Hana Song

Shivonne snorted a laugh, then composed herself somewhat as she outstretched her arm and tapped it on her shoulders one at a time and then tapped the top of Hana’s head, placing an imaginary crown on there, “You shall forever be decreed as Her Royal Highness, Princess of Nerd”

She sunk back the last of the beer in her glass. The amount of alcohol she’d had in the last hour alone was enough to put a small adult’s head in the toilet for the rest of the night, but Shivonne was a seasoned professional, even if she was really feeling the effects now. “I took his fucking kid away from him. He’s a good dad. Shitty boyfriend, but hey I’m a shitty fucking girlfriend. I can’t-” she paused to hiccup “-can’t believe I was in a relationship for four goddam years. You know they say the worst thing you could do is stay together for your kid, but I fucking did it anyway, like a loser”

Shivonne was shocked when the fairy candidate planted a kiss on her, for once she was stunned into silence. She ran her hand through her frizzy hair and a rainstorm of glittery fibres crossed her vision. “Why am I covered in glitter?” she said quietly to herself. She waited until Sparkles started to walk away before turning to her friend and saying, “That was like kissing an angry vagina. No vote”

Letting out a ‘hwop’ as Hana pulled her along, the alcohol in her system sloshing around, she suddenly didn’t feel so good. “Hana, I feel sick. I don’t even like Beyonce…” but before she could finish any more excuses, they were both on stage, stood behind the fairy as they addressed the crowd. “Goooood Eveeeening- uh-” they said, turning back slightly and looking at the two women behind them. 

“Sumner?” Shivonne said, confused and slightly dazed. “SUMNER!” Sparkles shouted to the crowd, which was met by a few pathetic claps. “Are you ready to paaaaarrrrttttyyy?!” they shouted, to no response. “Me tooo!” Suddenly, the beat began to thump loudly in Shivonne ears, watching confetti slewing down and the sequined outfit of the candidate shimmied for side to side violently. 

She preened under her crown, making a show for Shivonne after the mock-coronation, then tried to sober up a bit to reach out and hold Shivonne’s hand. “I don’t know much about divorces or...stuff like that.”  She was thinking ‘broken families’ but was polite enough not to say it.  “But I do know it doesn’t just take a mom and a dad to raise a good kid.  Sumner’s like a family now.  Which reminds me!  Oh my god.  Shivonne.  If you ever need babysitting! I’m your girl - I babysit like a pro.”

Hana had never been in a relationship as long as four years, and she murmured a ‘wow’ under her breath at the idea of Shivonne and this ‘shitty boyfriend’ of hers lasting that long.  Long enough to have a kid, obviously.  She wanted to hug Shivonne but instead they were whisked away up the stage to be back-up singers, or something.

She kept a hold of Shivonne’s hand, knowing Peach wasn’t letting them off easily.  “You got this,” Hana said, resorting drunkenly to sports slogans to reassure her.  “Just power through it, you can do it.  Just keep your mind on the game, Shivonne, just - oh no.”  

Hana could only watch as Shivonne projectiled all the contents of her upset stomach, onto the Sheriff Candidate.  The fairy looked discombobulated for a moment, but the cheers of the audience were too much for them to stay mad for long.

“Well I wasn’t going to do a costume change yet, but--”  Dramatically, Peach tore off their sequined dress, revealing and even brighter, more lavish outfit underneath, their wings spreading to effective block out everything else on the stage behind them.

“Plus I got to cool off on this very hot day huh?” He smiled, then frowned partly at Blue. The dog’s own bright red hair clumped, seadark and heavy, ran to meet the next wave, barking and biting at the white foam on the crest of it. “Plus, plus, I think that guy had something to do with your tripping, so you almost drowning might be my fault.” Lilo sucked at his teeth and raised his eyebrows apologetically, though the expression read more ‘whoops’ then 'sorry’. He nodded his head to the as he took steps up to the shore, indicating that Hana might want to follow him up so the waves would just hit there toes.

“The excited idiot who almost maybe drowned you is Blue, but that is only because he gets excited for people and is not happy until he weaves all the way through you feet just so you know he likes you a lot.” Lilo shook his head at the long-haired lab mix that continued to attack oncoming waves. Then held out his hand to point to the boxer that just watched Blue, huffing to herself and turned her head to look at Lilo as if either waiting for direction or expecting him to do something about Blue. “That over there is my adopted baby, her name is Stitch and she is a bit less excitable.” When Lilo shrugged, Stitch also took off running into the mini ocean beside her brother Blue.

