Puppers

Tino smiled warmly. “Well, you don’t have to be scared of me!” He slightly faltered. “I-I hope so at least. I promise I won’t hurt you!” The initial shock of seeing a sea serpent walking around had subsided and was replaced by an overwhelming urge to protect. “My name’s Tino!”

Aaron smiled and tilted his head. "I'm Aaron, and this is my buddy Jace! He hatched around Christmas time." The baby serpent perked up at his name, tilting his head up to look at Aaron, which only caused the koi to tumble down. Aaron snickered and it took him a moment to rebalance before reassuming his previous spot on Jace's head, still unused to swimming with a tail.

Tino smiled in amusement at their antics. “If you don’t mind me asking, what are you two doing out here?” He gestured to outside the alleyway. “Sea serpents aren’t necessarily… uh, appreciated near the city. Why bring one so close?”

"Uhm.." Aaron messed with his fair for a bit before responding. "We're not exactly from underwater, to say the least.." He patted Jace's forehead, who in turn boosted the koi forwards with his nose. "I wasn't sure if they'd let Jace in at all, since he's a hatchling, but it was better than sitting next to a 'no loitering' sign." Aaron stayed close to the alleyway, keeping a hand on the corner so he didn't float upside down.

Tino nodded. “Well, I can’t guarantee it’s much safer out here, especially with the Royal Guard already on such high alert.” He reached up a padded hand to pet Jace’s snout. He sighed. “The entire Queendom’s been tense lately. Something like a sea serpent sighting might send just about anyone into a frenzy now.”

Jace cooed and bumped his nose against Tino's hand. Aaron nodded at his words. "I see... Also, by the way, do you know who owns that bakery down the street?" He tilted his head with a bashful smile.

Tino grinned knowingly. “Well Aaron, you’re looking at the owner right now!” he stated with a little hint of pride. He held up the box he was holding in his hands. “I just went out to get a few things! Is there something in there you wanted?”

Tino’s smile softened and he gently took Aaron’s wrists, righting him back up. “Hey, it’s okay. I understand. No need to worry!” He rubbed the back of Aaron’s hand with his thumb. “Surprisingly, it’s not the first time it’s happened,” he admitted with a lighthearted laugh. He reassuringly patted Jace’s head with one hand with the other still holding on to Aaron. “We can go back and I can fix you and Jace up with something if you’d like!”

Aaron smiled a bit. "Are you sure? Jace kinda collided with someone when he was trying to get the fish and uh... I think they got the guards.. and he's too big to hide.." The baby serpent bumped his nose against Tino's hand before peeking out of the alleyway.

“The Guard..?” Tino bit his lip. “I see. That makes things a little trickier.” He looked around warily. “I guess you’ll be safe back at my house. We don’t live close to the palace, so the Guard will be less likely to look there.” He smiled mischievously. “And they haven’t suspected us of anything yet.”

At this point, he's basically forgotten his goal of temporarily being the princess. "Is that okay..?? I-I don't wanna intrude or anythin.." Jace nudged Aaron and the koi responded by patted his snoot.

“Of course! You really think I’ll let you two wander around by yourselves with all this danger?” He started out of the alleyway and looked behind him for them to follow. “I know a few backroads away from the main streets. It’ll be safer if we take those.”

Jace scooped Aaron up as they were before, and got up. The baby stretched a bit before being ready to follow Tino. "Lead the way then..!" Aaron situated himself on Jace and made sure the dragon stayed focused.

Tino nodded and began to swim at a pace fast enough to evade prying eyes but slow enough to let Aaron and Jace catch up. The house was near the outer rings of the city, his little shop somewhere in between. It wouldn’t take too long to get there. “So, where are you two from? You mentioned you’re not from underwater.”

Tino hummed. “Interesting.” He stopped and peered around the corner of a building before continuing. “The house is a straight shot from here. We’ll be there in no time!” He spared a glance back at his company. “There’s a building next to the house. A friend of mine is a carpenter, and that’s his workshop. Jace should be safe in there!” He paused for a split second. “Speaking of which, I should warn you, my family, uh, might not be what you’d expect. Not in a bad way!” he added hurriedly. “Just that we’re not your typical household family!”

Aaron smiled to let him he was unbothered by the warning. "I don't mind! I don't exactly have a typical household either, and I'm not sure what's considered typical down here. :3" He pushed off of Jace's head to try and float over, occasionally flicking his tail to push himself. Jace chirped at his name, his head tilting a bit.

