up for any challenge.
"Living under the sea, it's gotta be unreal, mysteries of the deep, you know." Jim made the hand gestures like he was describing something magnificent. Ariel giggled openly at his display.
"It's alright I guess."
"You guess?" Jim was clearly playful.
"Well maybe someday I could show you a few things." Ah, and right into his trap…
"Someday…" he let the words roll off his tongue slowly like he had been denied something and he was clearly disappointed.
"Why, would you like to go for a swim?"
"Maybe, are you offering?" Ariel was flabbergasted. No one had flirted with her so blatantly before. She felt her cheeks flame.
"You mean, now? Jim, it's dark you wouldn't be able to see a thing. Besides, the waters are still a bit choppy. It wouldn't be easy for you." Ariel did all she could to reason with him. Didn't he think it would be weird to swim with her since she was a mermaid and he wasn't? Jim's smirk grew at her hesitancy.
"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?" Folding her arms over her chest, she clearly sent him a look that said, says the boy who doesn't live in the ocean.
"Jim…"
"Ariel, would you be more comfortable if…if I was like you?" It was a risky question. This whatever it was, was new and therefore fragile. Ariel's cerulean orbs widened in shock, before narrowing in confusion.
"You could…do that?" Jim tried to hold her intense gaze but failed.
"Yeah…I mean…it's not permanent or anything, but yeah I have this ring that allows you to change into anything you want…and if you wanted to explore a bit then…" Jim cursed himself in that moment for not being good with words.
"Anything…you want…really?" Ariel couldn't seem to get over the fact or maybe it was the fact that Jim took advantage of the kind of technology he was immersed in. But then, her innocent curiosity was a quality that he found himself being drawn to.
A soft smile appeared and Ariel found herself blushing in its wake. What had she done to warrant such desirable features from him?
"Yeah." The outgoing mermaid was rendered timid.
"And you really want to know what it's like under the sea?" a simple nod, but a fire was lit in her eyes.
"Ok then. So how does it work?" Jim blanched under her watchful scrutiny and pink tinged his cheeks as he fidgeted.
"Um…I'm not exactly sure." A brow lifted in response as she gave a playful look of scorn.
"Ok…I guess I'll have to wait then." A small giggle escaped ruby lips as she swam forward to find a new seat in the surf. Jim's brows furrowed down into one of determination. Ok, so what did Delbert do exactly? It sounded like he just slipped the ring on and it magically worked. He had never actually seen Delbert activate the ring but hey…how hard could it be? If he could unlock a puzzle sphere of a treasure map, then couldn't he decipher a trinket that Delbert invented? Alright well…it was time.
A hand with a slight tremor reached into the dark pants pocket. Sure enough, he felt the sensation of touching the smooth metal of the band. Pulling it out, he brought it up to his face for inspection. There were no inscriptions or miniscule buttons to activate the ring. Ok…so it was looking like he was going to have to put on the ring for it to activate.
But then…an unbidden thought came to him. Would he start changing as soon as he put the ring on or would he have to do something else as well? Either way he noted with a blush mentally that the end result no matter how much time he was allotted would require that he wore no clothing. He was really grateful that the darkness was covering his blush right now. Furthermore, he sincerely hoped that the shadow cast upon the ocean would conceal other things as well. It would be embarrassing explaining human anatomy on the first date, if this could be considered a date at all.
Ok, well it was now or never. Without looking back, he returned to the shore. At first, this startled Ariel making her think that he was leaving her, but then when he stopped and started removing his boots, she found herself entranced. The ends of his "two tails" had been revealed. What were they really called again? Oh yeah…feet.
Then she felt her mouth go dry when he started to un-tuck his chest covering. Ariel gulped. Hard. And then, he lifted it…and discarded it…All coherent thought was lost. He was…wow. True, she had seen nothing but bare male chests her whole life, but wow, the hard life of a space sailor had chiseled his body into that of female delight. His body was lean but sculpted muscle could be seen resting dormant under tanned skin. She was unable to keep from staring as he entered the water once more.
The smooth sand and warm water felt good against his skin. Ariel's eyes followed him until he stopped at waist depth. Even in the dark, she could see the red on his cheeks. She saw him take a deep breath before fidgeting with something beneath the water. Part of her wanted to duck underneath the water to see what he was doing, that is…until she saw two pieces, or should she say the last two remaining articles of his clothing float to the surface. Wait…two pieces…? What was that smaller article of clothing? She hadn't seen it before.
It was a good thing the sea princess was preoccupied with his boxers to notice that Jim was standing naked in the water. Man, if Delbert could see him now. Once more, he examined the ring. It was time to become a merman.
Yay! Another chapter! Please review and leave you thoughts and ideas! Until next time! Later days…