“A bit less excitable… maybe” Lilo shook his head, then turned slightly. It was an easy motion most of the time, his prosthetic may twist and he’d take a few small steps to readjust it. The knee mechanism could only guess from pre-programmed clues what his brain wanted to do, and it was a song and dance Lilo had gotten used to over the years, except- Except for every so often, especially in the summer shorts seasons, there would be that kind of look from a person and he’d not expect it too hit him as hard as it did. That sorry, apologetic, sympathetic look where he felt like he had to say 'it’s alright, I’m okay, I work and function just like you, you don’t need to look at me like that’ but he always pushed back the words with his tongue. Maybe it was harder the prettier they were. He sighed and held out his hand to the woman. 

“I’m not a gargoyle though, I’m a nymph.”  She continued talking, taking a hold of the man’s arm as she cautiously made her way back to the very edge of the water, as if it were lava.  “I was supposed to get some lessons, on swimming and stuff, but it never panned out, my friend helped me buy a swimsuit and then he...I don’t know.  Actually I don’t know what happened to him.”  It was a worry that had been on the edge of Hana’s mind for a while - but since Red was so new to Sumner, it wasn’t easy to locate him; most people would just assume that he drifted out of town again.  

“Anyway! I did just come in here to cool down, but.  A whole beach inside a tent!  It’s pretty cool.  I can’t tell if we’re actually on a real beach or if this is a fake beach?  Like, if I go further into the sea, would I get swept into the ocean?”  Hana shuddered at the thought.

“His name’s Blue?  But he’s red!”  Hana exclaimed, half-laughing as she did.  “So cute!  So funny.”  She couldn’t help but watch as the man moved, looking to her very adept at his prosthetic.  In her line of work, Hana had seen her share of prosthetics after injuries, but it was always treated with anger and shame.  Usually because it meant the end of one’s career in construction.  Now that she was over her initial pity, Hana was fascinated at how unashamed the man was to wear his fake leg.  

Not liking the bitter twist of her mouth when she smiled, Freddie reached for Hana’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “I won’t pretend to think I can understand what it’s like to have to adjust to the idea of immortality, darling - but as someone who’s got more than the average amount of years ahead of him too, I think the key is focusing on the here and now. When the future stretches on without end, today is what matters. So just be happy, love. Stop putting so much pressure on yourself, and just do what you want. Fuck everything else.”

“And start with me,” he teased.

Freddie laughed at her stage whisper, offering one of his own in return. “We do - but we disguise it as raspberry syrup so the rest of the world remains blissfully unaware.” He leaned closer, eyes gleaming with mischief. “Trust me, darling; when the apes rise, Britain will have a lot to answer for.”

Taking the last bite of his dinner, the fairy nodded at Hana’s comment about his little black book, and his appearance in other people’s. “It wasn’t a judgement,” he smiled, “I’m happy just to be on the receiving end of that laugh of yours. And, as you say, I’m not lonely.” Freddie smiled. “So the ball will remain in your court, Hana love. When, and if, you want me, you know where to find me.”

Once the plates were cleared, he happily accepted a dessert menu of his own - Freddie had never been one for abstention of any kind - and chuckled when Hana once again seemed entranced by her idea of his privileged childhood, laughing just a little bit harder when she deemed him quintessentially ‘fairy’. 

“I am, rather,” he said, “I hit all the stereotypes and then some. Flighty, fickle, distractible, self-absorbed…” He paused, shaking his head with a smirk. “There really are no good fairy stereotypes, are there?” And then he shrugged. “But that’s me; right down to the ground. For better or worse.”

His next set of advice was something Hana could understand a lot more, if only because it was a common concept: live for today, enjoy life, etc.  And when he ended with his little pun, Hana burst out into a loud laugh.  “Freddie!  Oh my god, Freddie,” she was scandalized, and she loved it.  In fact, she was so caught off guard that Hana was charmed, tempted to do just that, just take Freddie back to hers and bonk him senseless.  “How’s that saying go?  Carpe diem...”  A little wriggle in her seat, like she really, suddenly, was thinking about it.   Was there any harm?  She wanted to take it slow but she wasn’t a kid - she was fully aware that sex could just be a surface, harmless romp.  

And when he explained the raspberry syrup, for some reason that just made him even more hot.  Stupid Freddie, so hot.  “Oh my god I love that movie, all those movies.  The older ones are better, but the knew ones were surprisingly good...wow!  Sorry, I totally just nerded out there.”