Tino returned the friendly gesture. “That’s relieving to hear!” The house was now in line of sight. “There is quite a lot of us. Let me know if you start getting overwhelmed.” He offered his hand out for Aaron to take in case he needed the support.

The koi nodded before taking Tino's hand, Jace still following close behind. "I'm gunna admit, I am a little nervous.. With Jace being a baby serpent and all.." Despite his nerves, Aaron still had a smile on his face, even if it was small.

“I understand, but I assure you everything will be okay!” Tino replied enthusiastically. “Trust me, bringing a baby sea serpent won’t be the weirdest thing that’s happened to us.” He approached the door of the house, motioning for Aaron and Jace to stop with him. “You ready?” he asked.

Aaron nodded, and patted Jace's snoot. The baby serpent cooed and loafed where he was, knowing he won't be going inside due to his size. "Remember Jace, behave." Jace huffed and laid his head down, making a point of blowing a small jet of air bubbles at the two mers.

Tino gently squeezed Aaron’s hand before slightly opening the door, peeking his head in. “I’m home!” he called out. There was a response of several different voices greeting him. “I hope you guys don’t mind, but I brought someone with me!” He opened the door all the way and gently tugged Aaron inside. “I met him in the city!”

Seven pairs of eyes turned to him. Suddenly, one of them jumped up. “WOAH IS THAT A SEA SERPENT??!!” he yelled excitedly. His eyes and scales were a light blue, although his eyes didn’t have a pupil. The mer zoomed over and stopped right in front of them and vigorously shook Aaron’s hand. “Hi! My name’s Alfred! Is that a real sea serpent?! That’s so cool! You also seem cool! Where’re you from?” He said all of this in one breath.

He squeaked a bit at his speed, internally wondering if he could be that fast if he tried. "H-Hi! Uh, yes? Thanks- uhh- surface island..!" Aaron stammered over his words, trying to respond fully to Alfred. Noticing that he was getting off balance, Jace lightly pressed his snoot to his back as an aid.

Aaron had waved back with a little smile, meanwhile Jace half barked at Emil with a wagging tail and a mlem. The koi had jumped at that, since he hasn't heard Jace bark before, and it was a higher pitched sound.

“That over there is his big brother Lukas!” Tino said while gesturing to a mer sitting in a larger mer’s lap. “And the one holding him is Mathias!” Each waved in turn. Mathias was twice Lukas’ size.

He waved as well. "How and why are you tall?" Aaron tilted his head, a bit envious of Mathias' height. He felt himself tipping over and righted himself quickly. "Also, uh, sorry if I haven't exactly moved that much since getting here..! I haven't exactly swam with a uh.. a tail like this before, it's a bit of a learning process since Jace isn't the best at teaching.." The serpent made an offended noise before laying his head down, now salty.

Tino smiled warmly. “Well, you don’t have to be scared of me!” He slightly faltered. “I-I hope so at least. I promise I won’t hurt you!” The initial shock of seeing a sea serpent walking around had subsided and was replaced by an overwhelming urge to protect. “My name’s Tino!”

Aaron smiled and tilted his head. "I'm Aaron, and this is my buddy Jace! He hatched around Christmas time." The baby serpent perked up at his name, tilting his head up to look at Aaron, which only caused the koi to tumble down. Aaron snickered and it took him a moment to rebalance before reassuming his previous spot on Jace's head, still unused to swimming with a tail.

Tino smiled in amusement at their antics. “If you don’t mind me asking, what are you two doing out here?” He gestured to outside the alleyway. “Sea serpents aren’t necessarily… uh, appreciated near the city. Why bring one so close?”

"Uhm.." Aaron messed with his fair for a bit before responding. "We're not exactly from underwater, to say the least.." He patted Jace's forehead, who in turn boosted the koi forwards with his nose. "I wasn't sure if they'd let Jace in at all, since he's a hatchling, but it was better than sitting next to a 'no loitering' sign." Aaron stayed close to the alleyway, keeping a hand on the corner so he didn't float upside down.

Tino nodded. “Well, I can’t guarantee it’s much safer out here, especially with the Royal Guard already on such high alert.” He reached up a padded hand to pet Jace’s snout. He sighed. “The entire Queendom’s been tense lately. Something like a sea serpent sighting might send just about anyone into a frenzy now.”

