Uncreative Title Here

Yumeimi is the youngest of the man’s daughters, and unlike her sisters, shows no real special talents, no great beauty, no high intellect, she’s just… there. She’s kind, she’s sweet, she’s earnest, but kindness doesn’t exactly earn accolades. For years she’s been brushed aside in favor of her sisters (those who’ve not married and moved out, that is) and because she needs to be useful somehow, she’s been doing all the housework and the cooking for her parents and two remaining sisters.

When one terrible day, the family’s fortune is wiped out, her father refuses to move them elsewhere, or change their way of loving. He’ll figure something out, he says. In the absence of the family’s money, Yumeimi needs to work even harder. Goes to town and haggles with the best of them. Mends the clothes and does the wash. Tidies her sisters’ things and repairs their skirts even as her own plain wardrobe is neglected. Her hard work is thankless, her family takes everything she does for granted. Yumeimi says nothing.

Then one day, her father suddenly has wealth again... Her sisters are relieved, though they hadn’t lifted a finger to help out and everything was still left to Yumeimi, but whatever, they’re a family of means again! Yumeimi has questions, but all her father says is “I’ve thought of something clever,” and “I’ve made a small agreement.” She’s otherwise completely brushed off. Then, a month later, her father grows distressed. And the truth comes out: he did make a deal, took out a loan, something in hopes of regaining their fortune. But the benefactor was the monster beneath the waves. He had a set time limit to relay him for his benevolence, and now time is about up, and he’d never gotten close to repaying.

And since he can’t pay, now the price must be “in blood.” Someone has to sign themselves away to the monster; either himself or…

Yumeimi’s family argues over who should go. Nobody wants to. They suggest they just run. Maybe they can trick him. Outrun him. No, that won’t work, his enforcers will be expecting someone tonight. And even if they did run, he has ways of forcing you to come back. There’s simply no time…

…nobody notices Yumeimi putting on a cloak and slipping out.

She doesn’t know exactly where she’s going, but she can guess. He’s under the sea, so surely if she goes to the river and follows it… She’s right, it turns out. Further downriver, through the mist, she spots two glowing gold lights. As she draws closer, she sees a pair of mermen.

Is she the one they’re here to collect? The one to pay in stead of the contractee? Hey, at least she didn’t make them wait. Trembling, Yumeimi drinks a potion to breathe underwater, and is taken under.

She's brought to his… lair? Home? It's like an undersea mansion carved from stone and coral and pearl. She doesn't know what she expected, but it wasn't this.

Him, though? Just about as intimidating as she thought.

He practically towers over her - both in terms of height and he's absolutely cheating by swimming higher above her. Using some tentacles to make her step closer. He lays everything out while the twins lounge nearby; her father didn't uphold his end of their agreement. Someone needs to stay here, and work off every bit of good fortune he granted their family until it's even. Then, and only then, will she go home.

"So, what do you say?" Azul asks, clearly not actually asking. "Are you willing to be my hostage in return for your family's well being?"

"Yes." She has no other choice, does she?

He weaves around her as she signs his contract, signs her life away, as if trying to figure her out even more. Her father had pleaded for his help, citing his wife and daughters. All of them lovely, dear to his heart, and who would surely perish without their usual means. Azul had asked how many lived with him currently: he had named two, then hastily added a third… This must be the third. He studies her body movements, the state of her clothing, the way she even speaks. Her handwriting. Everything speaks to him as if to say he's gotten a raw deal. A hostage that no one cared for even in her own home. Why else would her clothing be patched and torn? Her penmanship is unpolished - not in the shaky way some have signed his contracts, but as if no one bothered to correct her hand. She even moved as if she was afraid to make a noise louder than the tap of her well-worn shoes.

He suspects that her father cared little for this one. And therefore…

The girl stills at the growl he lets out. "Is- is something wrong? What have I done?"

"Not you. It is your father who has sent me a unvaluable hostage."

"Oh…uhm… he didn't send me." Yumeimi fiddles with the pen. "I came on my own."

"…why?"

"Well… I might as well make myself useful somehow. I'm not--" Careful. She mustn't suggest he's right and she is unvaluable. "I have to be useful to them. I thought, maybe if I came here, if I agreed to work for you, then they won't think me such a burden. And I can help keep Father out of any further debt."

He gapes at her, unsure what to think. Even the twins exchange a look. Nobody's said that before. …he almost feels like he pities her.

"…what exactly can you do?"

"Uhm… clean? And cook, uhm, basic things. And bake. I can mend clothes and anything else you might need - basic household tasks. But I'm a fast learner, too! I could do anything you need me to!"