Freddie offered Hana a carefree freedom, and when he mentioned having other choices, Hana was surprised to find herself...happy at the thought.   It made her feel immediately better - off the hook, so to speak, and therefore suddenly invigorated again. “You’re so honest, I love it.  I want to take a page from your book.  Maybe not your little black book,” she added with a giggle.  “Just - god.  How you deal with life.  It’s so amazing.”

She made a noise of protest at the lack of good qualities in fairies, as Hana perused the dessert menu.  “No! What?  Okay gargoyles aren’t really fond of fairies but then gargoyles just think they’re better than everyone,” Hana said with a grin.  “But I think nymphs like fairies very much.  Fairies love animals!  And fairies are fun.  And fairies are all enthusiastic and very cute.  At least, you know.  As far as I know.”

Freddie repeated the phrase back to Hana’s delight and she both blushed and complimented Freddie’s oh-so talented tongue.  The waiter came, and Hana settled on some elaborate multi-fruit summer tart. She looked at Freddie for a moment, and then impulsively added,  “And put lots of whipped cream on it!  Like, lots.  A whole bottle.”

“Um...the kitchen makes their own whipped cream from scratch, ma’am,” the waiter said, with a professional smile.  

The mermaid frowned in confusion. “Well its always clean where we swim. Though the more closer we are to an area where humans live the more unclean the water gets. But if you go further out its all clean and clear.” She shrugged. “I’ve never really thought about it to be honest.”

“That sounds like fun! I’ve only played soccer before. My brother is a little obsessed with it and since I was his only playmate growing up I learned alongside him.” There were a lot of sports she knew just because her brother showed a little interest in. He didn’t have anyone to play with besides her and occasionally their father or mother. But Amairah never complained. She loved playing with him and kind of missed it since he had children his own age to play with now. But then it gave her an opportunity to explore her own interests. Like meeting new people and trying new things. “Beer?” Such as a drink. “I’ve heard about it but I’ve never had it.” She admitted frowning lightly at the thought.

She nodded in understanding, waving at the family as they walked off. Laughing lightly at the other girl’s comment she hummed under her breath as she sunk deeper into the water. “Why don’t you try dunking your head in and breath in the water. It might help.” She suggested before pointing at the necklace. “But take that off before you do. I don’t think the chain is water resistant.” She added, not wanting the pretty necklace to be damaged by the water.

Sadly she asked, because she felt now she always had to ask when she met a seafolk.  “Do you see them down there?  The gargoyles who sunk and turned into stone?”  It was as close to death without being death for gargoyles, to be stuck on sea beds forever, completely transformed into stone and their heaviness making it near-impossible to bring them up again.  Hana’s own father had sunk to the bottom of the sea after her parents’ plane crash, and so far he’d been there for over three years.  Terrifyingly sad, to Hana.

It was nice to turn to happier thoughts though, like playing soccer.  “Oh.  OH!!”  Hana bobbled in excitement, her tail fins now slapping at the water’s surface.  “Did Dmitri want to join up with a kid’s team?  I coach a little soccer summer camp for kids, I’d love to have him!  I could talk to your parents, maybe?”

Hana grinned, making a mental note to be the first to let Amairah taste some beer, and be there with her.  She wasn’t sure how alcohol affected merfolk, but she didn’t want Amairah’s first experience to be bad.  “How old are you again?  Over 21, right?” Ducking her head under water, even in this shallow water, seemed terrifying to Hana.  She had to stop thinking like a gargoyle, though.  Nothing was going to happen to her if she just took a little dunk.

Nodding at her assessment of her ex, and of that type, the fairy wrinkled his nose a little. “I understand completely,” he said, taking a bite of his carbonara, and chewing thoughtfully. “Nice is exactly that - it’s nice - but we need a little more, don’t we? A little depth, a little edge… Nice on it’s own does nothing but rot your teeth and bore you sideways.” Freddie grinned, thinking back to way she’d handled him in the mana pool, and shot her a wink. “And besides, you like a bit of rough every now and again, don’t you, darling?”

Though, laughing at her description of the chocolate, he immediately agreed with her teasing. “Of course we’re weird,” he said, “We just hide it under these accents you all think are so charming.” His eyes sparkled, “But a Flake’s better in a 99, love, I promise; especially with the monkey’s blood.”

Freddie thought for a moment about her question, and about his own experiences of late with relationships, and answered, “I guarantee you that people in relationships have only as much, or as little, sorted out as everyone else, love - they just usually get a pass from the world at large, provided that what they’ve got looks right from the outside in.” 

He shrugged, “Being sorted on it’s own can’t make you happy, though. Being happy just…comes when it comes, I think. It’s like pornography - you can’t necessarily describe it, but you know it when you see it.” He thought of Ruby, and Ephram, and Elizabeth, and smiled. “When you see it - when you have it - it’s just…undeniable, yeah?”