Jace cooed and bumped his nose against Tino's hand. Aaron nodded at his words. "I see... Also, by the way, do you know who owns that bakery down the street?" He tilted his head with a bashful smile.

Tino grinned knowingly. “Well Aaron, you’re looking at the owner right now!” he stated with a little hint of pride. He held up the box he was holding in his hands. “I just went out to get a few things! Is there something in there you wanted?”

Tino’s smile softened and he gently took Aaron’s wrists, righting him back up. “Hey, it’s okay. I understand. No need to worry!” He rubbed the back of Aaron’s hand with his thumb. “Surprisingly, it’s not the first time it’s happened,” he admitted with a lighthearted laugh. He reassuringly patted Jace’s head with one hand with the other still holding on to Aaron. “We can go back and I can fix you and Jace up with something if you’d like!”

Aaron smiled a bit. "Are you sure? Jace kinda collided with someone when he was trying to get the fish and uh... I think they got the guards.. and he's too big to hide.." The baby serpent bumped his nose against Tino's hand before peeking out of the alleyway.

“The Guard..?” Tino bit his lip. “I see. That makes things a little trickier.” He looked around warily. “I guess you’ll be safe back at my house. We don’t live close to the palace, so the Guard will be less likely to look there.” He smiled mischievously. “And they haven’t suspected us of anything yet.”

At this point, he's basically forgotten his goal of temporarily being the princess. "Is that okay..?? I-I don't wanna intrude or anythin.." Jace nudged Aaron and the koi responded by patted his snoot.

“Of course! You really think I’ll let you two wander around by yourselves with all this danger?” He started out of the alleyway and looked behind him for them to follow. “I know a few backroads away from the main streets. It’ll be safer if we take those.”

Jace scooped Aaron up as they were before, and got up. The baby stretched a bit before being ready to follow Tino. "Lead the way then..!" Aaron situated himself on Jace and made sure the dragon stayed focused.

Tino nodded and began to swim at a pace fast enough to evade prying eyes but slow enough to let Aaron and Jace catch up. The house was near the outer rings of the city, his little shop somewhere in between. It wouldn’t take too long to get there. “So, where are you two from? You mentioned you’re not from underwater.”

Tino hummed. “Interesting.” He stopped and peered around the corner of a building before continuing. “The house is a straight shot from here. We’ll be there in no time!” He spared a glance back at his company. “There’s a building next to the house. A friend of mine is a carpenter, and that’s his workshop. Jace should be safe in there!” He paused for a split second. “Speaking of which, I should warn you, my family, uh, might not be what you’d expect. Not in a bad way!” he added hurriedly. “Just that we’re not your typical household family!”

Aaron smiled to let him he was unbothered by the warning. "I don't mind! I don't exactly have a typical household either, and I'm not sure what's considered typical down here. :3" He pushed off of Jace's head to try and float over, occasionally flicking his tail to push himself. Jace chirped at his name, his head tilting a bit.

Tino returned the friendly gesture. “That’s relieving to hear!” The house was now in line of sight. “There is quite a lot of us. Let me know if you start getting overwhelmed.” He offered his hand out for Aaron to take in case he needed the support.

The koi nodded before taking Tino's hand, Jace still following close behind. "I'm gunna admit, I am a little nervous.. With Jace being a baby serpent and all.." Despite his nerves, Aaron still had a smile on his face, even if it was small.

“I understand, but I assure you everything will be okay!” Tino replied enthusiastically. “Trust me, bringing a baby sea serpent won’t be the weirdest thing that’s happened to us.” He approached the door of the house, motioning for Aaron and Jace to stop with him. “You ready?” he asked.

Aaron nodded, and patted Jace's snoot. The baby serpent cooed and loafed where he was, knowing he won't be going inside due to his size. "Remember Jace, behave." Jace huffed and laid his head down, making a point of blowing a small jet of air bubbles at the two mers.

Tino gently squeezed Aaron’s hand before slightly opening the door, peeking his head in. “I’m home!” he called out. There was a response of several different voices greeting him. “I hope you guys don’t mind, but I brought someone with me!” He opened the door all the way and gently tugged Aaron inside. “I met him in the city!”

