Chapter 3
Shark out of water


"This might just be me, but I think you're overreacting. It's just water, pal!"

I did my best to catch my breath, gulping enormous amounts of air to heal my burning lungs. I don't remember how long I ran, only knowing that I didn't want to stay in the store where something even worse could happen. Turns out, carrying another person on your shoulder like a bag of potatoes and running was definitely a perfect way to destroy my poor body. I had stopped at a small enclosed park situated...somewhere.

Let's just say that geography was never my strong suit. Bite me.

As my body laid down in the cold grass of the park, my eyes decided to roam the surroundings in pure curiosity. Trees, plants and benches were scattered all over the place, a few cement roads and signs adding a modern touch to the natural environment. Basically, it was everything that I expected of a park. The sky was now completely dark, a few stars pushing the limits of their radiance to counter the overwhelming light source of the city. The full moon stood above all, reigning over the somber sky as clouds avoided any possible encounter with it.

I carefully pushed myself in a sitting position, facing the reason as to why I had escaped here. Said reason was now sitting on one of the benches, her legs swinging like a toddler as she hummed a small tune to herself. Her hood was off, revealing more of her messy, spiky white hair, stubby twintails adorning the sides of her head with shark-styled pins. Fitting, considering the same girl had her right hand lifted up in front of her, a bubble of water floating in the palm of her hand. The mass of liquid levitated and rotated freely in mid-air, taunting the laws of gravity as its body spiked and twitched.

I was a natural skeptic, a person who needed absolute proof before trusting any source. However, it was safe to say that after the display in the store and witnessing the ball of water doing the impossible in Gura's hand, I became a true believer in whatever she was. I expected panic and fear to overtake my senses and run away as far as I could...yet, I did not. Shock, surprise and complete disbelief were running amok in my mind, but fear was oddly absent from the palette, my soul feeling calm and...curious? Understanding people was already a complicated task, comprehending yourself was a headache and a half.

All I knew was that I wanted to know more about her. I wanted to know what she was and what she was doing here. I wanted to learn more about Gawr Gura.

"So...no fries in Atlantis huh?" was the first thing that came out of my mouth, proving once again how intellectually handicapped I was. Gura seemed to agree with my inner thoughts as the ball of water dropped to the ground with a silent splash, her eyes asking what was wrong with my brain.

"After all this, now you believe me? And what was up with you running like a mad man? We didn't even buy our drinks!" The unknown entity seemed more focused on the previous event, completely ignoring my confusion at her weird powers as she scolded me like a child. I could only respond with a sigh as I stood up from the cold ground, approaching the bench and sitting next to her.

"Since when could you do this...water manipulation...technique?" I asked as I looked at the water stain on the ground, fumbling with my words as I tried to be precise. Gura raised an eyebrow, following my line of sight before letting a small "oh" of understanding. Once again, another ball of water quickly manifested itself near her palm.

"I've been able to do this since I was a baby shark, duh!" She stated proudly as she brought her hand closer to my face, my eyes glued on the magical view in front of me. Despite accepting that magic; or whatever this was called, was real, the skeptic in me was still trying to find the holes in the spectacle. Report of the investigation: This was indeed happening.

"So...all this Atlantis deal is actually real?" I breathed out, approaching my hand toward the ball of water. Gura decided to entertain me as she brought it closer, my hand slipping inside the sphere of liquid. It was cold and constantly shifting around but my body didn't feel threatened. Odd, considering I saw a man getting propulsed into a store rack by the same element. Time and space had stopped functioning in my world as I watched in absolute awe...before the moment came to an abrupt stop as the water simply dropped to the ground once more, an additional dark stain near my feet.

"I don't understand why you find it hard to believe, it's like you've never seen an Atlantean before." She sighed with a slight hint of annoyance creeping up, her tail impatiently smacking on the bench beside her as she crossed her arms. My sight instantly shifted toward the appendage playing the drum on the wooden surface, noticing just how real it looked. It wasn't realistic looking, it was alive!

"I'm sorry to say that I've never met one of your kind before in all my life…" I apologized with an uneasy smile, not sure whether it was truly my fault or her just being a sarcastic ass again. Her eyes widened in surprise, the colors inside shining in the darkness of the park.

"What?! That's impossible, a bunch of us went to the surface a really long time ago! You should've noticed us at the very least, we're not hard to miss!" Her reaction was a loud one, swinging her shark limb toward me to make a point. Fortunately, it did not hurt as it landed on my shoulder, making a wet slapping noise. My curiosity got the better of me as I carefully moved my hand toward it, looking at the girl for approval. She nodded. Operation Recon Shark Tail, launched!

My hand slid across the surprisingly rugged skin, feeling the multiple scales under my fingers. It was slimy yet soft to the touch, my palm slipping on the surface. It definitely felt alive as I could feel the warmth, the sensation being transferred through my own arm. It felt unreal, to the point where my mind wondered if I was dreaming some sort of illusion.