But the fairy’s eyes widened slightly at her hypothetical question anyway, and he chuckled, a little self-deprecatingly. “Me?” he asked, “In a heartbeat, I’m afraid, love. Marriage and children aren’t something I’ve ever aspired to - I’m rubbish at coloring inside the lines. But you know that, and maybe I’m wrong, but I think that might be part of why this date isn’t a date any longer, eh?” 

Shaking his head when Hana seemed impressed by his language skills, he waved it away with a smirk. “It’s not so impressive when you learn that I was taught Persian when I was small, so I already knew the Arabic alphabet.” 

“Though that didn’t help me much when I attempted to speak it,” he laughed. “It was a bit of an uphill climb, really; and I can’t say I got very far. I wasn’t in Cairo long enough to really get immersed.”

She put her hands down and looked and Freddie, her smile somewhat bitter.  “And honestly, who cares now?  I’m going to live forever.  There’s no deadline anymore.  Wow.  There’s no deadline anymore, Freddie!  Gonna have to start getting used to that.”

Hana stared at him in a complete flummox and then leaned forward in a loud whisper.  “British people actually eat monkey blood?!  Poor little monkeys!” His comparison of love to pornography made her laugh though, and although she couldn’t really understand what he meant, she assumed it was just high level artsy stuff and laughed along, admiring him for his cleverness rather than feeling stupid for not getting it.  

She shrugged, demurring when he pointed out their no-longer-date.  “I just don’t feel that rushing need to do anything right now.  And I don’t really know if that’s good or bad.  Besides, I’m not worried about you.  I’m sure you have a lot of numbers in your little black book.  Or you’re in a lot of other people’s little black books, too.  You’re so fun and charming, who wouldn’t want to snap you up in a second?”

When the waiter cleared their plates, Hana got herself a dessert menu to peruse.  “Oh that’s right, your nanny!  So cute,” she cooed, thinking once again of Freddie and his gargoyle nanny.  Her eyes pulled away from the menu to stare at him, mouth open in wonder as he listed the places off.  Freddie wasn’t even being pretentious about it, trying to show off how worldly he was or anything.  It was amazing to think about being around the world, but also inconceivable to Hana.  But she couldn’t help giggling.  

Sighing, but smiling a little, she started to feel all the alcohol really settling into her system. “Noel is…the most resilient little shit I’ve ever known. I don’t know whether it’s because he’s too little to understand or that he’s already seen way too much shit. I just don’t want to fuck him up. He’s too sweet, too smart.” Shivonne bit her lip, a twinge of guilt hitting her. “I’m selfish. Really fucking selfish. All this shit has happened because of me. I took him away from his dad all because he was going to take him from me. And I’m starting to think he did that because he was scared I was going to take him from him….which I probably would have”

Quickly looking around, Shivonne spotted the Sheriff candidate, not that it was hard, as they appeared to be blowing kisses to a group of very uninterested people. She knocked back her four jello shots and slapped the table. “Right, get that stomach lining down you and let’s get the fuck over there!” she said, standing up and eager to get her drunken plan into motion.

Hana nodded and listened, and loved the way Shivonne talked about her child.  She was really and truly a mother - not what a lot of people think motherhood is about, all sweetness and best friends with one’s child or anything like they showed on TV.  Except Roseanne - Hana had loved that show if only because it reminded her, in some ways, of her larger Song family.  Dysfunctional, abrasive and wonderful.  “You’re not selfish at all,”  Hana said, suddenly fierce and fiery.  “I know you kind of got off to a bad start, but Sumner is a wonderful place to raise Noel, and you’ll make it work. And - and the way you looked when you thought you ex kidnapped him in the park - I don’t think someone like that should be around a child.”

But Hana didn’t really know the details, although she defaulted to trying to comfort Shivonne rather than act neutral.  Still, she smiled and then giggled a bit.  “Or I might be talking out of my ass, I don’t know.  But I like you, and therefore I think you’re awwwwwesome.”

Hana squalled when Shivonne got her over to stand in front of Peach Sparkles, and she stared dumbly, staring with a lopsided grin on her face when they turned to look at Shivonne.  Only Peach completely misinterpreted what Shivonne said, as they were too busy primping and preening and shimmying.

“Well of course, anything for my loyal fans and groupies!” Peach said, wings flapping as they grabbed Shivonne’s face and planted a kiss on her first, then grabbed up Hana’s laughing face and quieted her with a kiss of her own.  Fairy dust rained down on the two women, before Peach’s campaign manager scurried up to whisper in Peach’s ear.