Seven pairs of eyes turned to him. Suddenly, one of them jumped up. “WOAH IS THAT A SEA SERPENT??!!” he yelled excitedly. His eyes and scales were a light blue, although his eyes didn’t have a pupil. The mer zoomed over and stopped right in front of them and vigorously shook Aaron’s hand. “Hi! My name’s Alfred! Is that a real sea serpent?! That’s so cool! You also seem cool! Where’re you from?” He said all of this in one breath.

He squeaked a bit at his speed, internally wondering if he could be that fast if he tried. "H-Hi! Uh, yes? Thanks- uhh- surface island..!" Aaron stammered over his words, trying to respond fully to Alfred. Noticing that he was getting off balance, Jace lightly pressed his snoot to his back as an aid.

Aaron had waved back with a little smile, meanwhile Jace half barked at Emil with a wagging tail and a mlem. The koi had jumped at that, since he hasn't heard Jace bark before, and it was a higher pitched sound.

“That over there is his big brother Lukas!” Tino said while gesturing to a mer sitting in a larger mer’s lap. “And the one holding him is Mathias!” Each waved in turn. Mathias was twice Lukas’ size.

He waved as well. "How and why are you tall?" Aaron tilted his head, a bit envious of Mathias' height. He felt himself tipping over and righted himself quickly. "Also, uh, sorry if I haven't exactly moved that much since getting here..! I haven't exactly swam with a uh.. a tail like this before, it's a bit of a learning process since Jace isn't the best at teaching.." The serpent made an offended noise before laying his head down, now salty.

Tino smiled warmly. “Well, you don’t have to be scared of me!” He slightly faltered. “I-I hope so at least. I promise I won’t hurt you!” The initial shock of seeing a sea serpent walking around had subsided and was replaced by an overwhelming urge to protect. “My name’s Tino!”

Aaron smiled and tilted his head. "I'm Aaron, and this is my buddy Jace! He hatched around Christmas time." The baby serpent perked up at his name, tilting his head up to look at Aaron, which only caused the koi to tumble down. Aaron snickered and it took him a moment to rebalance before reassuming his previous spot on Jace's head, still unused to swimming with a tail.

Tino smiled in amusement at their antics. “If you don’t mind me asking, what are you two doing out here?” He gestured to outside the alleyway. “Sea serpents aren’t necessarily… uh, appreciated near the city. Why bring one so close?”

"Uhm.." Aaron messed with his fair for a bit before responding. "We're not exactly from underwater, to say the least.." He patted Jace's forehead, who in turn boosted the koi forwards with his nose. "I wasn't sure if they'd let Jace in at all, since he's a hatchling, but it was better than sitting next to a 'no loitering' sign." Aaron stayed close to the alleyway, keeping a hand on the corner so he didn't float upside down.

Tino nodded. “Well, I can’t guarantee it’s much safer out here, especially with the Royal Guard already on such high alert.” He reached up a padded hand to pet Jace’s snout. He sighed. “The entire Queendom’s been tense lately. Something like a sea serpent sighting might send just about anyone into a frenzy now.”

Jace cooed and bumped his nose against Tino's hand. Aaron nodded at his words. "I see... Also, by the way, do you know who owns that bakery down the street?" He tilted his head with a bashful smile.

Tino grinned knowingly. “Well Aaron, you’re looking at the owner right now!” he stated with a little hint of pride. He held up the box he was holding in his hands. “I just went out to get a few things! Is there something in there you wanted?”

Tino’s smile softened and he gently took Aaron’s wrists, righting him back up. “Hey, it’s okay. I understand. No need to worry!” He rubbed the back of Aaron’s hand with his thumb. “Surprisingly, it’s not the first time it’s happened,” he admitted with a lighthearted laugh. He reassuringly patted Jace’s head with one hand with the other still holding on to Aaron. “We can go back and I can fix you and Jace up with something if you’d like!”

Aaron smiled a bit. "Are you sure? Jace kinda collided with someone when he was trying to get the fish and uh... I think they got the guards.. and he's too big to hide.." The baby serpent bumped his nose against Tino's hand before peeking out of the alleyway.

“The Guard..?” Tino bit his lip. “I see. That makes things a little trickier.” He looked around warily. “I guess you’ll be safe back at my house. We don’t live close to the palace, so the Guard will be less likely to look there.” He smiled mischievously. “And they haven’t suspected us of anything yet.”

