Kasei raised a brow, his arms uncrossing as he slowly walked over to the tub. “…Araiso?”

Blue sleek eyes looked up to Kasei. Araiso’s short blue hair was wet and hugging his face. Where his ears should be came long fin-like pieces with light blue- almost white- scales on them.

Kasei stared unable to say anything, as his eyes wandered more. At Araiso’s shoulders came more fin-like pieces as if wings that started at his collar bone and then flowed down to his shoulder blade, then they came into long graceful pieces. Down to Araiso’s arms, from his wrist to his elbow were more elegant fins. Kasei looked into the water to see if perhaps there was a matching tail.

No tail.

Instead, from the edge of his hips were slight fins fanning out. Then down to his legs, starting at the knee, Araiso’s legs had been turned into graceful solid structures wrapped in large fins to make two separate legs, but both as if their own fins.

Kasei looked back up, “…Wow… You’re a merman?”

“We’re properly called Children of the Sea.” Araiso said, his voice soft and loose but gentle.

“You speak now?” Kasei fell to his knees.

He nodded, “Yes. I can’t speak in human form.”

“So… What did you wanna tell me?” Kasei asked after a moment, folding his arms onto the edge of the tub to look at the other.

Araiso grew a slight blush onto his face, “My-my mirror…”

“What about it?”

“Can’t I have it back?”

“Why?”

Araiso sighed, brushing his wet bangs from his eyes. “I’m the second prince, not to gain the throne… But to regain the respect of my brother, I have to have my mirror with my crest on it.”

Kasei nodded, “So that reflection.. was you?”

“Yes. Through a special underwater bubble I can look through my mirror to find where it is.” He nodded.

“Well that explains it.”

“Hm?”

“Your blue hair.” Kasei said.

“…well, can I have my mirror back?” Kasei shook his head. “What? Why not!”

“Why do you need it? Really.”

“I was exiled…” Araiso looked down. “A merfolk without their special object doesn’t belong in the kingdom… I got pushed to the far ends where humans fish until I turned 19.”

“Why 19?”

“It’s when we gain the ability to appear human for almost twenty hours.” Araiso nodded, “Then we need to return to the water.”

“…This sounds like some crazy dream…”

“It’s real.” Araiso insisted, leaning close to the brunette. “Please, won’t you give me my mirror back? I want to go home.”

“No.” Kasei smirked. As Araiso was ready to shout, Kasei grabbed his chin and gently pulled the other toward him. “Now, now.. I’m not doing this to be mean… I’m just thinking, if you were exiled why not stay with someone who can be your friend? It’s not like anyone’d believe me that you’re a real merman anyway.”

Araiso pulled back, thinking it over for a minute. “…Why do you want me to be here?”

“I’m lonesome.”