He swirls around her. "But the care and keeping of one such as yourself would bring upon me even deeper debt. Food. Clothing. Medical treatment. It all costs money. Whatever you make each day to balance all that, would leave precious little to put toward your father's own debt. I'm afraid you'd be working here… for as long as you live."

She swallows. Steels herself. "That's… that's fine."

"Very well. You'll start this next morning. Early."

It's already late as it is, and when she's given a uniform and a room it's past midnight. All three of them are expecting of her to wake up at dawn - which is already going to be a feat for her, given how little sunlight is down here.

Sure enough, at dawn, the twins go to wake her up. It's something they both do with new unfortunate souls who couldn't pay properly: very rude awakenings, gloating, reminding that this isn't a vacation… Floyd pounds on her door. "Wakey-wakey in there, little shrimp!" he jeers. They both listen and… nothing. Not a shout of being woken up, not even frantic moving about. "You're not ignoring us, are you?" "Did you try to run away? We've got all the keys and you're under the sea, remember?" Jade opens her door… she's gone. Wow, she really did try to run away.

Or so they think. They're passing the kitchen when they catch movement out the corner of their eye and double back. The girl - Yumeimi, right, that's the name on the contract - is already dressed and navigating the kitchen. She's got a recipe book open and is awkwardly trying to make one of their dishes. And from the looks of it, not only is she managing it surprisingly well for a land-walker's first attempt, but she's clearly been awake for a while. She had no intention of sleeping in or running away.

…it honestly kinda throws them off.

"…we got a weird one." "Worse, we've got one with integrity."

Yumeimi's a hard worker. She's earnest. She does her best. She was telling the truth, she is a fast learner. She's... Honestly, the twins find her amusing and keep coming to speak to her as the first few days go by. That's new. She's doing well, all things considered. One would expect the quality of her work to fall off after three days or so, but it doesn't. If anything, it improves as she learns more about her new environment. And again, the twins like her. One or both will often be nearby to talk while she works. Once or twice they'll lend her a hand.

Azul notices.

But Yumeimi? She's still unsure of herself. Still thinks she's a burden. If she was saying it in a 'woe is me' tone it'd be one thing, it'd be obvious she was trying to score pity. But she says it so... matter-of-factly, just lets it slip as if she's talking about the weather. It's frustrating.

One day Azul confronts her, holding a fork in front of her eyes. "My silver has never before been so free of tarnish. The plants I grow for potions flourish. The twins are happy." He says all this like he's accusing her, wrapping her up in his tentacles as if to intimidate her. He draws her in closely. "Now, will you please take responsibility for all that you've done?"

"All I've done? But I--"

"My Lady. I will squeeze some pride out from deep inside you if it is the last thing I do! You are one of us, as long as you work under my roof! In my corner of the sea! We all do our work with pride. Egotistical levels of it! We are confident in every move we make! I request-" he says sharply, "-that you do the same!" He releases her and storms off, grumbling and running a hand over his hair.

Yumeimi just stares after him, dumbstruck. Did… Did she just get a pep talk? A very frustrated pep talk?

Things start to shift between the two of them when one day, Yumeimi is cleaning outside the mansion, crouched low to the ground and inadvertently hiding. Two people swim up to the gates; Azul had been expecting them. But Yumeimi hears them speaking in low, conspiratory tones - they actually intend to rob him. She initially thinks, Azul is clever, surely he already knows? But as she eavesdrops near the keyhole of his office, no, it doesn't sound like he does.

She does something that's, for her, a little desperate.

Just as Azul is agreeing to lending them a substantially expensive spell component, she hurries in with a hand written note. "A message for you!" she shouts over them, pressing it into his hand.

He's furious at first. When she was first brought here, he laid out some ground rules - many were basic, simple things, like what she can and cannot touch. But the hard and fast rule was to NEVER interrupt his business dealings. Then he reads the note, the twins reading over his shoulders. 'They mean to rob you, I heard them speaking outside!'

His demeanor cools. His dealing with each party suddenly swaps. He holds his hand out for her to take and she does. "Forgive my temper, Yumeimi. But please, take your leave. Things are about to get… decidedly unpleasant."

Things change even further after that. It starts with Azul asking her opinion on things. Listening to her when she gives her thoughts. He consults with her about her impressions of his clients and takes her opinion seriously.

He gives her a new task; greet his clients when they come in, sit and talk with them. Offer them something to eat or drink, just be pleasant. Find out what they want. Initially he does it because he thinks they'll lower their guard around her, be more likely to offer up useful information for him, or let their mask slip and reveal if they're planning some treachery. But it gradually shifts; he finds himself treating them differently based on how they treat her. If they treat her poorly or like 'the help', they get a rawer deal. If they're kind to her, speak to her like an equal, he's more willing to hear them out and be more genuinely merciful.