At this point, he's basically forgotten his goal of temporarily being the princess. "Is that okay..?? I-I don't wanna intrude or anythin.." Jace nudged Aaron and the koi responded by patted his snoot.

“Of course! You really think I’ll let you two wander around by yourselves with all this danger?” He started out of the alleyway and looked behind him for them to follow. “I know a few backroads away from the main streets. It’ll be safer if we take those.”

Jace scooped Aaron up as they were before, and got up. The baby stretched a bit before being ready to follow Tino. "Lead the way then..!" Aaron situated himself on Jace and made sure the dragon stayed focused.

Tino nodded and began to swim at a pace fast enough to evade prying eyes but slow enough to let Aaron and Jace catch up. The house was near the outer rings of the city, his little shop somewhere in between. It wouldn’t take too long to get there. “So, where are you two from? You mentioned you’re not from underwater.”

Tino hummed. “Interesting.” He stopped and peered around the corner of a building before continuing. “The house is a straight shot from here. We’ll be there in no time!” He spared a glance back at his company. “There’s a building next to the house. A friend of mine is a carpenter, and that’s his workshop. Jace should be safe in there!” He paused for a split second. “Speaking of which, I should warn you, my family, uh, might not be what you’d expect. Not in a bad way!” he added hurriedly. “Just that we’re not your typical household family!”

Aaron smiled to let him he was unbothered by the warning. "I don't mind! I don't exactly have a typical household either, and I'm not sure what's considered typical down here. :3" He pushed off of Jace's head to try and float over, occasionally flicking his tail to push himself. Jace chirped at his name, his head tilting a bit.

Tino returned the friendly gesture. “That’s relieving to hear!” The house was now in line of sight. “There is quite a lot of us. Let me know if you start getting overwhelmed.” He offered his hand out for Aaron to take in case he needed the support.

The koi nodded before taking Tino's hand, Jace still following close behind. "I'm gunna admit, I am a little nervous.. With Jace being a baby serpent and all.." Despite his nerves, Aaron still had a smile on his face, even if it was small.

“I understand, but I assure you everything will be okay!” Tino replied enthusiastically. “Trust me, bringing a baby sea serpent won’t be the weirdest thing that’s happened to us.” He approached the door of the house, motioning for Aaron and Jace to stop with him. “You ready?” he asked.

Aaron nodded, and patted Jace's snoot. The baby serpent cooed and loafed where he was, knowing he won't be going inside due to his size. "Remember Jace, behave." Jace huffed and laid his head down, making a point of blowing a small jet of air bubbles at the two mers.

Tino gently squeezed Aaron’s hand before slightly opening the door, peeking his head in. “I’m home!” he called out. There was a response of several different voices greeting him. “I hope you guys don’t mind, but I brought someone with me!” He opened the door all the way and gently tugged Aaron inside. “I met him in the city!”

Seven pairs of eyes turned to him. Suddenly, one of them jumped up. “WOAH IS THAT A SEA SERPENT??!!” he yelled excitedly. His eyes and scales were a light blue, although his eyes didn’t have a pupil. The mer zoomed over and stopped right in front of them and vigorously shook Aaron’s hand. “Hi! My name’s Alfred! Is that a real sea serpent?! That’s so cool! You also seem cool! Where’re you from?” He said all of this in one breath.

He squeaked a bit at his speed, internally wondering if he could be that fast if he tried. "H-Hi! Uh, yes? Thanks- uhh- surface island..!" Aaron stammered over his words, trying to respond fully to Alfred. Noticing that he was getting off balance, Jace lightly pressed his snoot to his back as an aid.

Aaron had waved back with a little smile, meanwhile Jace half barked at Emil with a wagging tail and a mlem. The koi had jumped at that, since he hasn't heard Jace bark before, and it was a higher pitched sound.

“That over there is his big brother Lukas!” Tino said while gesturing to a mer sitting in a larger mer’s lap. “And the one holding him is Mathias!” Each waved in turn. Mathias was twice Lukas’ size.

He waved as well. "How and why are you tall?" Aaron tilted his head, a bit envious of Mathias' height. He felt himself tipping over and righted himself quickly. "Also, uh, sorry if I haven't exactly moved that much since getting here..! I haven't exactly swam with a uh.. a tail like this before, it's a bit of a learning process since Jace isn't the best at teaching.." The serpent made an offended noise before laying his head down, now salty.