“That reminds me - I have to do my performance now!”  Peach caroled. “You two want to be my back-up girls?  It’s all Beyoncé.”

Lilo sucked in his lips and shook his head.

“Look at this, you knocked her over! Ay dios what a mess.” He’d finally caught up to his furry charges, the red-furred lab mix and the chocolate brown boxer mutt throughly soaked in salt water and panting happily beside the floundering woman they just tripped. “Ah I’m sorry, so sorry about this. They just get real excited to be out around people.” He reached down for her, holding out one hand. Lilo was half soaked too, his t-shirt removed and bunched up in the crook of his free hand, khaki shorts both the hirsute calve of his fleshy leg and the smooth fiberglass of his prosthesis, and apologetic half smile planted firmly on his lips his only real accessory apart from the two leashes wrapped round his hand.

So for this stranger to call her ‘bonita’ - Hana knew the word, it was ‘beautiful’ in Spanish or something - she gave a throaty, incredulous laugh.  “There’s nothing ‘bonito’ about me right now,”  Hana said, mispronouncing the word as she rubbed at her sticky-wet, sandy hair.  She exhaled loudly, and then realized there were two dogs panting as they stared up at her.  “Oh hello,” she said, because really - who could feel miserable around a dog?  And this was two dogs, very cute the both of them.  

And then Hana’s eyes dragged away from the dogs, to the person walking them - the legs first, which Hana almost spilled out an immediate apology, as if sorry that she had two flesh-legs and he did not.  Fortunately she was able to stifle it although her expression pretty much said it all.  But then her eyes dragged up to his wet shorts and...bare skin.  Hana’s mouth dropped open.  Ohhhh great..  A cute guy, calling her ‘bonita’, in her state.  Definitely feeling sorry for her; but she smiled slightly, trying to appreciate his easy kindness.

“Thanks, for uh...for saving me,” she said with a self-conscious roll of her eyes, knowing how ridiculous she must have looked.  Fortunately with the dogs there, she was able to bent over and distract herself with them.  Her bright yellow t-shirt was wet and clung to her skin, but Hana didn’t mind; she had her ever-practical black sports bar on underneath anyway.

“Comes with having a mother and a father who were very particular about everything being neat and clean.” She explained with a small shrug, letting herself slip even deeper into the fountain, her hair floating around the water around her as she did. “You should see my little brother’s room. No one would believe a ten year old lives in there.” She said with a small giggle.

Her eyes shone at the mention of sports. “Of course we do! While fights can get very brutal what we play underwater is more fun then what we play on land, in my opinion.” She quickly added. “My brother and I made up a game where we throw clams at each other. And then there’s races we have with the dolphins and sitting on top of whales just as they come to the surface to breath and shoot you sky high in the air. And collecting oysters, that a sport as well as a hobby or a profession.” Her tail was flipping up and down in the water, matching her excitement as she spoke.

“No.” She replied simply with a smile as she splashed a little water in the direction of a small girl, who squealed before backing away, though she was giggling. “Have they never seen mermaids before?” She asked, lowering her voice to a whisper. “I thought the humans who loved here knew about our kind and had seen us before.”

“How - this is going to sound ignorant, but - how do you keep the sea clean?” she asked curiously, imagining Amairah’s family living in some sort of underwater pod-world.  “I figured everything would just float.”

When Amairah seemed excited about sports, Hana looked excited too.  Sure they weren’t exactly sports that Hana knew and it didn’t exactly sound like any sort of bantam or leagues, but it still seemed like fun.  “I love softball and soccer,” Hana said happily.  “I know I probably can’t play any of your sports in the water, but you can always come play with me, if you like.  Compete! Win awards! Drink beer after! It’s fun...”  She saw Amairah’s tail flipping, and tried to do the same, laughing as they both made splashes in the water.

He wrinkled his nose, and laughed a little harder when she said she’d dated a ‘Wrigley’. “My God, really?” he asked, “I hope he was incredibly handsome, darling; because otherwise, I think that counts as an act of charity. Was he good in bed at least? I mean, if you have to call out the name ‘Wrigley’, it had better be worth your while.”

“And don’t frown at me like that, love - Halloween’s not unheard of; it’s just not quite the industry that it is here. I promise, British children have just as much opportunity to consume horrifying amounts of sugar as American children do.” Freddie grinned. “For example - have you ever had a Toffee Crisp? Do they sell those here? Because if you haven’t, you should.”