The latter happens more and more frequently.

Gradually, their interactions shift away from professional to more personal. "Is there anything you'd like in your room?" "I don't need any--" "I asked what you'd like, not what you'd need. What would you like?" "Well… I'd like some books to read, if possible." Books appear on her shelves the next day. "Is there something you miss from the surface?" "I… I suppose some of the fresh fruits. We had some fruit trees, I always liked to pick apples right off the branches and eat them then and there. Or, or make a tart from them!" The next day, those very fruits appear in the kitchen.

He asks about her home, about herself. She does the same. They learn more about each other, the line between them blurs.

She works less and less, until she's no longer really a housekeeper - it's more like she's just doing basic chores or cleaning after herself. All three of the mermen join her, dividing the work more evenly. They talk while they do so, and when it's finished she's invited to relax with them. "Take the rest of the day off" becomes a frequent thing she hears, until it's just expected that all she has to do is clean her own dishes. Her wardrobe expands, she spends more more time in practical but nice dresses than her uniform, until she finally doesn't wear the uniform at all and it just permanently hangs in the wardrobe. Azul leaves his room to help her frequently, talk with her, or ask her to walk (or rather swim) with him a few moments.

Yumeimi is startled one day to realize: they're friends now.

She's been there roughly six months when it happens:

"Yumeimi, do you feel safe here?" She barely needs to think of it. "I do." "Are you happy here?" She needs even less time to think about that. "I'm very happy!" "Then I have one final question: will you consider marrying me?"

That… gives her pause.

They are friends now. And she no longer feels like a worker of his, she hasn't really acted as one for a while. But the contract still exists. And she's still supposed to work off her father's debt (she hasn't thought of her family back home in a while, she realizes with a start. How odd) But… Marriage is also a deal. It is not something tossed around willy-nilly, especially for Azul. If he wants to marry her, there must be a hidden reason. One that could be detrimental to her or her family. After all, she is plain, has no dowry, and her status would be a detrimental to his brand. For him to marry his own servant…

"No." "I see." He doesn't push it further, but she can tell he's disappointed.

And honestly, as she thinks about it later that night? She'd like to marry him. She'd love to, really! It's alarming, how quickly she realizes this, but it's true. But she can't say yes. She just can't.

She worries he'll treat her differently, but he doesn't. To her initial relief, they carry on as if he'd never asked. Then a month later, near the end of dinner, he approaches her seat and takes her hands. "Yumeimi. Will you marry me?"

She freezes again, and glances at the other end of the table. The twins are watching, Jade seems calm but his eyes betray excitement, Floyd is leaning over the table. "Say yes!" "....No."

She removes her hands from his and leaves. "Excuse me."

Later that night, Jade approaches her. "Why didn't you say yes?" he asks conversationally. "You get along well, and he has his faults but he's quite a catch."

Yumeimi chooses her words carefully, knowing full well anything she says could make it back to Azul. "…he's not courting me."

"Pardon?"

"Not properly, at least. I can't say yes when I'm an indentured servant - I know I haven't acted as one for a long time," she interrupts as he opens his mouth to speak. "But on paper I am! If he wishes to marry me, he must court me. If he intends to court me, I can't be his servant." She stands up. "And the only way he can court me is if my father is truly released from his debt, and I'm a true guest in his house."

Naturally this makes it back to Azul and… damn, he's impressed. Clearly she's learned a lot here. Well done, Yumeimi, you've got him! …so there's no way around it, is there?

First he composes message for her father. His debt is considered repaid in full, he owes Azul nothing. But he makes it crystal clear that it's because of Yumeimi - the unwanted, supposedly disappointing daughter - that he's off the hook. Now the painful part: He calls Yumeimi into his office again, laying the contract between them. And he destroys it. He tells her her father's debt is cleared. Gives her the official letter he's drafted up. She's free to go if she wishes, to take it to him.

Yumeimi's overjoyed. Jumps up and hugs him without another thought. Oh, her family will be so happy! Can she tell them right away?

"Go back to them if that's your wish." Azul sounds calm and composed, but it's a battle to keep his voice from trembling. She's changed him, he knows. That sprout of mercy he felt when she first came here has become a full tree in his once black heart, and he can never tear it out. "But know there is a place for you here. Always."

The twins take her back to the surface. It's a quiet, bittersweet trip. Yumeimi hugs each of them too, and she's gone.

She goes to her family, and… They're rather critical.

She explains all she did and all that had happened. She gives her father the message. During her talk about all that's happened, she even explains that Azul asked to marry her. They ask her why she didn't accept and free them faster? This disgusts her, she says nothing.