Tino smiled warmly. “Well, you don’t have to be scared of me!” He slightly faltered. “I-I hope so at least. I promise I won’t hurt you!” The initial shock of seeing a sea serpent walking around had subsided and was replaced by an overwhelming urge to protect. “My name’s Tino!”

Aaron smiled and tilted his head. "I'm Aaron, and this is my buddy Jace! He hatched around Christmas time." The baby serpent perked up at his name, tilting his head up to look at Aaron, which only caused the koi to tumble down. Aaron snickered and it took him a moment to rebalance before reassuming his previous spot on Jace's head, still unused to swimming with a tail.

Tino smiled in amusement at their antics. “If you don’t mind me asking, what are you two doing out here?” He gestured to outside the alleyway. “Sea serpents aren’t necessarily… uh, appreciated near the city. Why bring one so close?”

"Uhm.." Aaron messed with his fair for a bit before responding. "We're not exactly from underwater, to say the least.." He patted Jace's forehead, who in turn boosted the koi forwards with his nose. "I wasn't sure if they'd let Jace in at all, since he's a hatchling, but it was better than sitting next to a 'no loitering' sign." Aaron stayed close to the alleyway, keeping a hand on the corner so he didn't float upside down.

Tino nodded. “Well, I can’t guarantee it’s much safer out here, especially with the Royal Guard already on such high alert.” He reached up a padded hand to pet Jace’s snout. He sighed. “The entire Queendom’s been tense lately. Something like a sea serpent sighting might send just about anyone into a frenzy now.”

Jace cooed and bumped his nose against Tino's hand. Aaron nodded at his words. "I see... Also, by the way, do you know who owns that bakery down the street?" He tilted his head with a bashful smile.

Tino grinned knowingly. “Well Aaron, you’re looking at the owner right now!” he stated with a little hint of pride. He held up the box he was holding in his hands. “I just went out to get a few things! Is there something in there you wanted?”

Tino’s smile softened and he gently took Aaron’s wrists, righting him back up. “Hey, it’s okay. I understand. No need to worry!” He rubbed the back of Aaron’s hand with his thumb. “Surprisingly, it’s not the first time it’s happened,” he admitted with a lighthearted laugh. He reassuringly patted Jace’s head with one hand with the other still holding on to Aaron. “We can go back and I can fix you and Jace up with something if you’d like!”

Aaron smiled a bit. "Are you sure? Jace kinda collided with someone when he was trying to get the fish and uh... I think they got the guards.. and he's too big to hide.." The baby serpent bumped his nose against Tino's hand before peeking out of the alleyway.

“The Guard..?” Tino bit his lip. “I see. That makes things a little trickier.” He looked around warily. “I guess you’ll be safe back at my house. We don’t live close to the palace, so the Guard will be less likely to look there.” He smiled mischievously. “And they haven’t suspected us of anything yet.”

At this point, he's basically forgotten his goal of temporarily being the princess. "Is that okay..?? I-I don't wanna intrude or anythin.." Jace nudged Aaron and the koi responded by patted his snoot.

“Of course! You really think I’ll let you two wander around by yourselves with all this danger?” He started out of the alleyway and looked behind him for them to follow. “I know a few backroads away from the main streets. It’ll be safer if we take those.”

Jace scooped Aaron up as they were before, and got up. The baby stretched a bit before being ready to follow Tino. "Lead the way then..!" Aaron situated himself on Jace and made sure the dragon stayed focused.

Tino nodded and began to swim at a pace fast enough to evade prying eyes but slow enough to let Aaron and Jace catch up. The house was near the outer rings of the city, his little shop somewhere in between. It wouldn’t take too long to get there. “So, where are you two from? You mentioned you’re not from underwater.”

Tino hummed. “Interesting.” He stopped and peered around the corner of a building before continuing. “The house is a straight shot from here. We’ll be there in no time!” He spared a glance back at his company. “There’s a building next to the house. A friend of mine is a carpenter, and that’s his workshop. Jace should be safe in there!” He paused for a split second. “Speaking of which, I should warn you, my family, uh, might not be what you’d expect. Not in a bad way!” he added hurriedly. “Just that we’re not your typical household family!”

Aaron smiled to let him he was unbothered by the warning. "I don't mind! I don't exactly have a typical household either, and I'm not sure what's considered typical down here. :3" He pushed off of Jace's head to try and float over, occasionally flicking his tail to push himself. Jace chirped at his name, his head tilting a bit.

