Through the silence of the afternoon, a soft shaa of the shower sounded and within it echoed a soft voice singing. This voice slowly pulled Kasei from his sleep.

For a moment, Kasei just lay there trying to figure out what was making that strange musical sound. When he noticed the sound of the shower running, he got up slowly and went to the bathroom to check. He tilted his head at the slightly open door and let himself in, closing and locking it behind him. Kasei turned to look at the bathtub where he could make out the tips of blue hair and the clear notes of the song.

All he could do was listen without a sound. He didn’t understand the words, but it was a soothing melody, something like a ballad.

Kasei listened for a few moments, then turned and opened up the medicine cabinet and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. The singing stopped, and the swishing of water was heard as the other shifted up to look at Kasei as he lit the cigarette and took the first drag.

“Did I wake you?” Araiso asked after a moment.

Kasei shook his head, putting the items back and closed the cabinet before going to sit on the edge of the tub. “Nah. You’re singing’s pretty.”

“It’s a siren song.”

Kasei raised a brow, “Like the myths?”

Araiso nodded, “I suppose… Each of us can sing and our voices have the power to hypnotize those listening.”

“What do they make the listener do?”

“Come to the source.”

Kasei stared at a moment then chuckled, “Guess it works. Made me come.” Araiso blinked then smiled at him. “But I wish you were a bit more careful. What if my sisters were home?”

“They got home a bit ago and left to go shopping.”

Kasei took another drag, blowing the smoke away from the two. “Okaaaay. And if my parents suddenly came home?”

Araiso blinked, turning his head, “They would?”

“They could.” Kasei shrugged. “Or my older brother could’ve.”

“Sorry,” Araiso slowly looked down. “I guess I really don’t understand how human’s relations work in any way.”

“You shouldn’t be expected to right away, or at all.” Kasei said, making Araiso look back to him. “You’re not human, and where you come from you don’t have families.”

“We do.”

“Eh?”

Araiso shrugged. “Well, sort of.” He explained, “A group of us are born with a special marking added to our crest and this symbolizes that we are the closest to Poseidon. We can’t act in his name, but we are given a position of power.”

“And you?” Kasei leaned over, ready to listen.

“Well…” he paused, not sure how to explain it. “Three of us are put in charge of that group of us, and we’re given highest powers over the ocean. But we should always try to get along. Without each other, we become very chaotic.”

“You guys can’t be handling the pollution so well?”

“Some better than others.” Araiso nodded. “But our own civil problems have erupted since I left the ocean all together.”

“I thought you were exiled?”

“Yes,” he nodded, “From my home at the kingdom, but not from my position. But without me under the sea…”

“The other two are bickering?”

“Probably…” Araiso nodded again.

“So does that make you a king, priest or something?” Kasei asked raising a brow.

“I believe in your culture you’d call me a Prince.” Araiso answered so carelessly.

Kasei stared for a moment, then took a drag and blew out the smoke. “Prince…?”

“Uhm, by the way.” Araiso tapped Kasei’s knee to catch his attention. “I’m sorry about what happened with your friend.”

Kasei chuckled, looking away. “That wasn’t your fault. Our relationship had hit a thick, high and heavy wall that we weren’t going to get around. I don’t mind… He was accepting of my wanting to quit swimming and taking up smoking to relieve the stress.”

“Stress?”

“I used to swim to release stress from my life.” Kasei shrugged. “My brother is great at everything, trying to climb the corporate ladder and get rich right now. My parents expected high things of me, so I tried to do good at swimming. Then one time, I saw my brother swim and I just lost all heart and quit without a second thought. Took up smoking to replace it.”

“I don’t understand it.” Kasei looked to him, staring at the blue eyes. “Why is it that here you’re all compelled to put a value on everything you see? Does the ocean have a currency value, too? Do all people? Where do you draw the line?”

Kasei shrugged, “I don’t think like that. I’m better off if I don’t have to think about money and the value of things. I just want to get what I can to live and be happy.”

“Then why don’t you swim?”

Kasei looked down, “When I saw him swimming, he looked so elegant and smooth like a swan. And I was sure that I could never match up to that.”

Araiso watched Kasei’s poker face vanish and show a softer sadder side. Slowly he rested his hand on the other’s knee. “Swim because you love it.”

Kasei slowly turned his brown eyes to look into the other’s blue eyes. Then he smiled, “What do you think of my smoking?”

“It stinks.” Araiso said flatly, with a very subjecting glare. “It stinks on you, your clothes, your car, your room - everything you have. If you must have something to smell like, make it something that smells good, not something that smells like you just lost a fight with a dumpster.”

Kasei stared for a moment then began to laugh. Araiso’s confused and angry face of asking the other to stop laughing or tell him what he was laughing at, made Kasei laugh all the louder and longer.

Finally Kasei, on the floor now, pulled himself up to look at a brooding Araiso.

“Hey.”

“Go away, you crotuca crotuca.”

Kasei chuckled at the insult, even if he didn’t understand it, and pulled Araiso through the water near him. “Hey, listen to me.” The only indication that Araiso was listening was his ear’s fin slight turn and flinch positioned in Kasei’s direction. “I’m glad that someone who doesn’t know me well can have that kind of worry for me.”

“I’ve known you since you had my mirror.”

“True.” Kasei nodded. “In any event,” he rested his shoulder on Araiso’s, “It sounds like you’re needed back home.”