Aware of Hana’s sudden self-consciousness, that little shift in her comfort level as the conversation shifted, Freddie abandoned any further delving into her family life, not wanting to put her on the spot. To have grown up believing yourself to be one thing, only to suddenly discover that, in fact, you’re something else entirely - especially in the context of family - must have been quite an adjustment, and Freddie had no desire to push on a bruise unnecessarily. “Oh, I’m the worst kind,” the fairy chuckled at her teasing question, “I thought I had everything sorted, when, it turned out, I didn’t have anything of the kind. So really, my head’s further up my arse than anyone else’s ever hoped to be.”

He pretended not to notice her expression of sympathy over his childhood - though he was touched by it - and only smiled when she invited him to meet her family; his smile only deepening at the compliment. “Thank-you, love,” he said sincerely, “-but wouldn’t introducing me to them just incite more prying and meddling in your direction? I mean…won’t they assume I’m something other than a mate? I don’t want to be something they decide to drive you mad over, darling.”

Laughing at how impressed she seemed by his ability to adapt his accent regionally, Freddie shook his head. “I’m afraid British accents are the only ones I can manage without the aid of a little fairy dust, but I agree with you about the Middle East. That rolling r right in your ear never ceases to be anything other than wonderful.”

“My Farsi’s nothing to write home about anymore,” Freddie chuckled again, “-but I was attempting to teach myself Egyptian Arabic while I was living in Cairo.” He took another sip of his drink, and sighed, “I think I’ve forgotten it all now, though.”

The laughter continued even as she tried to keep dining.  How could one man be so charming and funny and smart and considerate, all rolled up into one package.  Thinking of Wrigley, Hana once again felt surreal in Freddie’s presence.  “No, I mean.  He was sweet.  He was...he was very sweet.  That’s about all he had going for him, poor guy.  You know the type?  They’re just so nice and it’s like...I don’t want to live the rest of my life being nice.”

She shook her head at the mention of a Toffee Crisp, but was immediately intrigued.  “No, I have had one of those weird chocolate bars I think it was Cadbury?  It was all flaky,” she described, not remembering that was the name of it.  “It was so weird.  British people are weird,” she teased him, putting on a Valley girl accent. 

“Do you think people who have relationships just...have things sorted out?” Hana wondered.  “I know it never felt that way for me.  I just never...it never felt right, enough though I really badly wanted it to.”  It always confused Hana.  She knew she wanted a family, but no partner ever seemed to be the one she wanted to make that family with.  Her cousins told her that her standards were too high, but that wasn’t it.  Was it?  Here she was sitting opposite one of the most charming people in the world, and she just told him to take it slow.  Hana leaned forward.  “Okay hyper - hypno - imaginary question here: if I said to you right now:  Freddie, let’s get together, make it work, get married one day, have kids.  Would that make you run for the hills?”

“We’re strong enough. We have to be propelling our tail through the open waters can be hard. Not to mention we have to maneuver our way through rapids as well as whirlpools and the waves created by storms. Plus our tails are heavier then our legs because its nothing but a big muscle. I guess all that strength retains once we turn human on land.” Amairah tried her best to let her words be as simple as possible. She had a habit of making things lengthy when she tried to explain them. And she didn’t want to bore Hana with her explanation. 

Taking off her glasses and carefully putting them back in her bag, setting the bag aside as well, the mermaid slipped out of the sundress she had been wearing with ease, not at all bothered by the stares she got. Amairah hardly noticed them really. She was a mer-creature and having walked around naked on the beach back home she wasn’t bothered by other people staring. They were naked under their bodies too weren’t they. Placing her dress and the bag on the bench as well as quickly slipped into the fountain watching as her legs merged to form her tail, the color matching her eyes perfectly, her long hair covering nearly her entire torso and giving a small glimpse of the bra she wore underneath. “Well this is new.” She said with a grin.

She realized that if only for posterity, she had to get a couple photos of herself as a mermaid.  It would be a great memory, now that she’d gotten past her initial confusion and horror.  And with Amairah so kindly arranging her stuff within reach on the fountain lip. Hana’s phone was within reach too.  Hana was something of a slob, all things considered.  She just never really thought about being organized and tidy, preferring to drop and fling things whereever and clean-up whenever.  She was better at cleaning up at her relatives’ homes than her own.  “You’re so neat,” Hana commented, slightly teasing but meaning it more as praise.

Her explanation was interesting, but Hana was not curious by nature and mostly just ‘oohed’ and ‘ahhhed’ as Amairah talked about mer-strength.  All Hana could think about was competitiveness.  “Mermaid fights must be pretty crazy in the water.  Or sports! Do you have mermaid sports?”