Tino returned the friendly gesture. “That’s relieving to hear!” The house was now in line of sight. “There is quite a lot of us. Let me know if you start getting overwhelmed.” He offered his hand out for Aaron to take in case he needed the support.

The koi nodded before taking Tino's hand, Jace still following close behind. "I'm gunna admit, I am a little nervous.. With Jace being a baby serpent and all.." Despite his nerves, Aaron still had a smile on his face, even if it was small.

“I understand, but I assure you everything will be okay!” Tino replied enthusiastically. “Trust me, bringing a baby sea serpent won’t be the weirdest thing that’s happened to us.” He approached the door of the house, motioning for Aaron and Jace to stop with him. “You ready?” he asked.

Aaron nodded, and patted Jace's snoot. The baby serpent cooed and loafed where he was, knowing he won't be going inside due to his size. "Remember Jace, behave." Jace huffed and laid his head down, making a point of blowing a small jet of air bubbles at the two mers.

Tino gently squeezed Aaron’s hand before slightly opening the door, peeking his head in. “I’m home!” he called out. There was a response of several different voices greeting him. “I hope you guys don’t mind, but I brought someone with me!” He opened the door all the way and gently tugged Aaron inside. “I met him in the city!”

Seven pairs of eyes turned to him. Suddenly, one of them jumped up. “WOAH IS THAT A SEA SERPENT??!!” he yelled excitedly. His eyes and scales were a light blue, although his eyes didn’t have a pupil. The mer zoomed over and stopped right in front of them and vigorously shook Aaron’s hand. “Hi! My name’s Alfred! Is that a real sea serpent?! That’s so cool! You also seem cool! Where’re you from?” He said all of this in one breath.

He squeaked a bit at his speed, internally wondering if he could be that fast if he tried. "H-Hi! Uh, yes? Thanks- uhh- surface island..!" Aaron stammered over his words, trying to respond fully to Alfred. Noticing that he was getting off balance, Jace lightly pressed his snoot to his back as an aid.

Aaron had waved back with a little smile, meanwhile Jace half barked at Emil with a wagging tail and a mlem. The koi had jumped at that, since he hasn't heard Jace bark before, and it was a higher pitched sound.

Tino smiled warmly. “Well, you don’t have to be scared of me!” He slightly faltered. “I-I hope so at least. I promise I won’t hurt you!” The initial shock of seeing a sea serpent walking around had subsided and was replaced by an overwhelming urge to protect. “My name’s Tino!”

Aaron smiled and tilted his head. "I'm Aaron, and this is my buddy Jace! He hatched around Christmas time." The baby serpent perked up at his name, tilting his head up to look at Aaron, which only caused the koi to tumble down. Aaron snickered and it took him a moment to rebalance before reassuming his previous spot on Jace's head, still unused to swimming with a tail.

Tino smiled in amusement at their antics. “If you don’t mind me asking, what are you two doing out here?” He gestured to outside the alleyway. “Sea serpents aren’t necessarily… uh, appreciated near the city. Why bring one so close?”

"Uhm.." Aaron messed with his fair for a bit before responding. "We're not exactly from underwater, to say the least.." He patted Jace's forehead, who in turn boosted the koi forwards with his nose. "I wasn't sure if they'd let Jace in at all, since he's a hatchling, but it was better than sitting next to a 'no loitering' sign." Aaron stayed close to the alleyway, keeping a hand on the corner so he didn't float upside down.

Tino nodded. “Well, I can’t guarantee it’s much safer out here, especially with the Royal Guard already on such high alert.” He reached up a padded hand to pet Jace’s snout. He sighed. “The entire Queendom’s been tense lately. Something like a sea serpent sighting might send just about anyone into a frenzy now.”

Jace cooed and bumped his nose against Tino's hand. Aaron nodded at his words. "I see... Also, by the way, do you know who owns that bakery down the street?" He tilted his head with a bashful smile.

Tino grinned knowingly. “Well Aaron, you’re looking at the owner right now!” he stated with a little hint of pride. He held up the box he was holding in his hands. “I just went out to get a few things! Is there something in there you wanted?”