"Oh wow, I didn't know you were a giant tail pervert! I think I can even see you drooling!" The spell was broken immediately as soon as Gura spoke, my head flying upward at a neck breaking speed to deny every single thing she said. A smug smirk welcomed me as I saw the mirth dancing in her pupils, clearly enjoying the teasing she was making me suffer.

"Y-you little…" a whimper of embarrassment was all that came out of my throat instead, launching the Atlantean in her usual silent laughing fit as she held her stomach. I simply clicked my tongue as my hand went back in my pockets, looking at the ground in irritation. I had to change the subject before she continued her onslaught. "Anyway, I didn't see any Atlantean on the surface. It's not just me, if humans had seen your people, they would've been all over the news or…"

I stopped myself from saying the rest of what I thought. If humans had found out about these aquatic beings, they would've done way worse than just cover them on the news. My race committed way worse sins for way less, so imagining what would happen if they found out about a species of people being capable of controlling water...It was better locked in the darkest corner of my mind.

"But that makes no sense! Sure, we've been forbidden to rise to the surface a few thousands years ago but there should still be some of us left out there!" The shark girl exclaimed, having recovered from her laughing fit very quickly as I brought up her kind. I took out my cell phone and quickly researched Atlantis to see any result.

"Other than the old legend of the lost city, there's nothing on Atlantis. They say that 9,000 years ago, Atlantis was an island with vast riches and treasures...but because the Atlanteans became wicked and impious, their island was swallowed up by the sea by the result of earthquakes." I quoted from the various websites opened up on my phone, the girl beside me peeking at the device as her shoulder bumped mine. "There's some other myth here and there but the sources date from such a long time ago that it's almost impossible to verify it."

"First off, I'm older than 9,000 years, and second, Atlantis was NEVER on the surface!" She declared boldly as she jumped off the bench, her feet spread apart as she crossed her arms.

I was forced to trust what she was saying. Beside, between the internet who had past iteration of messing with people by telling intricate lies or the girl in front of me with the power to control water, there was a clear winner.

"Can you tell me more about Atlantis?" I asked immediately, turning off my phone and focusing all my attention on the expert of the lost city. The white haired Atlantean stared at me for a few seconds before deeply exhaling, kicking a stray wooden stick on the ground with her tail and catching it with her right hand.

"It sucks, if you ask me. It's an enormous city, bigger than the one we're in right now and extends pretty far. It's deep in the ocean, it's all blue and we eat fish or sea creatures all day…" She muttered with disdain, using the wooden stick to point at a nonexistent board like a school teacher. "The culture sucks, the shade of colors sucks, the architect sucks and the whole place sucks!"

"Geez, talk about being biased." I rolled my eyes at her statement, watching the stick in her hand being thrown away in a tantrum.

"You try living in a city in the ocean's depth for 9,000 years...I had to run away, otherwise I'd go nuts." Her eyes were filled with anger, her tail pounding the ground with enough force to make the grass fly away. It was clear that she didn't like that place anymore and I could somewhat relate. I was the type of person to stay in my room forever but I would probably have different emotions about that place if I was stuck as long as Gura's age.

With the information I gained however, I could deduce that Atlantis was either too deep for humans to dive and search...or it was hidden with magic. Even I had to admit that the latter was quite the childish theory but when people see the things I've seen, their perspective tends to twist in more open ways.

It was also safe to assume that something had happened to the Atlantean on the surface. Gura did mention that it was forbidden to swim up on dry land…

"Wait, you said you ran away? Aren't you too old to have a rebellious streak?" I joked with a smirk, attempting to simmer her mood. Her expression changed to an annoyed one immediately, the previous frustration dissipating from her body.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny, Hunter."

"Thank you, I try." I continued with a lazy bow, getting a grunt from the shark girl. "So...what are you gonna do now?"

"Find out what happened to my kind." She declared immediately with no hesitation, her face bright with determination. I could almost feel her soul burning with dedication to her cause. It wasn't going to be an easy task, considering the millennia that had passed. Add the confusing generation of today and this would be impossible to achieve alone. Yet, the fire in her eyes did not waver.

"Then I guess I'll help ya out." I responded as I got off the bench, my hands still hiding in the pockets of my jacket. Her determined demeanor quickly shattered, confusion replacing it with stride. Her mouth was wide open as her eyelids would not stop blinking like traffic lights.

I wasn't surprised by her reaction. In the short time that I've known this girl, I bought her food, treated her to the arcade, lived through a live robbery and learned about her species...I also kicked her in the ribs by accident but I was hoping she wouldn't remember that part. It was a normal reaction to be doubtful of a person's kindness, especially if that person never asked for anything back.

"Huh? A-are you sure? I mean, didn't you say you had work tomorrow? Plus, I still need to find a place to sleep for tonight…" She fumbled and stuttered, the last part casually thrown alongside the rest. I had completely forgotten about her homeless status, my mind already preoccupied with the whole Atlantean business.