Hana was blushing and giggling at Amairah’s lack of shame.  Hana had grown up constrained by the boundaries of clothing and propriety in human-world; but she knew Sumner was different from the rest of the world.  When you came from the sea, clothing was irrelevant.  Still, she couldn’t help but politely look away once Amairah unclothed.

Nodding in encouragement the mermaid glanced at the fountain once more. It was big enough to hold up to five people, and since this was a town filled with creatures like her, she doubted it would be much of an issue. Turning back to the new mermaid Amairah nodded. “Sometimes I get thirsty and salty sea water is the best way to quench my thirst. As well as my brother’s. Its one of the after effects of being on land for too long.” She added. Her father had cautioned her to always carry around a bottle such as that one once they had decided to move. It had helped a lot. And had saved their lives when both she and her brother were hiding in the cave the night of their parent’s murder. “Alright.” She agreed, smiling softly as she stood up, wrapping her thin arms around the woman’s torso. With a surprising amount of strength, that her body could never execute given her petite stature, Amairah quickly picked her up, and with tottering steps quickly set her on the edge of the pool. “You should get in first. And if the normal water doesn’t help then we will have to go down to the beach. It will be more helpful.” She advised her companion, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder and giving yet another smile.

“I definitely feel like a baby.  Totally uncoordinated and...well like a fish out of water,” Hana laughed slightly.  She thanked Amairah as the girl helped her to the fountain, appreciating her strength.  She looked so tiny.  “Remind me never to get in an arm wrestling match with you,” she teased, but Hana sounded very pleased as well.  “are all mermaids strong like you?”

When she asked for her help Amairah’s heart beat loud and fast in her chest. Her worry and concern for Hana showed on her face as she quickly deposited her onto the bench. Shaking her head, the mermaid smiled reassuringly. “You don’t have to apologize.” She started but then stopped, her eyes following Hana’s line of sight and gasping once she caught sight of the unmistakable mermaid’s tail where her legs had been a few seconds ago. “You’re not a mermaid are you.” She said questioningly though it was more of a statement then anything else, as she turned to look at her.

Taking charge Amairah quickly glanced at the fountain before turning to the woman. “You don’t mind getting a little wet do you?” She asked motioning towards the fountain, before reaching into her bag and pulling out a water bottle. “Its salt water. It’ll help I promise.” She said uncapping it and quickly handing it to Hana. “And it won’t sting either. I promise.” Amairah hoped she was doing a little bit of a good job by reassuring her.

“I’m really not a mermaid...why is this happening??”  Hana didn’t expect Amairah to have any answers, but Hana couldn’t help but wonder if it was her doing.  Did mermaids even have abilities like this?  Or was Amairah actually some sort of...Hana didn’t know.  A sea witch?  Like Ursula from the Mermaid movie.  It was a ridiculous thought, but Hana was slightly panicking from this strange and unnatural transformation.  Fortunately, Amairah seemed to be considerably calmer than her, helping her, allowing Hana to think.  Even if Hana felt a little suspicious of her, she was also grateful for her support.  “I’m - I’m a nymph!  A rock nymph, you know.  Basically like the opposite of water, god.  I’ve never even been in a beach before.

 Raising her eyebrows up at the other woman. "I’m not quite as good at that, but I give it my best shot. My voice isn’t quite as…rough like it is talking, when I’m singing” she said, trying to sound modest. Shivonne never put herself down as some sort of gods gift to music, but she knew that she could hold a tune and people enjoyed her singing, but she never had aspirations of being a rockstar, just living like one.

 "Jesus Christ, Hana. When you said you were a lightweight I thought you meant you got drunk easily, not that you’re still stuck with the menu of a college student!“ She said, as she took two shots for everyone at the table. A couple of people refused them, and Shivonne hand Hana ended up with four each. Shivonne knocked hers back one after the other without a flinch. "Man, this sugar is going to give me the worst heartburn. You’d like they’d use the sugar free shit" 

A little more tipsy now, it was easy to get all of this out without becoming overly apologetic or choked up on her own fears.  Booze really did lubricate nicely - and with Shivonne, it was even better.. Talking to her was like talking to a friend she’d known for years.  And Hana didn’t have that many long-term friends outside of her family.  

