「 ʙʀᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ ʙ ᴀ ᴅ; 」

“Think about it. You’re half fish, but all you’re surrounded by is other fish. What else are you going to eat? Kelp?” 

“So you’re asking about actual mermaids?” Smee asked, more amused than irritated by their exchange. 

Hallie glanced over at him, eyes widening a bit at the scratch. It certainly looked painful. “Does it hurt a lot?” she asked.

“Not a lot,” Smee corrected, her quantity off. 

“Could I at least offer to bring you a damp napkin?”

“If there’s one handy, I won’t object.”

“Hm.” Hannah smiled dipping her napkin in the water she just ordered. “Whoever she was, she did a number on you.” Moving closer to him, she watched for a flinch or an attempt to move away before she pressed it to the scratch. “And if your tailor falls through, you can bring it by. I’m not great by any means, but I did hem my own skirts in school.” 

Smee didn’t cower away from her touch, instead he tilted his head to the side, granting her access to his neck while he ordered a whiskey to take the edge off. The cool of water felt nice against his heated skin, a small relief. 

Thatcher frowned some. “You’re still getting blood on everything,” he said, holding up a towel. “At least clean up a little.”

“Dreadfully sorry,” Smee apologised, his words dripping with sarcasm as easily as drops of crimson fell from his skin onto the fixture he was so concerned about. He took the towel from him, pressing it to the wound on his neck that was bleeding the most profusely. 

“If a mermaid eats fish…” Gigi started, toying with her fork absentmindedly as she spoke. “Is it cannibalism or a dietary staple?”

“It’s a peculiar question is what it is.”

"Keen observation."

"Why, I didn’t realize I was impeding on your day of being in a sour mood. Here I thought updating you might be beneficial to you, or really me."

"Perhaps my sour mood would improve if you gave me this update rather than a forewarning."

"it’s not what John would do," Opal backtracked. John Darling wasn’t exactly the most intimidating figure in Neverland… "It’s what George would do, really. He’s got this thing about family."

"Get him then." Smee offered, hand sweeping towards the building dismissively.

"Hasn’t anyone ever told you it’s rude to put your hands on a girl?" Hannah looked down at the hand gripping her arm. 

"How else am I supposed to get your attention if you don't respond when I call you?"

"Ugh, surely they have more interesting things to post about but whatever." Vaeda tapped a few keys, throwing more candy into her mouth. "I kind of wish Gary was with her. That would have been the icing on the cake."

"And the blonde one with all the opinions." Smee added, she'd been the one he'd found most irritating.