I could think of a solution, but it would shamble my lifestyle. My principle of staying low and normal would be in danger. However, could my state of mind strive for normality if it was in constant turmoil over this situation? Could I live in peace if regrets threatened to drown my thoughts? The answer to her problems is a good one, too good in fact...but it required sacrifices, mostly on my side. The question was: Can I do it?

I inhaled a sharp breath of cold air from the night through my nose, closing my eyes as I prepared myself mentally.

"I...I've got a bed at home that I never use. I always fall asleep on my couch anyway so it'd be fine…" I finally breathed out, cutting the tension in my soul with one strike. Silence rang out between me and her as my words floated in the air, my eyes still closed to avoid any further awkward energy.

"What?" was all I heard, and I mentally sighed. Seriously, can't you come up with something more intelligent to say?!

"I have plenty of food to share and I've got a TV to keep you entertained if you ever get bored. Also got a few video games that I never play…"

"I don't understand…" She muttered with an uneasy laugh, my ears twitching at the sound of her shuffling around. I gritted my teeth in irritation as I finally opened my eyes, making direct contact with Gura.

"Come on, get the hint already, dumbass! I'm telling you that you can come over my place and stay!" I yelled out, frustrated with the clueless midget. It wasn't embarrassing but the aura permating the place was making me feel weird about proposing the idea. I didn't have any ulterior motives, yet it felt like I was committing a crime by just asking.

As for Gura, she was immobile, stuck in a neutral position as sapphires stared at me with disbelief in them. Either she was paralyzed with fear about the fact that a 27 year old man just asked her to come over his place...or she was doing her best impression of a statue. God I hoped it was the latter.

"...Why…" She finally breathed out, her head moving down to look somewhere else. Her bangs shadowed her features, making it impossible to distinguish the emotion she was living through. I didn't need to hear anymore to understand what she meant.

Why am I helping her? I had never stopped to ask this question, only following the blind idiocy of my heart along the way. Multiple opportunities showed themselves to say my goodbye and forget that everything happened today...and yet, I never glanced at a single one. I was a victim of the current, unable to truly escape even when a hand was offered.

Was it a feeling of friendship with the Atlantean? Possibly. I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy my time with the girl. She was a complete airhead and a snarky brat that constantly tested the limit of my patience...but she was also easy to talk to, going with the flow of the conversation naturally. Ironically, she was similar to the element of water. I could safely say that I wouldn't mind her company at home...but it wasn't my reason for helping her…

Love? Never in hell. I was not the kind of mind to be bewitched by someone's charm in a day. I was a firm believer that it takes years for people to trust each other on a romantic level, therefore, the question of romance was quickly disregarded and thrown in a heap of garbage theories.

Whether it was because I unconsciously related to her position as a loner, or because I saw a little bit of myself in her, none of the answers I could find would satisfy my core. None of them had enough weight or impact to shatter the wall she had built. My brain could not stop wracking itself for more reasons, but every attempt would end up shallow and in vain.

How I wish I was good at lying. How I wish I could tell some motivational grandiose speech to say...but it was useless to think about it. Even if I prayed to the stars, my social skill wasn't gonna rise up in a matter of seconds. All I could do right now...was trust my heart to say the truth. A string of words instantly erupted in my mind, a smile invading my features as I took a deep breath. I had heard those words a long time ago...they were still throttling in my head even to this day. They had saved me through tough times...maybe they could help someone else right now...

"Because I can." I answered with absolute conviction, making sure my voice was coated with my honesty. It was the only thing I could find to say. If this wasn't enough to convince her, then nothing would. It was my last weapon in my arsenal, the last stand of my offense.

As for Gura, her head slowly rose up to face me, her face having a mixture of unreadable feelings carved in. Seconds evolved into minutes, the silence between us still invading the sphere we occupied before finally, a fatal snort ended its life. My eyes widened, baffled by what I was seeing.

Gura's cheeks puffed up with air, her entire body shaking before finally, a familiar sound escaped her. It was laughter, a loud and uncontrollable one. I did not dare to move, nor say anything, fearing the moment would fade away as soon as I attempted something. After what felt like ages, she finally breathed in precious oxygen, using her sleeves to wipe at the tears prickling the corner of her eyes to look at me.

"You're a weird human, Hunter." Once again, I was called weird by the shark girl herself. This time, however, the sentence was blooming with joy. I couldn't help but chuckle at her declaration, walking toward her at a slow pace.

"Says the girl who can't remember her own age." I retaliated back, walking outside of the park as Gura's footstep caught up to me.

"Oh yeah? Well atleast I don't look like a hobo, grandpa!"

"Confident approach, considering your earlier status."

"I bet the alleyway was way cleaner than your room anyway, so if you ask me, it's not much of a level up."

"...You suck…"

This marked the day that my normal lifestyle ended and my chaotic one began.

This was the day where I became Gawr Gura's roommate.