She grinned wildly when Shivonne chided her for the college drinks - it was true, they were so juvenile, but Hana was having fun and the last time she’d felt this reckless was, indeed, in college.  “It’s just to line your stomach for the actual booze!” she laughed.  “Gelatin keeps a good layer of protection.”  It was all bullshit of course, like any alcohol-related ‘myth’ about yogurt, greasy food, pre-advil, etc.  A few more beers, and Hana knew she’d be dragging Shivonne to the karaoke stage very soon.  Or...maybe even just the dance floor.  Hana could see them getting it set up, and one or two stray couples swaying on the make-shift dance floor to some slow twanging guitar.

“And I can’t say we’ve ever been much for Halloween, either,” Freddie said, thinking about it, “It’s not quite the big to-do in most of Europe, and the other places we’ve been, that it is here. And even if it was, I’d probably just glamour him into something else anyway.” The fairy grinned, “But I’ll let you try to convince him for this year, shall I? We’ll see how far you get.”

There were a great many lengths Freddie knew the little Chin would go to at the behest of a beautiful woman, but the odds of Hana enticing him into something that would sully his inflated - and nearly entirely imaginary - sense of nobility, were slim at best. 

But if she managed it, it would be bloody hilarious. Freddie would never let him forget it.

“You know, I’ve never known a gargoyle child,” the fairy mused as the conversation went on, “-or any supernatural children at all, as a matter of fact. I was surrounded by humans until I left school, and after that I’ve never really mixed in the sorts of circles where anyone seems to have a family of any kind.” He laughed, “Nothing but selfish singles with their heads crammed up their arses, for the most part.”

“But you have a rather enormous family though, don’t you, love?” he asked, “That must be nice, in it’s way.” Freddie chuckled again, wincing, “Though if gargoyles have collectively decided that births are an invitational event, perhaps it’s not quite all it’s cracked up to be. I’m not sure a vaginal delivery is actually a spectator sport.”

When asked about his parents though, he just shrugged. There wasn’t all that much to say. And really, he was fairly certain that Elizabeth was the only one who might ever really understand. 

“I never knew my mum, really,” he said, rather matter-of-factly, “She swanned off when I was two, and that was that. And my father’s a prick of epic proportion, so we haven’t exactly kept in touch either.” The fairy smiled, “You’ve already met the only relative I consider worth my time, darling. And you want to wrestle him into a Halloween costume.”

Rolling his eyes fondly as she applauded his efforts, Freddie pretended to be affronted at her lack of ability to distinguish between British accents, grinning and shaking his head after her attempt to mimic his own. 

“That’s terrible,” he laughed, “Never do that again. Ever. As long as you live.” 

“Do I really sound like that?” he asked, his eyes sparkling, letting his accent slip from it’s usual cadence, to something more Cockney. “Because if I do,” he slid into Geordie instead, “-I may need to consider becoming the strong silent type.” 

He grinned at her as he took another sip of his drink. “You’re right though,” Freddie said, his voice his own again, “American accents are very much regional. I’ve decided I’m quite partial to the Southern variety, myself.”

That Halloween wasn’t normal for Freddie’s childhood was something new for Hana, and she frowned.  “Okay but.  There’s got to be a holiday for you guys where kids end up getting lots of candy, right?  I mean, I guess there’s Easter...”  She took Freddie’s invitation at his word, determined now to see Ollie in some sort of cute doggie outfit.

“I do have a big family, yeah.  And very...familial,” Hana said, rubbing the back of her neck, feeling oddly self-conscious about it.  “I mean, I guess everything has its positives and negatives right?  People without big families think that’s great and people with big families are like ‘god get me out’...”  Hana rolled her eyes, but at the same time she wasn’t sure if she agreed even with herself.  Hana loved her family, and couldn’t dream of being without them - even now, she moved away from her family to...be with her family.  “I guess it’s a gargoyle thing.  Even though I’m not a gargoyle I know.  But - are you telling me you got your head crammed up your ass, Freddie?  Or are you one of the singles out there who’s got it all sorted out?”  She was partially teasing, but Hana did want to know his answer.  To her, Freddie seemed the pinnacle of put-together and sorted out.

She made a said noise when hearing about his family, even if she didn’t really mean to.  Hana couldn’t help it.  To have uncaring parents, it sounded like the worst possible thing.  And yet here Freddie was, such a good man.  “You should still meet my family, if you’d like.  They’ll eat you up, they’d adore you.  I can’t see how anyone couldn’t adore you...” she couldn’t help but say.

She gave a loud scream of laughter when he was appalled by her awful impression, clapping her hands over her mouth as she giggled into her fingers.  And when Freddie effortlessly flipped through accents - she didn’t recognize them but she knew they all sounded different - Hana dropped her hands in amazement.  “Wow. Wow!  Can you do more accents?  Like, oh I dunno...Italian?”