Tino’s smile softened and he gently took Aaron’s wrists, righting him back up. “Hey, it’s okay. I understand. No need to worry!” He rubbed the back of Aaron’s hand with his thumb. “Surprisingly, it’s not the first time it’s happened,” he admitted with a lighthearted laugh. He reassuringly patted Jace’s head with one hand with the other still holding on to Aaron. “We can go back and I can fix you and Jace up with something if you’d like!”

Aaron smiled a bit. "Are you sure? Jace kinda collided with someone when he was trying to get the fish and uh... I think they got the guards.. and he's too big to hide.." The baby serpent bumped his nose against Tino's hand before peeking out of the alleyway.

“The Guard..?” Tino bit his lip. “I see. That makes things a little trickier.” He looked around warily. “I guess you’ll be safe back at my house. We don’t live close to the palace, so the Guard will be less likely to look there.” He smiled mischievously. “And they haven’t suspected us of anything yet.”

At this point, he's basically forgotten his goal of temporarily being the princess. "Is that okay..?? I-I don't wanna intrude or anythin.." Jace nudged Aaron and the koi responded by patted his snoot.

“Of course! You really think I’ll let you two wander around by yourselves with all this danger?” He started out of the alleyway and looked behind him for them to follow. “I know a few backroads away from the main streets. It’ll be safer if we take those.”

Jace scooped Aaron up as they were before, and got up. The baby stretched a bit before being ready to follow Tino. "Lead the way then..!" Aaron situated himself on Jace and made sure the dragon stayed focused.

Tino nodded and began to swim at a pace fast enough to evade prying eyes but slow enough to let Aaron and Jace catch up. The house was near the outer rings of the city, his little shop somewhere in between. It wouldn’t take too long to get there. “So, where are you two from? You mentioned you’re not from underwater.”

Tino hummed. “Interesting.” He stopped and peered around the corner of a building before continuing. “The house is a straight shot from here. We’ll be there in no time!” He spared a glance back at his company. “There’s a building next to the house. A friend of mine is a carpenter, and that’s his workshop. Jace should be safe in there!” He paused for a split second. “Speaking of which, I should warn you, my family, uh, might not be what you’d expect. Not in a bad way!” he added hurriedly. “Just that we’re not your typical household family!”

Aaron smiled to let him he was unbothered by the warning. "I don't mind! I don't exactly have a typical household either, and I'm not sure what's considered typical down here. :3" He pushed off of Jace's head to try and float over, occasionally flicking his tail to push himself. Jace chirped at his name, his head tilting a bit.

Tino returned the friendly gesture. “That’s relieving to hear!” The house was now in line of sight. “There is quite a lot of us. Let me know if you start getting overwhelmed.” He offered his hand out for Aaron to take in case he needed the support.

The koi nodded before taking Tino's hand, Jace still following close behind. "I'm gunna admit, I am a little nervous.. With Jace being a baby serpent and all.." Despite his nerves, Aaron still had a smile on his face, even if it was small.

“I understand, but I assure you everything will be okay!” Tino replied enthusiastically. “Trust me, bringing a baby sea serpent won’t be the weirdest thing that’s happened to us.” He approached the door of the house, motioning for Aaron and Jace to stop with him. “You ready?” he asked.

Aaron nodded, and patted Jace's snoot. The baby serpent cooed and loafed where he was, knowing he won't be going inside due to his size. "Remember Jace, behave." Jace huffed and laid his head down, making a point of blowing a small jet of air bubbles at the two mers.

Tino gently squeezed Aaron’s hand before slightly opening the door, peeking his head in. “I’m home!” he called out. There was a response of several different voices greeting him. “I hope you guys don’t mind, but I brought someone with me!” He opened the door all the way and gently tugged Aaron inside. “I met him in the city!”

Seven pairs of eyes turned to him. Suddenly, one of them jumped up. “WOAH IS THAT A SEA SERPENT??!!” he yelled excitedly. His eyes and scales were a light blue, although his eyes didn’t have a pupil. The mer zoomed over and stopped right in front of them and vigorously shook Aaron’s hand. “Hi! My name’s Alfred! Is that a real sea serpent?! That’s so cool! You also seem cool! Where’re you from?” He said all of this in one breath.

He squeaked a bit at his speed, internally wondering if he could be that fast if he tried. "H-Hi! Uh, yes? Thanks- uhh- surface island..!" Aaron stammered over his words, trying to respond fully to Alfred. Noticing that he was getting off balance, Jace lightly pressed his snoot to his back as an aid.