She returns to her old room. It's untouched. She'd passed some of the rooms on the way in, they're a mess. It's clear her sisters tried to cook and failed. Their clothes aren't mended properly. The cleaning is bare minimum, and it's clear that they haven't even bothered in some areas. They really didn't do a thing without her, did they? Did they even know she was coming back at some point? Did they not step up? Did her father not hire some help? She slowly sits on the edge of her bed and wonders how she ever put up with all of this.

A week later, as the family is getting up from the dinner table (Yumeimi is the only one gathering the dishes), there's a sharp rapping at the door.

(During this last week, while Yumeimi has been pushed back into her previous position in the family, Azul has been… there's no other word, he'd been pining. It wasn't the same without Yumeimi around. The twins are surly, Floyd's breaking things. It's too quiet now, without her delighted chatter. Azul can barely bring himself to meet with clients. He's trying to think of reasons to possibly bring her back, but none sound good enough, they all sound so petty and childish. Finally, one night, Floyd can't stand it anymore: "What's wrong with a petty reason?!" he cries."Why can't 'Hey, we miss you and want you back here' work?!"

…well, Seven be damned, he's right!)

Yumeimi's father answers the door, and stumbles back with a cry of fear. "What are you doing here? You said my debt was cleared!"

Azul and the twins, now in human forms, stare coolly back at him. "I'm not here for you. Where's your daughter, Yumeimi? I have business with her."

Yumeimi's sisters drag her forward, shoving her into a bow on the floor. Her whole fmaily starts berating her: "What did you do?!" "Yumeimi, did you steal something from him?!" "How could you!"

From the doorway, Azul slams his cane down. "That's enough! Get away from her!"

Her family scatters, and he enters the house. Holds a hand down to her. "Yumeimi. Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes." Yumeimi accepts his hand, lets him pull her up. "But- why are you here?"

He clears his throat, adjusts his glasses. "Well. It occurred to me… There's been no one to greet my clients as of late." "Eh?" "There's been no friendly face to welcome them. Nobody is there to have tea with them while they wait for me, and there's no gossip I can prey upon. I've gotten so used to it until now; this is a weakness I cannot abide." "I… see." "…my home is also too quiet. There's a fourth chair at the table that nobody is using, a room unoccupied, and many clothes that now have nobody to wear them." "…" "So. I came to ask if you would return, if we could make an arrangement." "Of course you did…" "And my proposed arrangement is this: will you marry me, be my wife, share my home and assist me in my work as a lovely wife should?" "You - you're still asking to marry me?" Yumeimi blurts out without thinking. "But you'll gain nothing." "I gain you. The most valuable pearl in all the seas." He frowns. "And what did I tell you about negative self-talk?" "But--" "And I considered what you said to Jade about courting you, and you are correct, as usual. We will, if you are amicable, indulge in a one year courting period, wherein we will take excursions both to the surface and to the seas - with transformations for us both accordingly - where we will indulge in whatever merriment you have always desired to do." His tone is all business-like, but she can see the hope behind his eyes. She's spent enough time with him she knows how to find his true emotions, his real thoughts. He's truly hoping she'll say yes. "Will that be alright by you?"

It's almost enough to render her speechless. When she does speak, it's around a lump in her throat. "That… that sounds…" She swallows, bringing her fists to her chest. "That sounds acceptable. But I want a sign of good faith from you, that you mean this."

Azul reaches for one of his pockets. "Oh, yes, a ring is traditional for you, isn't it? One moment, I've got one here--"

Yumeimi rises up on tiptoe and kisses him.

He tenses, just for a second. Then he pulls her closer, and the kiss deepens. She feels him trembling, barely perceptible. He's been holding so much back, and right now he's trying to convey everything to her that he didn't, maybe couldn't at the time, say. He came for her because he could not stand the loneliness of his home without her cheer. Could not understand how he ever lived without her. They finally pull apart, just barely. "I need you…" he utters so only she can hear.

"I know… Take me home?"

In answer, he grins and scoops her up. "Boys! Go get her things, she lives with us now!"

Yumeimi starts, she actually kind of forgot about the twins. They run past her, Floyd whooping.

Things change when they return, and yet they don't. The household chores are still divided up. Yumeimi still greets clients when they arrive. But this time there's no contract lurking at the back of all their minds. Yumeimi wears a perfume, the scent undeniably her. Most clients comment favorably on it. If they don't like it, Azul doesn't like them.

He makes good on his promise of a year of courtship. They go to all kinds of places, attend all kinds of events. Yumeimi meets so many people.

Some of them ask, "How'd you two meet?" and they admittedly falter for an instant.

Azul says it first: "I saw her and she intrigued me."